Haverstraw, NY – Residents filled a recent public meeting about the proposed redevelopment of the former Chair Factory site on Haverstraw’s Hudson River waterfront this evening, as the lead developer for the project addressed a variety of questions about parking, traffic, school impacts – and what results the project will create for downtown Haverstraw.

The session was moderated by Ryan Porter, managing partner of MPact Collective, one of the lead development groups working with Pennrose to move the project through local and state approvals. Plans call for roughly 450 rental apartments, public waterfront open space, a parking garage, and ground-floor retail in a long-vacant industrial area at the bottom of Main Street. Village and state materials describe the effort as a major waterfront redevelopment intended to bring new housing and economic activity to the village.

Porter told residents the team hopes to break ground this summer, with demolition expected to begin in the coming months. He said full build-out would take about 3.5 years and acknowledged that the process will be disruptive—bringing trucks, noise and construction traffic. “I’m not going to sugarcoat that,” he said, while advocating for the end result – a new riverfront neighborhood that could help boost Main Street.

A major theme was resilience and the potential for flooding. One resident noted the site is surrounded by water, and asked what happens during major storms. Porter said the buildings have been designed to sit above the “500-year flood” elevation, a requirement tied both to environmental rules and the reality of getting property insurance today. He also emphasized expensive shoreline work to take place during construction, including stabilizing the river’s edge and improving roads that are currently closer to dirt roads than modern infrastructure.

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