Complex situated on 10 acres of land on Fifth Avenue, New Rochelle, near the Larchmont border. It was built in 1949 as New York State Public Housing and was operated by the New Rochelle Municipal Housing Authority. In the mid-1980s, MacLeay Apartments was a deteriorated, poorly maintained public housing complex that was several hundred thousand dollars in tax arrears and a financial blight on the City. In 1986, the NRNRC proposed to take over this public housing complex and convert it to a private rental apartment complex, serving predominantly families with Section 8 certificates and vouchers.

The privatizing of this public housing complex was unique in subsidized housing development at this time. A public private partnership was forged between NRNRC, City of New Rochelle and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Renewal Development. A series of grants, loans and private financing was combined to make this development work. The NRNRC obtained one of the last HODAG’s, Housing Development Action Grant, a $1.9 million grant to be used towards rehabilitation costs. In addition, the City of New Rochelle issued $2 million in general revenue bonds for the project, $1 million in CDBG Funds and $5.5 million in mortgage revenue bonds was obtained. The NRNRC purchased the apartment complex from the Housing Authority and paid all outstanding tax arrears to the City of New Rochelle. The main focus of the rehabilitation work was site improvements, including a new parking plan, reconfigured central plaza with site amenities and a total interior renovation of all apartments, hallways and stairwells.

Dedication of Boys & Girls Clubs Respect Extension at Don Zaccagnino Learning Center; L to R: Becienia Brown, Councilwoman, Frank J. Garito, President NRNRC, Timothy C. Idoni, Mayor, Charles Borelli, President Boys & Girls Clubs, Chris Templeman, Director Boys & Girls Clubs, Lois Bronz, Westchester County Legislator, Linda Kelly, Superintendent, New Rochelle Board of Education, Tajae Gayner, Director Respect Extension

Dedication of Boys & Girls Clubs Respect Extension at Don Zaccagnino Learning Center; Tajae Gayner with club kids

The City’s $2 million loan has been repaid by the NRNRC and New Rochelle receives annually, as surplus cash, a minimum payment of $200,000 and a PILOT payment of $160,000. This represents an initial financial turnaround of over $600,000 from the complex’s pre-conversion state.

And the social benefits are enormous. The NRNRC has financed the rehabilitation of MacLeay’s Community Center for use as an After School Homework Center with teachers from a local middle school, a computer center which links the local schools to the apartment complex, "School to Home Link," and the R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Program, an educational, cultural, recreational enrichment program for children between 3 and 15. NRNRC has made MacLeay Apartments a safe, friendly and desirable place to live.