As we’re rounding the corner and heading into 2027, the Village of Haverstraw is moving forward in big ways. Our downtown is looking great. New businesses dot the business district, and more are coming. Our waterfront parks are in great shape and will be improving and expanding over the next few years. And our housing stock is growing and will have many affordable units happening soon.
On the housing front, the 80-unit affordable 30 West project is going up at a remarkable pace. The building will hopefully be ready for occupancy by residents by the end of 2027. Applications for residency will probably be out in the summer of 2027, and those who qualify will be chosen by lottery.
Meanwhile, Village Square Apartments, at the intersection of Conklin Avenue and West Broad St, has begun construction and will probably come online in late 2027 or early 2028. This 60-unit project will be mostly market rate (with 6 affordable units) and will have a small retail restaurant/coffee shop space within it. This building replaces the derelict former Graziosi building that sat empty for 30 years.
And finally, the Chair Factory project will begin construction in 2027. This project at the foot of Main St. will bring over 350 affordable units (with the balance market rate) to the downtown, as well as 6500sq ft of retail space and a beautiful waterfront park to connect to Emeline Park and the Greenway Trail. The first units for this project will probably come on line in 2029.
All this added growth in the downtown area should be a boom for business, enticing new merchants and a new mix of businesses into our commercial district making it a destination for out-of-towners again.
Additionally, we’re constructing new basketball courts at Haverstraw Center, and converting the old ones into an expanded parking lot for downtown use. We’re also expanding Haverstraw Center itself, thanks to a $4.5m grant from NY State, giving the building much needed room to expand offerings for teens and seniors. That should get underway in 2027 and take a year more or less to complete.
The Village is also adding a new pocket park and reimagining another. At the corner of Jefferson St and Broadway, we’re creating the Haverstraw Heritage Park. With its beautiful view of Bowline Pond and the Hudson River, this park will tell the story of Haverstraw and its people over the past 175 years: who we were, who we are and where we’re going. Look for a grand opening in the Spring of 2027.
And in the Spring look for work to begin on a renewed pocket park at the corner of Main St. and Rockland St. This new park will have plenty of seating and shade to allow for some respite from the Summer Heat and let people enjoy having lunch or dinner out in the fresh air. Once completed in the Summer of 2027, we will dedicate this park to Rafael Bueno, Sr., a longtime Village Trustee who passed away in 2025 and spent his whole adult life working in downtown Haverstraw and advocating for the local businesses.
As we constantly work to improve the physical appearance of our village with newly paved streets and new sidewalks, we have also greatly enhanced our beauty with numerous new mural installations. Haverstraw Riverwide Arts, with funds from the NYS DRI, has orchestrated beautiful new artwork on village buildings and sites. From a spectacular mural at our African American Park, to the grand staircase at Emeline Park, to 6 new murals on two commercial buildings on Fairmount Ave (opposite the firehouse), to 2 buildings on Broadway (the corner of West Broad St and the corner of Grant St.). And more murals are yet to come in our business district in 2027. If you have a site that you would like to see beautified, let us know and we’ll take a look!
Our Summer Weekend ferry has ended for 2026, but we now believe it to be a permanent fixture. So, from May to October, we hope you take the opportunity to explore the east side of the Hudson by taking the ferry to the Metro North train station and head north into the Hudson Valley or South into NYC. And don’t forget to invite your friends to come visit us here. TOR buses meet each ferry and take people to the downtown and on a route that includes Garner Arts, Rockland Lake, Nyack and Palisades Center.
And finally, the Village has begun a new branding, marketing and wayfinding project. You can see our new logo here, and you will soon see it on all our vehicles, signage, buildings, etc. We hope this refresh will help us establish ourselves to new visitors, customers, residents and passersby as a place to stop and enjoy what Haverstraw has to offer.
Sincerely,
Michael F. Kohut
Mayor