• Place type

    Corridors (directly related), Downtowns (indirectly related)

  • Location

    Sleepy Hollow, New York

  • Site

    0.25 miles of Route 9 and a 1-acre site.

  • Program

    Streetscape improvements, new Main Street-style buildings.

New York State Route 9, the original Albany Post Road that extends from Lower Manhattan to Albany, reincarnates itself in every community through which it passes. As it extends into Sleepy Hollow from Tarrytown, it goes from being a main street to a commercial strip. However, the corridor is gradually transforming to meet the community’s objective of creating a true gateway. The first step was a round of streetscape improvements that involved new sidewalks, landscaping and pedestrian-scaled street lighting. Even though strip uses such as gas stations and car-rental establishments have remained along much of the corridor, the streetscape improvements have had a huge impact on the quality of the pedestrian and visual experiences.

Several recent redevelopment projects have also begun to change the character of the corridor. A new office building is located at the sidewalk where it helps define the space of the street. The ground floor is transparent and the entrance is from the sidewalk frontage. Parking is located to the sides of the building and is well-screened. Future redevelopment similar to this project will transform this corridor.