Veterans Wage War Against New Rochelle City Council Over Plans For Historic Armory
NEW YORK(CBSNewYork) -- A battle is being waged in New Rochelle following a vote by the city council that rejected a proposal by veterans to revive the space.
Protestors marched on City Hall Tuesday to have their voices heard.
"Our main goal is to save it for the people of New Rochelle, not for profiteering development," James Murphy of the United Veterans Memorial and Patriotic Association told CBS 2's Vanessa Murdock.
The armory is currently in disrepair, the roof is caving in, windows are shattered and members of the United Veterans and Patriotic Association said that they have been fighting to preserve it for more than a decade.
The veterans had proposed to turn the armory into a center for performing arts and a professional theater with a first-rate restaurant and a veteran's center. But an unscheduled vote by the city council killed that plan, according to the veterans.
"We are up in arms against our mayor and administration for the way they have disrespected veterans here in New Rochelle," said Murphy.
About 100 people took to the streets to march in protest from the American Legion to City Hall. Their goal was to make sure the proposal gets a fair look.
"We are asking the city council to reconsider and reverse their decision," said Ron Tocci of the Save Our Armory Committee.
But New Rochelle's Mayor, Noam Bramson, said that the city council gave the veterans a fair chance.
"The city council felt there was a clear choice among the proposals, so we chose the group that we felt could best rebuild the waterfront and armory," said Mayor Bramson.
Whatever the outcome of Wednesday night's march, the historic building will finally be rehabilitated.
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