Rep. Nita Lowey sent out the following press release this morning:
NEW ROCHELLE – Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-Westchester/Rockland) was joined today by New Rochelle Council Member Barry Fertel, Mayor Noam Bramson, and residents of the Forest Heights neighborhood to announce an abandoned and deteriorating home owned by the Somali government will be demolished and improvements made to the property at no cost to New Rochelle taxpayers.
“This abandoned residence is an eyesore to the community,” said Lowey. “It is unsafe and it reduces property values for the homes in the surrounding area. I am pleased we have reached a resolution that will be beneficial to the Forest Heights neighborhood without any cost to New Rochelle taxpayers.”
“The removal of this unwelcome eyesore in a beautiful residential neighborhood, after years of neglect, is but one example of how we can improve the quality of life for our residents,” said New Rochelle Council Member Barry Fertel.
“I am thrilled with the decision reached by the State Department to demolish the abandoned and neglected house,” said Forest Heights resident Lynn Breindel. “It has been an eyesore and a nuisance to our neighborhood for many years now.”
Upon hearing neighbors’ concerns, Congresswoman Lowey worked with the Forest Heights neighborhood association, the City of New Rochelle, and the U.S. Department of State to determine a course of action for the property, 250 Elk Avenue in New Rochelle, which is to demolish the property and maintain the lot.
Congresswoman Lowey chairs the Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, which funds the Department of State and foreign assistance.
The demolition of the house and improvements to the property will be funded through Somali government funds that the U.S. government is holding in trust, generated by sale of Somali Embassy property in Washington, D.C.