Planning Partner Selected for Transformation Of Downtown New Rochelle Transit Center

NEW ROCHELLE, NY—The City of New Rochelle announced on May 12 the selection of Brooklyn, NY-based FXCollaborative to transform the city’s Train Station and Transit Center located at the heart of its thriving downtown.

The busiest stop on the Metro-North New Haven line, New Rochelle’s historic train station has been an anchor through the decades, and now even more so with the city’s major downtown redevelopment effort underway.

Chosen after a competitive RFP process, FXCollaborative is an architecture, planning, and design firm with extensive experience in designing transportation hubs and urban landscapes. The firm’s expertise in creating sustainable and accessible public spaces will be invaluable in helping New Rochelle achieve its goals of promoting equitable transportation and restoring vital connections to surrounding neighborhoods, connecting the new developments and residential buildings in the downtown, city officials stated.

The New Rochelle train station currently services more than 6,000 outbound riders per weekday, and is the only Amtrak station stop in southern Westchester. That number will increase significantly with the completion of the MTA’s Penn Access project in 2027, which will make New Rochelle the only city to offer direct access to both the East and West sides of Manhattan.

“We are thrilled to announce the selection of a design consultant to reimagine the New Rochelle Transit Center Station and Campus. This project represents a major opportunity to create a community hub connected to surrounding neighborhoods and provides venues for public events and activities. We believe this initiative will significantly impact our city and our region, particularly as Penn Access is poised to increase traffic to and through the New Rochelle Transit Center,” said Mayor Noam Bramson.

“The partnership with FXCollaborative represents a major step forward in our efforts to create a more accessible and connected downtown area. By improving walkability and enhancing transportation options, we are creating a more livable and sustainable city that benefits everyone who lives, works, and visits here,” said City Manager and Chair of the IDA Kathleen Gill, Esq.

“The FXCollaborative team is thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the City and residents of New Rochelle on the planning and design that will transform the New Rochelle Transit Center to a center for the community and make it a more efficient, beautiful, and equitable experience for all— the place where everyone will want to be,” said John Schuyler, Partner in Charge for Collaborative.

The project will take a holistic look at the entire transit center campus- from Station Plaza North to South, and from North Avenue to Memorial Highway and Division Street- as well as the West End neighborhood connection. The improved transportation and walkability will create a valuable connection to New Rochelle’s cultural highlights, including community events and regionally renowned dining. The transit center will itself become a destination for various community events, joining the successful annual holiday market, city officials noted.

The redesign of the transit center will complement other ongoing major initiatives such as “The LINC,” which will transform an overbuilt highway into a walkable, bicycle-friendly street and linear park. The LINC development process is a significant investment to provide safe convenient connections between the Lincoln Avenue Corridor, and the transit center and downtown.