Daylight a River; Revive a Downtown

Groundwork led the way to make "daylighting" the Saw Mill River the cornerstone of downtown Yonkers' revitalization. Prior to our efforts, most people did not know that the river flows beneath the downtown, emptying into the Hudson near the Yonkers train station.

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 Steuver-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 a natural character to the river and ironclad public access to its banks.

Rick Magder accepts daylighting award from American Planners Association

Rick Magder accepts daylighting award from Beczak Environmental Education Center

Daylighting has become an international phenomenon in community renewal. Here are some links for more information:

Wikipedia: Daylighting (streams)

Providence, Rhode Island's Daylighting Project