Scaffolding Goes up at Liberty Street School

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We recently got a tip that scaffolding has now been seen on the Renwick side of the Liberty Street School. Perhaps this will be the start to some more facade repair or maybe even new windows. The Liberty Street School is a cornerstone building for the Liberty Street business area as well as the Heights neighborhood. It has been abandoned since the last class left in 1980. Newburghers continue to anxiously await the rehabilitation of this building. For more history and photos of the school, sign up for updates from Newburgh Restoration, or check out the Save the Liberty Street School fan page on Facebook. We’ll be closely watching.

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Liberty Street School

Bottom photo credit © Christine Detz Gustafson

6 Comment

  • We in the Heights certainly hope so but remain sceptical. I believe I am correct in saying that the building has been like a teeter totter between the city and Dr. Jerome H. Blue. This is, I believe his thrid attempt at taking the school under his ownership. According to the resolutions from the July 2012 city council meeting Dr. Blue was required to begin work on the property within a specifically designated time. The current work entails removing the asbestos in a legally permitted way according to all environmental standards so that it does not become a health hazard to Heights residents and the workmen. The condition of the building is in extremely poor shape. This latest attempt by Dr. Jerome H. Bull, with the deal being promoted by Councilman Curley Dillard, may be successful. I hope so. We hear, with no verification, that it will be turned into condo units or rental units and has some connection to the lot that was recently cleared on Johns St. just off Renwick. Keep your eye on the work and its progress.

  • Yay! Hopefully things will start happening!

  • I’ve usually found in the past that when scaffolding FINALLY goes up on a stalled or delayed project, it has usually meant that “some sort of work” should be starting as soon as the warmer Spring weather takes hold. Let’s truly hope that is the case here!!

  • About time let’s just hope some real work gets done this time

  • Well, here it is May 10, 2013 and still no sign of any work being done. Tick tock.