Rescue Me: 125 Johnston Street

125 Johnston St Newburgh NY

This building has handsome bones, it just might be hard to see it. But on the exterior original details from the storefront’s past still remain. This would’ve been a mixed use property with the residence entrance to the right. For now the sign says “Future home of Soul Saving Station Emergency Housing.” We will have to wait and see if it happens. There’s a brick home to the right as well as 3 Italianate little rowhomes that are just gorgeous. All in various states of abandonment/vacancy.

There are over 700 abandoned or vacant properties in the City of Newburgh. Habitation of these properties is vital to the revitalization of the city. 125 Johnston St Newburgh NY Google Map

3 Comment

  • Has anyone in Newburgh pursued the idea that Detroit is exploring? I realize it wouldn’t be easy, but it could really help with the abandoned buildings. Maybe expand to artists, too, since so many seem to be drawn to Beacon?

    http://gizmodo.com/can-giving-free-houses-to-writers-help-revitalize-detro-1486486521

    • Leslie, actually I love that idea. I posted a link to the story on the fanpage a few weeks back. We need a few people with great ideas to execute them in Newburgh to keep the momentum going. Anyone in interested in bringing writers to Newburgh?!

  • Feel free to pick up the altruistic baton and run with it. Did I miss the memo that said the City of Newburgh reached municipal insolvency to the effect that it needs a Detroit style ‘bail-in’ ?
    Relatively speaking, the ‘WAH’ program is a sub-prime derivative of ‘Habitat for Humanity’ as far as its standards relating to ownership and construction. Read their prospectus, there are better models. Indeed, as far as I know, the established Habitat for Humanity still accepts donations of labor,money or materials and would be more than willing to expand given a surplus of them ever arises.