Yonkers Promised $8 Million In Saw Mill Daylighting

YONKERS, N.Y. – Yonkers is getting another step closer to transforming and revitalizing its downtown region.

City Mayor Mike Spano announced Thursday that New York State Empire State Development has pledged $8 million to fund the daylighting of a portion of the Saw Mill River in the River Park Center area, also known as Chicken Island.

The mayor said the funding will allow the city to purchase parcels along New Main Street and continue the city’s goal of exposing the river from Larkin Plaza up through Mill Street courtyard to River Park Center.

With the help of the newly pledged $8 million, the mayor’s spokeswoman said, the River Park Center portion of the project could be completed in 2-3 years.

“We thank Empire State Development and the New York State Legislature for committing to these funds, as it makes it possible for Yonkers’ next step in revitalizing our downtown area,” Spano said in a news release.

In the 1920s, the Army Corp of Engineers undertook a project to bury the Saw Mill River in downtown Yonkers in order to manage sanitation and floods.

Nearly a decade ago, the city and a handful of several community groups began working to undo that project and expose the river throughout the area. Ann-Marie Mitroff, director of river programs for Groundwork Hudson Valley, said daylighting the river has several ecological, economic and cultural impacts.

“There is a collection of things about bringing rivers back to cities that has multiple benefits,” she said. “One is that it brings a natural resource to the middle of a place that desperately needs more public spaces and connects people with nature.”

Earlier this year, officials celebrated the completion of phase one of the three-part project when they unveiled a portion of the daylighted river in Larkin Plaza. The city will celebrate the completion of the parking lot turned public park in September.

On Monday, Yonkers' daylighting project will be on display for a group of city officials, park planning designers and professionals from across the country.

Titled "Lost and Found: Saw Mill River Daylighting in Yonkers,” the group heard city leaders speak about the project and will visit various daylighting locations. The tour is part of an urban parks conference hosted by City Parks Alliance in New York City. 

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