New Waterfront Project

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There’s a new project that’s been brewing and its halfway approved! This project comes from Ray Yannone from Storm King Builders and architect Giovanni Palladino. Behind the scenes this has been a project that has been in the works for over a year and, comes from the same team that accomplished the amazing transformation of the West Shore Train Station. It will be located at 15 Colden Street between Renwick and South Williams Street.

This building will be only residential and contain 30 condominiums. The rendering shows a North side and a South side building attached by an atrium in the middle. There will be two lobby’s, one for the Colden Street entrance, and one for the back Edwards Street entrance. An elevator will bring residents from the ground floor up, and parking will be available in the rear of the building as well as underground masked by faux storefronts. This building is not related to the Leyland Waterfront project. It is entirely separate, but equally exciting to see new development happening in Newburgh. Future residents will only be a walk away from the current Newburgh waterfront restaurants, and only a walk away from Washington’s Headquarters and the Liberty Street/Washington Market area.

There is no official start date as there are some approvals pending. But the word is that this project should be underway ASAP. Hmm, this makes one think that the commercial spaces in the surrounding area should start seeing some increased traffic.

View Colden Street Project in a larger map

24 Comment

  • Why the faux storefronts? Doesn’t Newburgh already have enough bricked over storefronts? Always glad to see something positive happening, but the building is just mediocre Post Modern Contextualism. Given Newburgh’s rich architectural history I wish something better was being built.

  • Why the faux storefronts? Doesn’t Newburgh already have enough bricked over storefronts? Always glad to see something positive happening, but the building is just mediocre Post Modern Contextualism. Given Newburgh’s rich architectural history I wish something better was being built.

  • I agree with Jason’s comment wholeheartedly.

    Of course I’m happy to see development in Newburgh, but not at this kind of aesthetic cost. This is a new construction, not a restoration of an existing structure. This is the time to employ architects and planners who can create something progressive and forward-thinking in its design. The architecture of city should map its history and progress over time, not be a pastiche of what once was.

    What a shame. This is a missed opportunity to write another chapter in, as Jason said, Newburgh’s rich architectural history.

  • I agree with Jason’s comment wholeheartedly.

    Of course I’m happy to see development in Newburgh, but not at this kind of aesthetic cost. This is a new construction, not a restoration of an existing structure. This is the time to employ architects and planners who can create something progressive and forward-thinking in its design. The architecture of city should map its history and progress over time, not be a pastiche of what once was.

    What a shame. This is a missed opportunity to write another chapter in, as Jason said, Newburgh’s rich architectural history.

  • The faux storefronts were used because the architect was faced with the challenge of hiding parking. Personally to me they do not scream faux storefront, but have the character of what might be one. Also, it is true there are many buildings that can be saved, but the builder has already done fine work at the West Shore Train Station. He chose to do his second project in a different direction. However, I have been told that he does have side projects of restoring existing homes around Newburgh, and loves to do restoration work.

    • Just to be clear, my concern isn’t over the construction of new buildings, it has to do with whether or not those buildings make an architectural contribution to Newburgh. As a modernist, I am not a fan of “throwback” architecture or design—I believe in restoration, preservation, and, when new construction is involved, innovation.

      • I understand your point better now. Many historical cities have a mixture of both and it is beautiful.

        • “Modernists” are what killed Newburgh. The entire waterfront was demolished for “redevelopment,” whereby the people of the period preferred a “modern” plan. Bring back its historic flare. I don’t love “faux” storefronts, BUT I LOVE CORNICES! This is a great project.

  • The faux storefronts were used because the architect was faced with the challenge of hiding parking. Personally to me they do not scream faux storefront, but have the character of what might be one. Also, it is true there are many buildings that can be saved, but the builder has already done fine work at the West Shore Train Station. He chose to do his second project in a different direction. However, I have been told that he does have side projects of restoring existing homes around Newburgh, and loves to do restoration work.

    • Just to be clear, my concern isn’t over the construction of new buildings, it has to do with whether or not those buildings make an architectural contribution to Newburgh. As a modernist, I am not a fan of “throwback” architecture or design—I believe in restoration, preservation, and, when new construction is involved, innovation.

      • I understand your point better now. Many historical cities have a mixture of both and it is beautiful.

        • “Modernists” are what killed Newburgh. The entire waterfront was demolished for “redevelopment,” whereby the people of the period preferred a “modern” plan. Bring back its historic flare. I don’t love “faux” storefronts, BUT I LOVE CORNICES! This is a great project.

  • I look forward to the building and have great respect for Giovanni Palladino’s breathe of architectural knowledge. I wish we had a start date since it seems much planned construction in Newburgh is on paper and never gets implemented. I understand there is a micro brewery opening on Colden as well. Hopefully, this will spur development on Liberty, especially between Spring and Renwick which is deplorable stretch of urban wasteland.

  • I look forward to the building and have great respect for Giovanni Palladino’s breathe of architectural knowledge. I wish we had a start date since it seems much planned construction in Newburgh is on paper and never gets implemented. I understand there is a micro brewery opening on Colden as well. Hopefully, this will spur development on Liberty, especially between Spring and Renwick which is deplorable stretch of urban wasteland.

  • Isul-Since Mr. Yannone is a builder, and already proven himself with the train station and some other restoration projects (Bank in Cornwall and homes), the general consensus is that this project will actually happen. But time and unforeseen occurrences happen to us all. So you never know.

  • Isul-Since Mr. Yannone is a builder, and already proven himself with the train station and some other restoration projects (Bank in Cornwall and homes), the general consensus is that this project will actually happen. But time and unforeseen occurrences happen to us all. So you never know.

