New York Gov. Kathy Hochul selected the Remington Clubhouse to make an announcement Feb. 18, 2026 about allocating $16 million for New Rochelle’s LINC project. This initiative is designed to reconnect the city’s Lincoln Park neighborhood with downtown — now separated by Memorial Highway. Remington was selected to host the press conference due to its presence as a community anchor in the Lincoln neighborhood and the Boys & Girls Club of New Rochelle’s longstanding role as a vibrant and vital community partner.
Boys & Girls Club of New Rochelle Hosts Governor Hochul’s Announcement of $16 Million to Reconnect Lincoln Zone in New Rochelle
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. (Feb. 24, 2025) – New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul announced $16 million in State funding for New Rochelle’s LINC project during a visit Feb. 18 to the Boys & Girls Club of New Rochelle’s Remington Clubhouse. The funding restores critical support for the project, which will reconnect the Lincoln Zone now separated by Memorial Highway, after previously allocated federal dollars were withdrawn.
The Boys & Girls Club of New Rochelle’s Remington Clubhouse was selected as the site of the announcement due to its central location and longstanding role as a community partner. The Club, located in the Lincoln Zone, is a community anchor in that neighborhood. In addition, New York State previously entrusted the Club to administer state initiatives such as LEAPS programming, which expands community-based after-school services for elementary school students by providing academic support and enrichment, prioritizing social and emotional wellness and strengthening family and community engagement.
The Remington Clubhouse serves youth from kindergarten through age 24, including middle school students, high school students and young adults. As part of the planning process, youth from the Remington Clubhouse took part in a focus group on the LINC project, providing feedback on renderings and sharing their vision for multi-purpose green space, basketball courts, barbecue areas and improved walkability along Lincoln Avenue.
“The Boys & Girls Club of New Rochelle is honored and appreciative that the Remington Clubhouse was specially selected as the setting for Gov. Hochul’s visit and important announcement,” said CEO Becky Mazzanobile. “The Club has always served as a gathering place for community dialogue and civic engagement. It was an honor to host this event, which reflects the Club’s commitment to supporting initiatives that strengthen New Rochelle and lower Westchester County neighborhoods and expanding opportunities and quality of life for the families we serve.”
Approximately 60 state, county and local officials and community stakeholders attended the event, including New Rochelle Mayor Yadira Ramos-Herbert, Representative George Latimer, New York State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins, New York State Senator Shelley Mayer, New York State Assemblymember Steve Otis and Westchester County Board of Legislators Majority Leader Terry Clements.
The LINC project, short for Linking Innovation, Nature and Community, will transform a portion of Memorial Highway into a pedestrian-friendly corridor with green space, bike lanes and improved crossings. Originally constructed in the 1960s, the highway divided a historically Black neighborhood from downtown New Rochelle. City leaders have described the project as a long-term effort to restore connectivity, expand economic opportunity and support continued residential growth.
Gov. Hochul’s announcement ensures the project can proceed without delay. In her remarks, she also highlighted New Rochelle’s housing development activity, noting that the city has built approximately 4,500 new homes since 2020 and issued more than 1,000 housing permits annually in recent years. She pointed to a reported decline in average rent growth of 3% to 5% as an example of how increased housing supply can advance affordability.
“This is about more than infrastructure,” said Gov. Hochul said. “It is about reconnecting communities and building the housing and public spaces that allow people to live with dignity and opportunity.”
Mayor Ramos-Herbert said the LINC funding restores momentum for a project that has remained a priority through years of planning and community engagement.
“When federal support was pulled, it was a setback, but it did not change New Rochelle’s resolve,” Ramos-Herbert said. “This funding puts us back on track to transform six lanes of highway into a connected public park that restores walkability, creates green space and unlocks economic opportunity for our residents.”
New York State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, a Yonkers native who represents the 35th Senate District including Greenburgh, Mount Pleasant, Yonkers, parts of White Plains and New Rochelle, emphasized the impact of past infrastructure decisions on historically marginalized neighborhoods and the importance of sustained partnership to move the project forward.
“For decades, Memorial Highway divided neighborhoods and limited opportunity,” Stewart-Cousins said. “The LINC project is about reconnecting communities, creating public space and ensuring that the benefits of growth are shared. Today’s commitment brings us closer to making that vision real.”
Congressman Latimer, who served as Westchester County Executive for seven years before being elected to Congress, described the announcement as an example of coordinated leadership across levels of government.
“There are two stories here, what partnership can create and what communities can achieve when leaders work in the same direction,” Latimer said. “New Rochelle is showing what it looks like to invest in connection, opportunity and progress.”
County Executive Jenkins, who succeeded Latimer in that role, noted the broader significance of the investment and framed the project as part of an ongoing effort to repair longstanding divisions.
“As we recognize Black History Month, it is important that we confront not only achievements, but also the policies and infrastructure decisions that caused real harm,” Jenkins said. “This investment ensures the LINC will move forward and begin repairing that damage. It is about bringing people together and moving our community forward.”
With the New York State funding commitment secured, the LINC project can continue into the next phase of implementation, with city and state partners moving forward on the work needed to deliver new public space and improved connections between neighborhoods.
For 95 years, Boys & Girls Club of New Rochelle has been an integral part of the community, offering quality, achievement-driven programming encompassing academics, mental wellness, fitness, leadership and civics. Today, it is one of Westchester County’s largest nonprofits and a leader in youth development, serving over 12,200 youths annually at 12 school sites and two clubhouses.
Boys & Girls Club of New Rochelle’s impactful before-school, after-school, elective, and summer offerings empower members to excel in school, become good citizens, and lead healthy, productive lives while effectively bridging the gap between school and home. Boys & Girls Club of New Rochelle is proud to be affiliated with Boys & Girls Club of America, widely considered as both the leading youth organization and among the top nonprofits in the United States. Learn more at BGCNR.org.
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