Restoration of Van Cortlandt Manor Entrance

525 South Riverside Ave.
Croton-on-Hudson, NY
DOT PIN 8670.11

The Restoration of Van Cortlandt Manor Entrance project is a NYSDOT Locally Administered Federal Aid project (PIN 8670.11) that involves providing renovations to Van Cortlandt Manor, a 175-acre National Historic Landmark site, owned by the not-for-profit education organization, Historic Hudson Valley (HHV). HHV interprets and promotes historic landmarks of national significance in the Hudson Valley for the benefit and enjoyment of the public.

Project Objectives/Goals

HHV assembled a team led by Bergmann, a consulting engineer firm along with cultural resource historian Bruce Harvey Ph.D. to conduct extensive archival research relating to the history, development, and restoration of Van Cortlandt Manor and Heritage Landscapes LLC, Preservation Landscape Architect & Planners, which has worked with HHV for many years and is highly regarded as one of the top firms in the nation focusing on historic landscapes.

The project will; 1) mitigate recurring (approximately 3 a year) car crashes through the entry gate to the historic site by drivers unaware that the broad stretch of former highway comes to a dead end; 2) improve pedestrian connectivity to the adjacent Metro-North/Amtrak station and the downtown business district of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson, and; 3) upgrade vehicular and pedestrian traffic flow adjacent and internal to the site in order to ensure public safety, especially during The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze, a blockbuster event attended by thousands of visitor every fall.

HHV and the Village of Croton-on-Hudson, its Municipal Sponsor, view the project as a “once in a generation” opportunity to make urgently-needed improvements that will ensure the safety, access, comfort, and enjoyment of visitors to Van Cortlandt Manor. The vehicular entrance to the site will be narrowed―with a more prominent front gate, lighting, and signage added―to slow traffic and reduce accidents. The project will improve pedestrian flow, enhance connectivity to the Metro-North/Amtrak railroad station, and include green elements like electric car charging stations and bicycle racks. Improvements to the width, pitch, and surface of sidewalks and internal roads will ensure that they conform to Universal Access requirements, reduce trip hazards, and contribute to overall visitor safety. Outdated electric and data systems will be updated throughout the site to bring fire suppression, emergency lighting, security, and other safety systems up to current standards. Landscape features such as stone retaining walls will be restored, and trees suffering from age and recent storms that pose safety hazards to visitors and historic buildings will be pruned or removed and replanted.

Refer to the Site Rendering for additional information.

Anticipated Project Schedule

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