Mount Vernon east station area downtown revitalization plan

The City of Mount Vernon is an inner-ring suburb of New York City located approximately 13 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. Like many urban areas across the country, Mount Vernon is confronting a range of challenges to its economy and quality of life. At the same time, its urban fabric—concentrated around the Mount Vernon East Metro North train station—and high population density make it a compelling environment for new transit-oriented development (TOD). Despite Mount Vernon’s strengths, current zoning around the train station prohibits higher-density development, thus stifling revitalization. The Capstone team identified key issues and challenges that have impeded new investment around the Mount Vernon East train station, and crafted targeted recommendations to promote TOD. These recommendations will establish a framework for reactivating underutilized land with new mixed-use infill development, pedestrian friendly streets, and an enhanced public realm. Smart growth practices that have proven successful in revitalizing similar urban areas also informed the team’s plan.