  • Jason & Anna – I agree with your comments but you need to understand the context. This is conceptual and it needs to take into account certain constraints as it relates to this particular site. First, this project is within the bounds of the “historic” district which in its current form will not allow for any “progressive” or “modern” architecture and I have used the same argument of moving Newburgh’s Architectural history forward. The street level has not been completely worked out yet as it’s screening for a parking garage and shields the industrial views directly across Colden, all at a cost that makes the project viable.

    The surrounding factories were used as a reference since the size of the building is fairly long. I can assure you there will be no “whimsical play” on the architecture itself . It will be done with proper proportion, scale with proper classicism complimenting the styles found throughout Newburgh…..this at the request of the developer.

    Still a work in progress and the feedback is appreciated.

    • Hi Giovanni, thanks for responding. I’m very familiar with the site (I live within the historic district of the City of Newburgh, right up the street), so I understand the question of whether the context is appropriate. I know you’re working within the restrictions of what the developer wants and what the governing bodies will approve—I apologize for what might have seemed like an attack on your work as an architect.

      Is it really true that modernist/progressive architecture is not permitted within the historic district? There are several renovations (the Ann Street Gallery and the Yellowbird building immediately come to mind) which have incorporated contemporary elements quite successfully. It would be wonderful to see something complementary to the older architecture of the city yet forward-thinking in design, functionality and sustainability going up in such a prime spot in our city. Progress + Respect = Modernism.

      It was a joy to have witnessed the West Shore Train Station rehab from start to finish, and I hope that this new construction will make a significant and lasting contribution to the architectural vernacular of Newburgh.

      • I agree as I often say we need to create future “historic” buildings. Saying that I also understand that not all new “modern” buildings will be worthy of preservation. The debate of modern v.s. traditional is something I find very interesting. I was hoping to put together a round table in Newburgh for a public debate and what better venue than Newburgh to have it – It could even be a fund raiser for preservation .

        P.S. Both buildings you mentioned are out of the historic district (including the West Shore station).

        • I would love to join this debate, in a round table setting. I think that bulldozer modernism has left a very bad taste in many mouths, including myself. I respect the original incarnations of Modernism and its intellectual underpinnings, but I believe much of what we call modern architecture today is simple a throwback to high modernism. We need to respect human interaction with architecture and not create tributes to architects that lack an understanding of how their project fits within the fabric of the surrounding community. Instead, a great deal of architects seem to create designs that stand solitary in a field. It’s the argument of New Urbanism against the new “landscape urbanism,” which is beginning to take a more prominent role in sustainability circles. Unfortunately, landscape urbanism is simply peddling the old, tired corporate office park model with shiny new technology overlaid upon it, in order to make the project “green.” I fear we are at the point where we must must must go backward in order to go forward, and to create buildings that will last for a century or more, without the enhancements of “shiny new technology.” We are at the Peak Oil moment now (read the latest IEA confessions), and we will have little opportunity to rely on technology and modernism, as we know it today, in the future.

  • Jason & Anna – I agree with your comments but you need to understand the context. This is conceptual and it needs to take into account certain constraints as it relates to this particular site. First, this project is within the bounds of the “historic” district which in its current form will not allow for any “progressive” or “modern” architecture and I have used the same argument of moving Newburgh’s Architectural history forward. The street level has not been completely worked out yet as it’s screening for a parking garage and shields the industrial views directly across Colden, all at a cost that makes the project viable.

    The surrounding factories were used as a reference since the size of the building is fairly long. I can assure you there will be no “whimsical play” on the architecture itself . It will be done with proper proportion, scale with proper classicism complimenting the styles found throughout Newburgh…..this at the request of the developer.

    Still a work in progress and the feedback is appreciated.

    • Hi Giovanni, thanks for responding. I’m very familiar with the site (I live within the historic district of the City of Newburgh, right up the street), so I understand the question of whether the context is appropriate. I know you’re working within the restrictions of what the developer wants and what the governing bodies will approve—I apologize for what might have seemed like an attack on your work as an architect.

      Is it really true that modernist/progressive architecture is not permitted within the historic district? There are several renovations (the Ann Street Gallery and the Yellowbird building immediately come to mind) which have incorporated contemporary elements quite successfully. It would be wonderful to see something complementary to the older architecture of the city yet forward-thinking in design, functionality and sustainability going up in such a prime spot in our city. Progress + Respect = Modernism.

      It was a joy to have witnessed the West Shore Train Station rehab from start to finish, and I hope that this new construction will make a significant and lasting contribution to the architectural vernacular of Newburgh.

      • I agree as I often say we need to create future “historic” buildings. Saying that I also understand that not all new “modern” buildings will be worthy of preservation. The debate of modern v.s. traditional is something I find very interesting. I was hoping to put together a round table in Newburgh for a public debate and what better venue than Newburgh to have it – It could even be a fund raiser for preservation .

        P.S. Both buildings you mentioned are out of the historic district (including the West Shore station).

        • I would love to join this debate, in a round table setting. I think that bulldozer modernism has left a very bad taste in many mouths, including myself. I respect the original incarnations of Modernism and its intellectual underpinnings, but I believe much of what we call modern architecture today is simple a throwback to high modernism. We need to respect human interaction with architecture and not create tributes to architects that lack an understanding of how their project fits within the fabric of the surrounding community. Instead, a great deal of architects seem to create designs that stand solitary in a field. It’s the argument of New Urbanism against the new “landscape urbanism,” which is beginning to take a more prominent role in sustainability circles. Unfortunately, landscape urbanism is simply peddling the old, tired corporate office park model with shiny new technology overlaid upon it, in order to make the project “green.” I fear we are at the point where we must must must go backward in order to go forward, and to create buildings that will last for a century or more, without the enhancements of “shiny new technology.” We are at the Peak Oil moment now (read the latest IEA confessions), and we will have little opportunity to rely on technology and modernism, as we know it today, in the future.