A plans to build a parking lot on top of a part of JFK Marina and park have been withdrawn, with a revised proposal coming soon. The idea, conceptual rendering above, has been opposed by large parts of the Yonkers community who live in the neighborhood, and that opposition has forced the developer, The Loren Group to come up with a revised plan or alternative location.
The Loren Group has submitted plans to redevelop the Glenwood Powerplant, one of the remaining unused, parcels along with Hudson Riverfront in northwest Yonkers. Purchased in 2013, the historic building will be reimagined as a co-working, incubator, maker space, and grand convening space, for events, workshops, public art and gatherings that engage entrepreneurs, innovators, scientists, artists. “The Plant” would be the name of the redeveloped space.
The concept is an attractive concept that has the support of most in City Hall, except for the lack of parking. The development plan would have to be scaled back to include parking on site, which is one reason why the developer wants to find parking off site but as close as possible to “The Plant.”
But the idea of building a parking lot on the site of the JFK Marina, which also lies directly on the Hudson Riverfront, began to take on a massive opposition. The Hudson River Community Association (HRCA), the River Communities Coalition of Yonkers (RCCY), The Friends of Trevor Park (FoTP), and Yonkers Committee for Smart Development (YCSD) joined together in opposing the parking lot.
An online petition, collected more than 2,000 signatures, and another group, the Stop Goren Group Save JFK Marina, joined the opposition. City Councilmember Shanae Williams held zoom meetings and also led the effort on the city council in opposition to the parking lot.
City Council candidate (District 4) Stella Schwuchow said, “The JFK Marina serves as a space for community building, not only to the residents that live in the immediate vicinity, but many neighbors across Yonkers. I have so many wonderful memories taking pictures and watching sunsets at the Marina. It doesn’t matter that the Marina is not located in my Council District; it’s important because it affects families in the 6th. My constituents who live at Riveredge on David Lane, utilize the JFK Marina daily and this is one of the only accessible waterfront areas in all of Yonkers!”
Another concern about off site parking is that nobody wants to park off site and walk to the property or take a shuttle. Simply put, many are too lazy to do so, which makes the concept of off site parking difficult. Lastly, because the parking lot plan is located on parkland, it might require approval from the state, and with overwhelming opposition from the community impacted, that approval may not come.
According to sources in City Hall, the parking lot idea, “was just a proposal that never got close to happening after the public opposition.” Options said to be under review include building the lot at another location or a revised plan at a different location at JFK.
