A $60 million development has brought 76 affordable apartments and ground-floor commercial space to downtown Yonkers, near Metro-North rail service and the county’s Bee-Line bus system.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the completion of The St. Clair on Wednesday. MacQuesten Development built the 10-story project on a property that had been vacant since 2017.
The development combines housing with street-level retail, dining and other commercial uses. It is part of New York’s five-year, $25 billion housing plan, which aims to create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes statewide.
Apartments serve a range of households
The St. Clair includes studios and one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments for households earning up to 80% of the area median income.
Four apartments are fully accessible and adapted for residents with mobility disabilities, while two are fully accessible and adapted for residents with sensory disabilities, according to the governor’s office.
The all-electric building includes features designed to improve energy efficiency and reduce water consumption. Amenities include a fitness room, co-working space, indoor recreation room and outdoor courtyard.
More than 2,000 square feet of commercial space occupies the ground floor. A restaurant has already taken part of that space.
The property previously held a hotel and later a commercial dry-cleaning business. The earlier building was demolished, and the site remained vacant from 2017 until the new development.
Residents are within walking distance of the Yonkers waterfront boardwalk, parks, restaurants, pharmacies and a library, in addition to the commuter rail station and bus service.
Public financing supports the development
Federal and state Low-Income Housing Tax Credits administered through New York State Homes and Community Renewal generated more than $25 million in equity. HCR also provided more than $10 million in subsidy.
Another $418,000 came from the Clean Energy Initiative, a partnership between HCR and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.
Westchester County contributed $1.9 million through its New Homes Land Acquisition Program, and Yonkers provided $1.1 million through its HOME program.
The site is participating in the state Department of Environmental Conservation’s Brownfield Cleanup Program. It may qualify for $9 million in performance-based tax credits administered by the state Department of Taxation and Finance; those credits were described as a potential benefit, rather than an award already received.
HCR Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said the project connects affordable housing with support for small businesses in the downtown area. DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton pointed to the role of environmental cleanup in returning contaminated properties to use.
MacQuesten Development CEO Rella Fogliano said the project’s retail spaces also create opportunities for small businesses. Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano and Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins emphasized the location’s links to housing, transit and downtown services.
Part of the state housing plan
HCR has created or preserved more than 4,600 affordable homes in Westchester County under Hochul’s administration, according to the governor’s office.
Statewide, more than 87,000 homes have been created or preserved toward the five-year plan’s 100,000-home goal. The plan includes 10,000 homes with support services for vulnerable residents and electrification of an additional 50,000 homes.
The fiscal 2027 enacted budget adds $250 million in capital funding to accelerate affordable housing construction. It also includes changes to the State Environmental Quality Review Act intended to speed housing and infrastructure development, part of Hochul’s Let Them Build agenda.
Yonkers is among more than 460 certified Pro-Housing Communities. Certification gives municipalities exclusive access to nearly $1 billion in discretionary state funding, according to the governor’s office.
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