Roach Speaks At North Broadway Citizens Association Annual Meeting
White Plains has a lot of good things going for it.
Last Wednesday at the North Broadway Citizens Association Annual Meeting held at George Washington Elementary, Mayor Thomas Roach, a member of the association, addressed residents about progress the city has made and initiatives it is undertaking.
“The city is doing well,” Roach said. “There is a lot of interest in it from developers.”
Roach noted New York Life taking a floor at 777 Westchester Avenue and the Journal News recently moving its headquarters to White Plains.
“The city has a very progressive population,” Roach said. “The people are very interested in community. I love this city. What can I do to make it a better community? We are trying to do new and innovative things.”
The mayor noted a recent survey where young people said their most ideal place to live in Westchester was White Plains. White Plains offers many jobs, a vibrant nightlife and is soon to have the first bike lanes in Westchester.
“I get more calls about that than any other issue,” Roach said.
Roach also discussed his initiative to bring Zipcars into the city. For a fee, residents can rent a car whenever they need transportation rather than owning a car that they might rarely use. The city is also setting up electric charging stations to accommodate those with electric and hybrid vehicles.
“We are in a competitive environment,” Roach said. “Anything that we can do to put ourselves ahead of our competitors is a good thing.”
Roach took a shot at the Ridge Hill complex in Yonkers, saying that shopping complexes and office campuses are a 1980s mentality.
“People want to live in the City Center,” Roach said. “What new thing can we do here? I feel an obligation to do the best I can for the city. This is an amazing city. We are all here because we love White Plains.”
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.
