The $60 million St. Clair project turns a long-vacant downtown site into 76 income-restricted apartments, ground-floor business space and an all-electric building near Metro-North.
A new 76-apartment Yonkers affordable housing development has opened in downtown Yonkers, adding homes for households earning up to 80 percent of the area median income near trains, buses, shops and the Hudson River waterfront.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced completion of The St. Clair on Wednesday, Oct. 28. The ten-story, mixed-use building includes studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, more than 2,000 square feet of commercial space and several accessibility and energy-efficiency features.
The development is not in the Mohawk Valley, but it offers a useful example for Utica, Rome and other upstate communities. It combines affordable housing, brownfield cleanup, public transportation, small-business space and all-electric construction on a site that had been vacant for nearly a decade.
What The St. Clair adds to downtown Yonkers
The St. Clair is within walking distance of the Yonkers Metro-North station, the Westchester County Bee-Line bus system, the waterfront boardwalk, parks, restaurants, pharmacies and a library. That location can reduce the number of daily trips that require a car, although the cost and reliability of transit still matter to residents.
MacQuesten Development built the project. One part of the ground-floor commercial space is already occupied by a restaurant, according to the governor’s office. Residents also have access to a fitness room, co-working space, indoor recreation room and outdoor courtyard.
The apartments are designed for households of different sizes. Four units are fully accessible and adapted for people with mobility disabilities. Two more are fully accessible and adapted for residents with sensory disabilities. Those six units are important, but the release does not say how many other apartments include visitable or adaptable features.
Who can qualify for an apartment
The state says apartments are available to households earning up to 80 percent of the area median income, often shortened to AMI. That does not mean every unit uses the same income ceiling or rent. Affordable housing projects commonly divide apartments among several income bands and set limits based on household size.
The governor’s release did not include current rents, utility allowances, application deadlines, vacancy information or a leasing contact. Prospective renters should not pay an application fee or deposit to an unverified person. Check the developer’s official information and search for confirmed listings through NYS Housing Search. Ask for the income chart, rent schedule, utility responsibility, accessibility details and waitlist rules in writing.
An apartment described as affordable can still be out of reach for some households. The federal affordability standard generally treats housing costs above 30 percent of income as a burden, but a household’s actual budget also includes transportation, child care, food, health care and utilities. Readers should compare the full monthly cost, not only the advertised rent.
How the $60 million project was financed
The St. Clair used federal, state, county and city support alongside private financing. The package included:
- Federal and state Low-Income Housing Tax Credits allocated by New York State Homes and Community Renewal that generated more than $25 million in equity.
- More than $10 million in additional subsidy from Homes and Community Renewal.
- $418,000 through the Clean Energy Initiative, a partnership between Homes and Community Renewal and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.
- $1.9 million from Westchester County’s New Homes Land Acquisition Program.
- $1.1 million from the City of Yonkers HOME program.
The property is also participating in the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Brownfield Cleanup Program. The state says it may qualify for up to $9 million in performance-based tax credits administered by the Department of Taxation and Finance. Eligibility is not the same as a final tax-credit payment, so that amount should be treated as a potential benefit rather than money already received.
Why the brownfield work matters
The site was previously used as a hotel and later as a commercial dry-cleaning business. The building was demolished, and the property had been vacant since 2017. Dry-cleaning sites can involve solvents that require careful investigation and cleanup, but the release does not identify contaminants or describe the final remedy.
DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton said the brownfield program is intended to protect public health while returning polluted or underused land to productive use. Residents can review public documents and site status through the DEC Brownfield Cleanup Program. A completed building does not replace the need for transparent environmental records and long-term monitoring where required.
All-electric design and lower operating costs
The St. Clair is an all-electric development. The governor’s office says it includes energy-efficiency and water-saving features intended to reduce operating costs and create healthier living space. NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen Harris said efficient technology, clean heating and cooling and transit access should help residents manage energy expenses.
All-electric buildings can reduce on-site fossil-fuel combustion and make it easier to benefit as the power grid adds cleaner generation. The actual household savings will depend on insulation, equipment performance, electricity rates, maintenance and whether tenants pay utilities separately. The release does not provide projected energy use or resident utility bills.
For Mohawk Valley planners, this is a reminder to connect climate goals with affordability. New construction can be efficient from the start, while older buildings often need grants, careful rehabilitation and tenant protections so energy improvements do not lead to displacement.
Transit-oriented housing and downtown business space
State and local officials described The St. Clair as part of a broader effort to add housing near jobs, services and public transportation. Sen. Charles Schumer pointed to the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit as a major financing tool. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said accessible housing close to transit and services strengthens the community. Rep. George Latimer, state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Assemblymember Gary Pretlow, Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins and Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano also emphasized the project’s downtown location and mixed-use design.
MacQuesten CEO Rella Fogliano said the retail space creates opportunities for small businesses as well as housing for families. That combination can add foot traffic and customers, but public agencies should continue tracking whether commercial tenants are local, whether jobs pay sustainable wages and whether nearby residents share in the benefits of redevelopment.
The Phoenix has followed similar housing questions across the state, including a proposal for about 150 homes at the Mohawk Valley Psychiatric Center campus, completion of 57 affordable and supportive homes in Ithaca and state awards tied to 899 proposed Long Island homes. The projects differ, but each raises the same core questions about eligibility, long-term affordability, public cost, access to services and community accountability.
How this fits the state housing plan
Homes and Community Renewal says it has created or preserved more than 4,600 affordable homes in Westchester County under the current administration. The St. Clair is also part of New York’s $25 billion, five-year housing plan, which aims to create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes statewide, including 10,000 with supportive services, and electrify another 50,000 homes.
The governor’s office says more than 87,000 affordable homes have been created or preserved so far. The fiscal year 2027 state budget is intended to complete the plan and includes $250 million in capital funding to speed construction of additional affordable homes. Yonkers is one of more than 460 certified Pro-Housing Communities eligible for certain discretionary state funds.
Statewide totals are useful, but they do not show whether the new homes reach the people facing the greatest housing pressure. Public reporting should break results down by income level, region, accessibility, family size, rent burden and how long restrictions will remain in place.
What renters and local officials can take from the project
- Renters should verify income limits, rent, utilities, accessibility and waitlist rules through official sources.
- Local governments can study underused sites near transit, but cleanup records and public participation must remain visible.
- Developers receiving public support should report long-term affordability terms and project performance.
- Housing policy should connect new units with safe sidewalks, reliable transit, child care, groceries and other daily needs.
If you have applied for an income-restricted apartment or live in a publicly supported mixed-use development, tell the Phoenix what information was easy to find and what was confusing. Sharing this story with a housing counselor, tenant organization or local planning board may help more residents ask informed questions before the next project is approved.
