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"It is clear that a majority of the City Council is now opposed to the Forest City project at Echo Bay, and I expect that the Council will vote on Tuesday to set aside the terms of the Forest City development agreement," the statement read.
Bramson told The Daily Voice on Friday that, given conversations he has had with individual council members, he is ready to draw this conclusion. The council is due to make the decision at their meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 26.
Bramson has been an avid supporter of working with Forest City Residential on this project, but has been confronted with public outrage based on the company's documented problematic business practices and general dislike of the prospective development plans.
"As a supporter of the project, I am, naturally, disappointed. But New Rochelle remains fully committed to improving our waterfront and downtown, and it’s our job now to focus on the future," the statement said.
The public outcry was significant, along with conflicts within the council after a heated meeting on Nov. 12.
However, Bramson concluded the statement on a positive note, expressing his desire to continue working on responsibly developing the Echo Bay area.
"The debate surrounding Echo Bay was often passionate and intense. Let’s now work together to harness that energy on behalf of the sustainable growth and vitality of the city we love and share," the statement read.
In terms of future plans for the project, the goals remain the same but solutions are not yet evident.
"We need to take a few weeks to consult with each other and to receive input from the community. It is still important that we increase public access to the shoreline and have an open space component," he said.
What improvements would you like to see in a new plan for Echo Bay? Join the conversation below.
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