Let the Kids Play Again!

The most precious currency and most valuable commodity are the people of Mount Vernon.

We must give them a place that they can relax, have fun, and enjoy the fruits of their labor. Mount Vernon must feel like home and return to the roots of our tradition as a sports and entertainment capital of the Northeast.

This vision is detailed in the Canal Village Revitalization plan which expands the possibilities for Memorial Field, Hutch River Green-way, and Wilson Woods Park.
Data requires that we think bigger about these locations to drive tourism and transformation.

The possibility of an enclosed pool at Wilson's Woods Park would position the region to compete with the Poconos for aquatic winter activities. The process of reclaiming the Hutch River Green-way is underway.

The vision entails adding concession stands for books, coffee, lush green paths for walkers, joggers, strollers, and bikes to rekindle our relationship with the outdoors. Restoring glory at Memorial Field remains the ultimate task and Mount Vernon continues to overcome the obstruction blocking our way forward.

Memorial Field was the victim of illegal dumping in 2015 and environmental experts say that the cost of clean-up will exceed $2 million.

In July 2017, the Department of Environmental Conservation directed the City to complete the testing of the illegal debris or face a penalty of $7,500 per day every day after January 1, 2017. This amounts to an additional $2.6 million in unnecessary penalties and fines that we cannot afford.

After a year of seeking consensus on moving the project forward, in June 2018 the Thomas administration acted to pre-empt the assessment of millions in penalties, as well as protect public health and safety. This bold move by the Thomas administration saved the city and taxpayers money.

Yet the City Council sued and again halted progress at Memorial Field. While they wasted time and treasure, they have ultimately lost in Court every single step of the way.

Most recently, the Council was directed by the Court to stop the games and fund the Urban Renewal Agency audit some 1,185 days after our original request. This will make way for the city to borrow necessary dollars to finish big projects like Memorial Field.

Westchester County has stepped up to assist in helping drive the project from clean-up to construction; however, I am encouraging all public officials to review the Canal Village Revitalization plan whose anchor is Memorial Field. I believe that Memorial Field can compete with the Barclays Center as the premier destination for youth sports and regional entertainment.

I have held discussions with Sean P. Diddy Combs, Mark Messier, multi-national companies and philanthropic groups, each seeking to invest hundreds of $millions in the vision. This is in addition to the jobs created by mixed-use developments rising around our Metro-North train stations. "Washington's Wharf," a proposed Ferry being planned, will connect Memorial Field/Target to City Island and LaGuardia Airport.

These positive changes are not without challenges ranging from "rubber glove sabotage" to deliberate obstruction or a "natural gas moratorium." Regardless, the mission remains to stay the course of hard, fought, economic success for the people of Mount Vernon.

I am encouraging the City Council and Comptroller to stand with us and unblock access to funds to complete the clean-up of our beloved park. The same concern was observed by State Supreme Court Judge Gerald Loehr when he recently stated, "It is the court's recommendation that the budget not be enacted unless or until it includes dollars set aside for the Memorial Field project." (Source: "City Council vs City of Mount Vernon," Transcript, Index No. 59081/2018, February 15, 2019)

Yet the city's budget was enacted by the City Council without clearly allocating monies for Memorial Field, compliance for the Clean Water Act and the DPW Yard. One stakeholder pointed out that the Council exacerbated the problems we face by increasing taxes and reducing services.

The solution rests with you - the People. Tell the City Council and Comptroller to fund and give back Memorial Field, NOW!