The LINC
The LINC and Lincoln Neighborhood District (DO8)
The LINC will reconnect a historically African-American neighborhood that was fragmented and severed due to the construction of a highway through the community. The plan is to right-size Memorial Highway and transform it from a six-lane road into a local street and linear park. The LINC will provide a vital connection between downtown, the train station, the library, and Lincoln Avenue. The LINC will create safe, attractive pedestrian crossings, bike lanes, and new recreation and park space to help surrounding residents and business owners benefit from the downtown revitalization and economic growth and build backlinks that were broken when the highway spur was built in the 1960s, replacing a burden on the community with a unique green-space asset.
The LINC is the result of years of community-driven planning, detailed analyses, stakeholder support, and political and financial commitment. The idea for The LINC came out of the City’s work with the New Rochelle Lincoln Avenue Task Force, which the City launched in 2017. Later, the City memorialized The LINC by highlighting it as a major benefit to the community through its application to the 2018 NYS Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI). In March 2023, the community shared ideas for program and design at a series of workshops. The design team is incorporating the community’s preferences and priorities into a draft design which will be shared in Summer 2023.
Lincoln Neighborhood District/ DO-8: To complement The LINC, and in response to community input received during the DRI process, New Rochelle is changing the zoning around the park to encourage appropriate new development that matches the existing low-rise and mid-rise buildings, encourages a wider range of community-serving businesses, and re-establishes the neighborhood’s “community corners” at Lincoln Avenue and Brook Street. The zoning was also crafted to meet local calls to promote economic development, preserve history and character of the predominantly African-American neighborhood, create and preserve housing, facilitate open space, and address parking and transportation needs. All community benefit dollars generated in the district must remain in the district.
Engagement and Background: See www.engageNR.com for LINC engagement opportunities. In Spring 2022, the proposed plan and traffic circulation and the Lincoln Avenue Neighborhood District (DO8) were presented to the City Council.
Environmental Review: Environmental review must be conducted for the creation of the Lincoln Neighborhood District (DO8) and acquisition of the roadway to create The LINC. Environmental review follows NY State guidelines to study the potential impacts of these actions on the environment including: schools, traffic and transportation, neighborhood character, for example.
The Supplemental Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement was accepted as complete by the City Council in July 2023 to start the public review process. The City Council scheduled a public hearing on the environmental review and proposed land use actions for September 12, 2023. Comments on the SDGEIS will be received until September 22, 2023. Comments can be submitted to the Department of Development, City Hall, 515 North Avenue, New Rochelle, NY 10801 or via email SEQRComments@newrochelleny.com.