Grassroots Group Steels To Slay A Giant Tower Tonight, And The Battlefield Is City Hall

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — You might not be able to fight city hall, but a growing group of downtown New Rochelle residents believe they can convince elected leaders to change course, despite the momentum of the past decade.

A local organization, New Ro: Enough is Enough (NREE), plans to show up in force at a public hearing tonight at 7 p.m. at New Rochelle City Hall to protest high-rise development plans. The group aims to halt the construction of a 28-story luxury-unit high-rise tower.

The downtown New Rochelle residents are seeking a more considered and deliberate development plan for their neighborhood, according to organizers.

"This is unacceptable, the downtown has rats, fire trucks everyday, and no retail," James Killoran, co-chair of NREE and director of the Fuller Center of Greater New York City, said, "It's time to stop the madness."

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Longtime residents say they are still waiting for promises made by developers a decade ago to be fulfilled.

"The small corner of the downtown development zone that the 570 Main St. high rise is being proposed in has absorbed 56 percent of the new units and 40 percent of the new buildings without getting any of the livability, walkability benefits that were promised 10 years ago," Shaun Wayawotzki, co-chair of NREE and a downtown New Rochelle resident, explained.

NREE was formed in February 2025 to combat what they see as overdevelopment run amok in New Rochelle. The group, which represents more than 600 members, meets regularly and attends rallies to challenge high-rise developers.

Since its formation, NREE has sought a moratorium on high-rise development in the southwest corner of the DO-2 area of downtown New Rochelle. The organization has influenced the agenda of developers at New Rochelle City Hall for over a year.

NREE representatives said they believe that without its efforts, the future of local culture could be in jeopardy. NREE will present its concerns regarding the proposed luxury high-rise during the public hearing, advocating for resident priorities in future development projects.

At tonight's meeting, the New Rochelle Planning Board will be voting on the 570 Main St luxury high-rise proposal, and will be holding a Public Hearing before they vote.

NREE members say the project will bring even more density to a tiny corner of the development zone that has already absorbed most of the new units. The group said this new density has caused traffic and parking issues, "wind tunnel effects," and impacts to air quality and natural in this area.