Gov. Hochul on Reconnecting Neighborhoods
“The highway expansions of the post-World War II era ripped through communities of color across the country, tearing apart the fabric of these neighborhoods in ways that still need repairing today. People lost their homes and their businesses; social connections were replaced by speeding cars and vehicle emissions. New York State was not immune to this destructive path, which hit low-income and minority communities disproportionately hard, from the Bronx downstate to Buffalo and Syracuse upstate, and many places in between.”
The Albany Riverfront Collaborative thanks Governor Hochul for making reconnecting neighborhoods and Communities of Color divided by highways a top priority in her 2022 State of the State proposals. Reclaiming space from highways like Interstate 787 that divided neighborhoods across New York State provides an opportunity to produce thousands of jobs, foster small businesses, create acres of green space, construct millions of square feet of residential and commercial development, generate hundreds of millions of dollars of much needed property and sales tax revenue and grow the Capital District's economy.
In addition to helping address the tremendous racial, economic, health and climate disparities that have plagued the City of Albany for generations, repurposing the space occupied by I-787 presents an opportunity to build upon priority infrastructure investments like completing the Albany Skyway and replacing the Livingston Avenue Railroad Bridge and support additional State of the State set forth by the Governor including expanding the supply of affordable housing, creating permanent affordable and equitable homeowner opportunities, combating climate change, bolstering investments in our waterfronts and increasing opportunities for workforce development and apprenticeships.
We welcome Governor Hochul's support for investing in communities seeking to reverse the damaging effects of decades old highway infrastructure and look forward to ensuring that the capital city of the Great State of New York remains at the forefront of revitalizing neighborhoods and restoring communities that were left behind.