According to Mount Vernon City Clerk George Brown, , the public hearing regarding the building will be continued at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 25 at City Hall, with members of the Alexander Development Group, who have headed the project with their partners at the Bluestone Organization.
The proposal from the developers includes renovating a single-story retail building and parking garage into nearly 250 market rate residential units, approximately 20,000-square-feet of commercial development and includes a $2 million refurbishment of the parking structure.
The proposal has proven to be a divisive issue in Mount Vernon, with some locals being encouraged by the socioeconomic impacts of the high-end project, while others fear that the towering building may change the shape of the Fleetwood neighborhood.
“I think it could be a shot in the arm for the city, something that this city needs,” longtime resident Joe Simon said on Wednesday. “In my opinion, the good far outweighs the bad regarding that proposal.”
Another local resident, Jackie Benes, noted that Fleetwood is developing into an up and coming neighborhood, and the project could prove to be “one step forward and three steps back,” though she acknowledged the need to renovate the paring structure.
“We don’t need a commercial district in Fleetwood, and we certainly don’t need this massive building obstructing our views,” she said. “Slowly but surely, Fleetwood has become a very nice little place to work, shop and live. I don’t want developers coming in and changing that.”
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