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New Rochelle City Manager Wilfredo Melendez 

Dear Neighbors,

The days are longer, the temperatures are warmer and here at City Hall, we’re enjoying the changes of summer while keeping hard at work and pushing ahead on projects to serve our community.

One initiative that I’m proud to report gaining steam is our Participatory Budgeting Program. We’re the first municipality in Westchester to set up a program allowing residents to propose, develop and vote on how $200,000 in allocated capital funds will be spent.  The seven-person Participatory Budgeting Steering Committee met early last month and started the process of creating a rulebook for the PB process. The Steering Committee is also accepting idea submissions for potential improvements for City property near New Rochelle High School. The Participatory Budgeting program is a unique opportunity for civic engagement and giving residents more direct input into making changes to their community. To find out more about Participatory Budgeting and submit your ideas of what you’d like to improve near NRHS, visit NewRochelleNY.Gov/PB

Sharing information with members of our community is a vital and increasingly difficult task as the methods of reaching out to residents continue to grow. That’s why my office is creating a new Neighborhood Association Database.  We want to leverage and build relationships with established communities in New Rochelle to give residents an additional source of information from City Hall, effectively target areas of our City for messaging, and share updates during emergency situations. If you live in an area with where there is a Neighborhood Associations, please visit NewRochelleNY.Gov/OurNeighbors to register.

All summer long, we’re making sure New Rochelle’s residents have plenty of reasons to get outside and soak up the sun. Our annual “Spark the Sound” fireworks show will be a special one this year as our nation celebrates America 250. To mark the nation’s 250th anniversary, our Downtown Summer Sizzle Concert Series will move from Ruby Dee Park to Hudson Park for July 4th. The Full Count Big Band will kick off the Independence Day festivities at 6 PM, performing selections from the Great American Songbook followed by the Southern Rock sounds of Parker Barrow. As the music on the Long Island Sound wraps up, the fireworks show will light up the sky at 9 PM, making for an unforgettable 4th of July that we’d love for you to be enjoy with us. 

Speaking of the Downtown Summer Sizzle, the concert series will return to Ruby Dee Park starting July 11th with 8 more shows covering a range of genres including jazz, rock, Latin, R&B and soul, culminating in the return of “The Mambo King” Tito Puente Jr. for the 4th straight year on August 29th. For those who haven’t had the privilege of seeing him take the Summer Sizzle stage, it’s a show that you won’t want to miss. Visit SummerNR.com for more information on this year’s acts 

If you’re in the mood for more live music, the New Rochelle Council on the Arts, in partnership with the City of New Rochelle, is continuing its Summer Sounds Concert Series.  Visitors to Hudson Park can enjoy free concerts at 7:30 PM Wednesdays and Fridays through August 28th, along with refreshments from local food trucks. Check out newrochellearts.org/summer-sounds for more on this great slate of programming.

New Rochelle’s parks are a great choice for outdoor fun for the summer. Starting June 27th, all of the City’s waterfront parks, including Davenport, Five Islands and Hudson Park, will be open 7 days a week until Labor Day (Monday, September 7th).  If you prefer lounging poolside, Lincoln Park Pool will open in July and August, giving you another option for getting relief from the heat.   

Capital improvements continue to move forward at Ward Acres Park. Restoration of the historic stone bridge has been completed, and in the coming weeks, site preparation will begin for the future restroom and storage building along Quaker Ridge Road. This work will include vegetation clearing, site grading, and utility connections. To facilitate the installation of water and sanitary sewer service, a portion of Quaker Ridge Road will need to be excavated. Temporary lane closures are anticipated during construction, and motorists are encouraged to plan accordingly.

In addition, during the summer recess, a new signalized mid-block crosswalk will be installed on Broadfield Road to provide a safer connection between Ward Elementary School and Ward Acres Park. Traffic impacts are expected to be minimal.

We are also seeking community input on the future of the former Ward Acres Barn site. Residents are invited to participate in a visioning workshop on July 15 at the Ward Elementary School Gymnasium from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM. The workshop will provide an opportunity to help shape a shared vision for this historic property and its future potential. If you are unable to attend the workshop, please visit NewRochelleNY.gov/WardAcres to complete a survey and share your ideas for the future of the barn site.

The New York Knicks’ historic campaign for the 2026 Championship was nothing short of inspiring. Seeing hundreds of friends and neighbors gather for our Orange and Blue Watch Party for Game 5 was more than we could have expected for the event. A video showing the final moments as cheers and screams erupted from Ruby Dee Park has garnered over 50,000 views across our social media channels and was an incredible demonstration of New Rochelle’s spirit of community.  Thanks to our Parks Department, Police Department and Fire Department for their work in ensuring a safe, secure space for everyone to enjoy a moment 53 years in the making.

Our Summer of Soccer festivities kicked off last month at Flowers City Park, where families and friends watched Team USA’s victorious first match against Paraguay.  And the Summer of Soccer continues this month with Skidelsky Field playing host to a Community Soccer Tournament on Friday, July 10th from 5:30 to 7 PM. Residents 18 and up, along with City Staff and City School District representatives will strap on their cleats to face-off for bragging rights for best crew on the pitch!  And we’ll be wrapping the Summer of Soccer with a Finale Fest at Ruby Dee Park on Sunday, July 19th from 1 PM to 8 PM.  Enjoy live musical performances before the championship game kicks off, with food trucks and a beer garden set up for refreshments during the match. It’s the definitive cap to a celebration of “the Beautiful Game. “

We want to remind you of all the ways to connect with us. You can sign up for our NewRo Alert system at http://www.newrochelleny.gov/newroalert to receive calls, texts and/or email updates. The MobileNR app, available on the Apple App Store Google Play Store, is also a great tool to let us know about any non-emergency concerns in your neighborhood. You can also look to our City social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram and X. And, check out my monthly City Manager Update to learn more about City’s initiatives, projects, and programs. To view the update, visit: newrochelleny.gov/citymanager.

As we keep working for you and our City, we welcome any feedback and all feedback. I encourage all residents to reach out to my office with any questions, comments or suggestions. Thanks for your continued support and partnership and I look forward to connecting with you.