Nyack has a vision for our vibrant downtown that flows from the historic and strategic place our Village has always held in the region. We are the gateway to the Hudson Valley, bordered on our south by the magnificent new bridge serving as a conduit from the Hudson River to the rest of Rockland County and beyond. Nyack’s founders established this Village on the banks of the mighty and ever-changing Hudson with a focus on economic expansion, opportunities, many driven by the Hudson itself, with room for entrepreneurs in search of social mobility. We count among our early residents’ renowned writers, artists, ship captains and freed slaves who became millionaires. Our less than a mile square Village has always bustled with excitement and innovation and the proud eclectic traditions that have defined Nyack in the past continue today with our commitment to available and affordable housing and residents who are engaged in making Nyack a viable exciting place to live, work and play. We are a place where no child is ignored, the arts flourish, our waterfront continues to grow and become more vibrant, our small businesses are honored and we take care of each other. We are a place where we believe in protecting and preserving our natural resources.
Continuing to reinforce these principles is the inspiration for our vision of Nyack and for revitalizing our Village. Our vision for Nyack is to renew The Nyack Promise and achieve five key pillars:
We believe in viable and affordable housing that is diverse and attainable. New housing options will be available for a wide range of people in every segment of our community. We understand that diversity is complex and maintaining it, even more so. We are proud that in Nyack our diversity includes not only people from different cultures but families from different socioeconomic backgrounds and different world views. We know that this diversity is one of the things that makes our community so beautiful and we are committed to maintaining that. We want all residents, regardless of income, to be able to live in our downtown, to be able to walk to our waterfront and our business district.
We believe in exceptional educational opportunities for all of our residents. Learning opportunities at every level must be available to provide hope, opportunity and a chance for all to live productive and exciting lives. Our public school system is leading the way creating an equity plan that will develop students who are prepared for school and work in a changing world. Rockland Community College is currently training students to enter careers in the region’s growing hospitality industry and is exploring other opportunities to provide practical focused education.
We believe that continuing to honor artists, musicians, and writers is essential to our revitalization. As the proud home to a number of art organizations including the Edward Hopper House, Elmwood Playhouse, and to art and musical events throughout the year, we want to enhance our Village as a destination for cultural tourism.
We believe that tourism is a key part to the economic life of the Village and to the entire Hudson Valley. We want to firmly connect the waterfront with the downtown so that when tourists visit they have a wide range of wonderful options. Nyack is a very popular destination in Rockland County, but there is room for enhancing and growing tourism. We want people to take advantage of our excellent restaurants, picturesque shops and galleries. We want them to come back often by boat, bus, car, and bicycle.
We believe in preserving our environment and protecting our natural resources. We have set goals to reduce our carbon footprint in the Village by installing LED lighting, providing charging stations for electric vehicles, banning the use of plastic bags, and minimizing our use of non-sustainable energy sources in Village Hall. We have a committee dedicated to our vision of being a cleaner and greener Village. This Sustainability Committee works together as a team to educate and assist members of our community to adopt ways of living that preserve our natural resources, and continue to make our village a beautiful and sustainable place to live.
Our vision for Nyack’s future is informed by our residents’ needs, our business’s needs, our desire for more people to know and love our community the way we do, but also by our extensive planning process, engaged and committed partners and a belief in the possibility of accomplishing the Nyack Promise. Investment in infrastructure coupled with the creation of many more public spaces and enhanced connections to our historic downtown and to our riverfront are critical elements of our plan. Investments in these areas will position Nyack to increase tourism, grow the regional economic impact to be developed by our partnerships with key educational institutions and create regional opportunities for business engagement. This is a unique opportunity to invest in the opportunities that Nyack’s revitalization offers to the future of the Hudson Valley.
