The Village of Haverstraw is one step closer to bringing a long-planned redevelopment project to life.
Local officials joined New York Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley on Wednesday to break ground on the Village Square Apartments project at 49 West Broad St., where a building had sat vacant for decades.
The $13 million, five-story mixed-use project is being created by LLC developer Avrohom Schwartz. The project will include a coffee shop, 55 market-rate rental apartments and six affordable housing units for a total of 61.
Mayor Michael Kohut shared what the transformation of the site represents.
"So hopefully that's symbolic of the phoenix rising sort of," Kohut said.
According to village officials, the excavation now visible at the site will become the apartment development within the next year.
Mosley said the project reflects both Haverstraw's history and its future.
"Today we celebrate more than just a groundbreaking. We celebrate Haverstraw's history. For us to know where we're going to go, we have to understand where we were. It's resiliency and, most importantly, it's future," Mosley said.
The project received $1.67 million in Downtown Revitalization Initiative funding and is part of broader efforts to transform the village.
During his visit, Mosley also toured other revitalization projects throughout Haverstraw, including outdoor art installations, improved building facades and a future park.
Additional renewal projects in the village include plans for an extended public trail, shoreline stabilization efforts and new additions designed to highlight local history.