UPDATE:New Rochelle Armory Group Demands City Drop Forest City Rattner, Give Land Deal to Local Groups Linked with Military Veterans

As a follow-up to the presentation given to city council regarding the potential for the Armory, the group, once again, requests  the opportunity to move forward with the restoration and utilization of New Rochelle’s history. Forest City, the current developer has caved under pressure from the residents and attempted to provide a vague and ambiguous presentation that attempts to placate the bare minimum in order to force through an extension to their Memorandum of Understanding.  This allows  Forest City to shut out all competition from moving forward with a plan that makes sense for the city rather than lining the pockets of the developer.

(reprint courtesy of  Talk of the Sound)

A former New York State Assemblyman from New Rochelle is calling on the City of New Rochelle to halt negotiations with Forest City Rattner for a further extension of a Memorandum of Understanding which expired last month. Ronald C. Tocci, writing on behalf of all Veterans Service Organizations, the Save Our Armory Committee, and concerned citizens, wants the City to instead extend a one year Memorandum of Understanding to local groups represented by Tocci.

Tocci served as New York State Commissioner for Veterans Affairs from 2005 to 2007.

“We are formally requesting the opportunity to meet with Council to present our plans regarding the preservation and restoration of the New Rochelle Naval Armory building and property,” said Tocci.

Tocci was part of the team that gave a presentation to the City Council last July on a plan for an adaptive reuse of the Armory building.

Tocci said “We believe it is both appropriate and deserving to have this opportunity to show what our Organization can do for the public good of New Rochelle”.