History
In 1917, a subterranean flume was constructed in Yonkers beginning at “Chicken Island”—a municipal parking lot off Getty Square—with the final phase in Larkin Plaza completed in 1922, banishing the Saw Mill River from the light for a half-mile underneath Getty Square, North Broadway and Larkin Plaza. After going through the flume, the Saw Mill River empties unceremoniously into the Hudson River immediately north of the Yonkers Pier.
Putting a river underground can have devastating effects on local wildlife and plant life and also robs the community of public park space.
Daylighting Campaign
Groundwork led the way to make “daylighting” the Saw Mill River the cornerstone of downtown Yonkers’ revitalization. “Daylighting” means restoring a river that has been covered up with concrete due to past public works projects in urban areas. The Yonkers plan calls for reopening the river where it skirts Chicken Island and incorporating it into the designs for a proposed “Riverwalk” (as part of River Park Center), as well as opening the river as it runs through the Larkin Plaza parking lot. Check out the Struever Fidelco Cappelli website for the most recent design work: sfcyonkers.com.
Getting people interested in daylighting took many forms over the years, and even included tours for public officials and others of the river’s underground tunnels and culverts. That advocacy helped spark a $3.1 billion commitment from Struever-Fidelco-Capelli to build housing, offices and commercial space along the river’s path. And it led, with Scenic Hudson’s help in Albany, to $34 million dollars from the Pataki Administration just for daylighting.
Now Groundwork wants the daylighted river and accompanying downtown revitalization to be shared and enjoyed by everyone. We’re working with community groups on a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) to make sure that everyone benefits from the $3.1 billion investment. We’re also working closely with the city and developers on the look and feel of the riverscape, to insure that the park design benefits local biodiversity and provides public access to everyone.
Roundtables and charrette sessions have been held involving students, teachers, local officials, architects, and ecologists in incorporating cultural, historical, environmental, artistic, and recreational elements into the plan.
Groundwork Hudson Valley’s Rick Magder has been awarded a daylighting award from both the American Planners Association and the Beczak Environmental Education Center.
