REAL ESTATE IN DEPTH: Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano​ Says City is Looking to Change its Image

WHITE PLAINS— Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano, who was the keynote speaker at HGAR’s Commercial Investment Division on Oct. 26, said that one of his administration’s main goals has been to change the city’s negative image that at least in part was caused by the school desegregation case that garnered national headlines in the late 1980s.

In addition, he charged the city’s image suffers from local media focusing too much on crime.

Also, the recession nearly 10 years ago derailed a promised economic revival along the waterfront. Each factored into the decision by developers and investors to pass over the city for places like Brooklyn and Jersey City, despite the fact that Yonkers is closer to Manhattan.

Mayor Mike Spano said the administration knew it had an image issue it had to deal with for the city to bring in new investment.

Mayor Mike Spano noted that several years ago the City Council unanimously approved affordable housing legislation and his administration has worked daily to promote the positive news that takes place each day in #Yonkers.

Now nearly three decades from when the landmark school desegregation played out in Yonkers, the mayor stressed to the more than 70 attendees of the CID session, that the city has markedly changed since then.

Mayor Mike Spano related that there are Yonkers residents that represent 100 nationalities that speak 60 different languages.

“We have become a city that embraces our diversity,” Mayor Mike Spano said.

During his presentation the Mayor Mike Spano noted that there are 1,088 housing units under construction in the city at present, with another 966 units approved for development.

Mayor Mike Spano added that the development pipeline includes approximately 4,000 units that will be built along the city’s waterfront......

http://www.realestateindepth.com/news/yonkers-mayor-spano-says-city-is-looking-to-change-its-image/