Newburgh Free Library, 124 Grand St. Newburgh, 7 p.m. Nov. 3rd
Dr. Andrew Smith looks at the largely forgotten and overlooked institution of the local train depot. While many train stations have been since demolished, a few still remain. Included will be a presentation by The Railroad Playhouse dedicated to the preservation of Newburgh’s historic West Shore Railroad Station by providing space for performing arts experiences.
This Sunday, September 26th at 1pm will be a special benefit screening at the Railroad Playhouse. They will be presenting Sherlock Holmes’ “Terror by Night.” It is a fitting movie to present since the story revolves around the theft of a famous diamond aboard a train.
For all of you that have been dying to see some of the progress happening at the playhouse, a tour will be offered. There will also be Q & A with Jen and Seth Soloway,Co-Founders and a raffle.
Tickets are $20.00 to benefit the Railroad Playhouse!
Reservations Suggested! Telephone 845-561-3686 to reserve tickets -seating is limited!
Newburgh used to be the city where people would debut their acts before going to Broadway in New York City. Because Newburgh is only 60 miles away from NYC it was a common stomping ground for many rookies before they hit the big time; such as Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Today, Newburgh will have a revivification of it’s old glory days with new professional acts coming from Broadway to New Zealand!
The West Shore Railroad Station, aka the Newburgh Train Station was once the hub of hustle and bustle. The train station brought thousands of people to Newburgh daily. It has now been abandoned for over 50 years and, was basically crumbling to bits. The building suffered a fire, the ceiling had collapsed and the façade was blanketed with graffiti. Not too long ago people were entering in and taking pictures and documenting the deplorable condition of the train station. The last train to leave the station to Grand Central in NYC was in 1958. Today the station has new life breathed into it. It’s be secured and restored in very little time compared to how long it has been abandoned. What is even better is that it has found occupants thanks to Key Properties !
Railroad Playhouse Inc, has just signed their lease with the West Shore Train Station. They are a non-profit arts organization dedicated to the revitalization of the Newburgh Waterfront and the preservation of Newburgh’s historic West Shore Railroad Station by providing a space for high-quality, artistically creative performing arts experiences. In their mission statement they state, they “will strive to provide a home for playwrights to workshop and showcase new plays; present local, national, and international artists of all genres; create partnerships with local businesses and organizations to continue revitalizing the area; implement a summer arts camp for local children; and create teaching-artist residencies and after-school programs in local schools.”
The Railroad Playhouse will be a 99-seat flexible venue with a sprung wooden floor and a state-of-the-art lighting and sound system. With no permanent seating or fixed stage, the audience experience will be different for every event. Other features include dressing rooms and office space. The building will be divided into three parts: a performance space, a grand lobby, and a cafe from Nick Citera of Cosimo’s Restaurant Group. The Playhouse will also be available to rent once the beautiful renovations are complete along with catering. Their doors should open in the Fall of 2010.
If you would like to find out more information about The Railroad Playhouse, it’s mission, and it’s founders who have an awesome resume, click on this link for their website. http://www.rrplayhouse.org/ or check them out on Facebook. They are accepting donations for those that would like to help their non-profit group. Any donation can help and can go towards things like stage lighting. They will need all the help they can get to make their Fall 2010 debut opening. This is a great option for those of you who have moved away from Newburgh but still want to see your home town thrive. Click here for the direct link to make a donation.
This project brings Newburgh’s revitalization a little further up from the waterfront, although still connected. It is important to remember what this building looked like before. A lot of hard work and effort went into saving this important part of Newburgh’s erased waterfront history. This accomplishment shows that this time around the revitalization in Newburgh is really starting to come around and more and more major historic buildings are being saved. As the developments progress we will keep you informed. Stay tuned next week for a tour of one of Newburgh’s biggest restorations going on at the moment.
Look who has announced they are ready to start leasing out their building – the West Shore Train Station. I am really hoping they find some clients soon to help with the costs of maintaining the building, and to help offset the cost of the repair. Perhaps the promise of the new condo’s at the Regal Bag building will interest some future business owners. Remember, before this was just ginormous eyesore in Newburgh. Now new life has been breathed into the area…
There is 900-7,900 Square feet of Space! They are looking for a long term lease and will build to suit. Call 845-565-8530 or email Ryan13730@aol.com. Spread the word around to fellow entrepreneurs! Check out their Facebook page for future updates.
If you are unfamiliar with Newburgh, familiarize yourself by looking at maps and seeing how all of the future projects in Newburgh are within short distances of each other. Talk to local business owners about the area and about the success of their own businesses. For more positive Newburgh news check out this link.
“Owner Ray Yannone is aiming for Spring 2010 occupancy of the station, pending final approval of the Newburgh City Planning Board. One potential tenant is an art and antiques gallery. “It’s more a labor of love than anything,” said Yannone, a Newburgher by birth. He long hoped for the opportunity to purchase the old station, and about a year ago, a deal was finalized. “Things were all over the map for a while,” Yannone said of negotiations. But now, he is only months away from completion of the project…I found by working on the building… there’s a general interest in improving things. It shows that people do respect it a little. Yannone’s two daughter, Elizabeth and Marinna, will be dressed in period clothing, and the sounds of holiday broadcasts starring Bing Crosby will fill the brick building. War posters, as well as historical photographs of the station in its prime will decorate the walls.”
The future occupation of the building is definitely hopeful news. And, Newburgh Restoration came across Mr. Yannone’s website that tracks the progress of the restoration. There are many photos, and if you scroll all the way down on the ‘progress’ page, you can see enlarged photographs. When you see the state of train station in older photos, you really come to appreciate the hard work that has been done there. It was certainly not an easy task! The rest of us anxiously await the outcome!
If you are interested in renting the commercial space at the train station, contact:
Raymond D.Yannone, Jr.
Phone: 845-565-8530
Fax: 845-565-6360
WestShoreStation@gmail.com
Monday was the last day of the Newburgh International Waterfront Festival and I just wanted to share a few photos of the event if you have not seen the photos on Flickr, or if you weren’t able to attend. It was really nice to see all kinds of families out enjoying the gorgeous weather this past weekend. There was a great mix of all kinds of people from different ethnic backgrounds. Taste buds with a flair for Latin, West Indian, and European cuisine were not disappointed…
It was also really great to see the West Shore Train Station surrounded by life and by people. You could definitely hear the buzz of people around you talking about the excitement of the restoration of the train station and what is to become of it. People are ready to see what will happen there. The new windows look great and the new copper gutters are gorgeous. Enjoy the photos! Click here to see the rest.
