Willett Public Affairs Secures Final Legislative Approval for Transformative Pratt Landing Project in New Rochelle

Pratt Landing, photo courtesy of the City of New Rochelle.

Willett Public Affairs has played a key role in assisting developer Twining Properties secure the enactment of crucial state legislation related to the transformative redevelopment of the New Rochelle City Yard at Echo Bay. The latest law (there were three in total), signed by Governor Hochul on August 15, 2025 (ch. 335, Laws of 2025) marks the final step in a complex legislative process that now ensures preservation of the historic New Rochelle Armory, a dedicated space for veterans’ organizations use, the creation of a new, waterfront park, and the development of a beautiful, transit-oriented neighborhood on what was previously a neglected industrial site on Long Island Sound.

Pratt Landing is a long-planned mixed-use redevelopment that will transform the former New Rochelle City Yard—an environmentally compromised industrial site on Echo Bay—into a new waterfront neighborhood. The project includes over 480 new transit-oriented housing units, a hotel, retail space, a new public waterfront park, and the preservation and adaptive reuse of the historic New Rochelle Armory as an event space. It represents more than 20 years of public-private collaboration among the state, the City of New Rochelle, and community stakeholders.

Twining Properties first retained Willett Public Affairs in 2020 to secure the necessary state approvals for this complex transaction which involved the introduction of three separate bills related to the sale of state land, parkland alienation, the subsequent transfer of municipal land, and local Home Rule approval from the City of New Rochelle.

Working closely with Twining Properties, the City of New Rochelle, and state lawmakers, Willett helped navigate this complex legislative process, from drafting and advancing the legislation, coordinating with key stakeholders in Albany, and shepherding the bill through the legislature, all under significant times pressure. This latest achievement represents an important milestone for Twining Properties’ Pratt Landing project and also reflects Willett’s ability to deliver results for its real estate clients on complex, high-profile, land use projects that require various state and municipal legislative and regulatory approvals.

https://www.twiningproperties.com/prattlanding