I’m quite excited about this small feature inside the March/April 2011 Preservation Magazine. They have a section of the magazine called “Transitions” where they discuss historic properties that are in limbo, threatened, lost, restored, or saved. I instantly thought that the success story of the Westshore Train Station would be an excellent addition for a restored story. I wrote the magazine, which in turn was able to speak to the Tran Station’s owner Ray Yannone. Now, Newburgh is in a national magazine for something positive. You can check out this link or read the small excerpt below:
“Newburgh West Shore Train Station In 1909, architects Whitney Warren and Charles Wetmore designed this depot for Newburgh, N.Y., a few years before completing their most celebrated commission, Grand Central Terminal. Newburgh’s station closed in 1958, subsequently enduring multiple fires and decades of neglect. In November, the building reopened after a local businessman purchased the property and restored it as a playhouse and restaurant.”
I just want to mention that this was as easy as writing an email. Anyone has the opportunity to put Newburgh in a positive light. For more positive Newburgh news check out this link.
Habitat for Humanity has just shared some exciting news for Newburgh. Director of Development, Marci Gurton said they have “been selected (out of 2,300 affiliates) to receive the lumber milled from the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. It will help build a home for a working family, not to mention garner the largest (and only) national publicity the Newburgh Habitat has ever seen.” It’s huge, and they are so grateful for the opportunity. Hopefully this event will help raise more awareness to revitalization of Newburgh and to Habitat’s work here.
Ms. Gurton also mentioned, “The special nature of this gift also raises awareness about the critical need for affordable housing in our community and the ongoing efforts for neighborhood revitalization.” The milling ceremony will be held January 7th. To read more information and see a nice slide show, click on this link here. For more positive Newburgh news check out this link.
Two years ago this Saturday, I started Newburgh Restoration. I really didn’t know where I was going with it when I started it. I just knew that I wanted to bring to peoples attention the positive things that were going on in Newburgh. If you dug a little, you’d find out that there was so much more than what usually made the headlines. I am pleased with where the blog is at right now and I really enjoy it. Blogging about a transitional city is always a challenge. (Even some of my early blog postings make me cringe!) I am constantly trying to find a harmonious balance of stories to write, news to share, and of course, my own opinions.
Things in the beginning started off a little slow but, more than 370 blog postings later, 2010 has been a great year for the blog with traffic increasing every month. Visitors include people currently living in Newburgh, people who have left Newburgh, and people interested in Newburgh from the NYC Metro area and internationally. I continue to to receive emails from people who feel that Newburgh is on the brink of a turn around and imminent upswing. One recent commenter said,”Your site, and all the positive information it contains, almost make me want to move back.” Another Brooklynite commented that she and all her dinner guests were checking out Newburgh and the amazing house prices and, “we were saying how we should all move [to Newburgh] and chuck Brooklyn 😉 .” We are at over 31,000 visitors for this site since it began. That’s 31,000 visitors interested in positive Newburgh news.
Literally every month there are positive things going on in the city. Not only do my blog postings show that, but so do news articles. You can check out the positive news section of this blog, which is a collection of great Newburgh articles. There have been some awesome things that have happened since this blog started and my City of Progress posting showed that. Here are some of the newer things since then:
The Chapman Steamer Firehouse is no longer a renovation in danger, and will soon be home to artists lofts and a community center
The East Parmenter project is now starting Phase 2. An entire block will be changed due to this project.
The Ann Street Gallery, is named “Best Gallery” by Times Herald Record readers for the second year in a row, and has welcomed over 1,000 visitors in 2010
In 2010 Safe Harbor of the Hudson received a planning grant to create a healthy cafe in one of their storefronts. 2011 will be the year that plans begin to take shape.
In 2010, the Ritz Theater received $950,000 in grant funding for Phase I of the restoration. In 2011, SHOH will break ground. It will include the removal of two projection booths and the creation of a window through to the Ritz Theater Lobby so that patrons can view the renovation process as it happens. Work is also beginning on the box office space on Broadway.
And something new to look out for in 2011, is a new project from SHOH that will combine family housing with economic development and the arts.
Newburgh has gained a vital new launch pad for the arts with the certification of a film production facility.
The Colden Street waterfront development project is almost fully approved and will apparently start construction work ASAP
The Pop Up Gallery was a success bringing almost 200 people to downtown Newburgh. Many would like to see future gallery openings!
Stay tuned for more projects in the works that I haven’t been able to blog about yet!
It is easy to think that Newburgh hasn’t seen much change because people easily forget Newburgh’s accomplishments. But read some news articles from the early 2000’s, and you’ll see talk about a future gallery on the waterfront (now the Yellowbird Building/Downing Film Center), a future revived Hotel Newburgh (now the Cornerstone Residences of Safe Harbors of the Hudson), or a future ferry connection from Newburgh to the MTA (now the Newburgh-Beacon Ferry). The same articles said that Newburgh had no art and no theater, something certain commentaries felt was necessary for a revival. Today, we have the Railroad Playhouse, the Ann Street Gallery, the Newburgh Actors Studio, the lobby of the Ritz Theater, and a few Pop-Up Galleries around the city. There are more artistic events happening around the city and, there are definitely more on the way.
We are still waiting to see more progress with the Ritz Theater, the Liberty Street School, the City Club, the Dutch Reformed Church, the Regal Bag Building (which I hear is far from dead), new businesses to come on Liberty Street, Broadway, and the Waterfront. I can’t wait to see what developments the next year will bring for all of Newburgh!
Thanks for following and be sure to spread the word about Newburgh’s restoration to everyone you know! Sign up for email updates here! For more positive Newburgh news check out this link.
Habitat for Humanity has featured a great article on Newburgh in their Field Notes section called “Renewing Newburgh“. Here are some points of the article that I enjoyed the most. Referring to minor miracles the article mentions,
“young couples looking to own began buying houses on the block and redoing them, finding encouragement in the efforts of the Habitat volunteers. One couple, Glenn recalls, fell through the floor of the house they were considering buying. But just next door, Habitat volunteers were hard at work and seeing their successes convinced the couple to take a chance. House by house, things began to get better.”
Another interesting point is that nearly $8.3 million has been added to local tax rolls through Habitat. Even though at the time this article was written, Habitat had 10 projects underway. The article mentions they still have their eyes set on some buildings. Some of which I’m sure many of you have passed by many times.
For more positive Newburgh news check out this link.
Here is a nice little feature of Newburgh Habitat for Humanity in the National Trust for Historic Preservation website. Newburgh was featured along with 6 other communities as successful case studies for Habitat preservation.
“Habitat for Humanity of Greater Newburgh (HFHGN) was established in 1999 and immediately set to work rehabilitating houses in the Washington Heights neighborhood, a part of the large East End historic district. In its brief history, HFHGN has completed 23 rehabilitation projects and constructed 20 new houses. According to Executive Director Deirdre Glenn, the affiliate began work in the Washington Heights neighborhood with the hope that affordable rehabilitation of existing homes would ease the widespread problems of overcrowding and neglect, and bring the formally vibrant late-19th-century neighborhood back to life. “
Read the rest of the article here! In just 11 years Habitat has had a huge influence in Newburgh. The future can only be brighter. For more positive Newburgh news check out this link.
If you didn’t catch it this week in the news, there was some hopeful news for 11 homes on Dubois Street. A Restore NY Grant of up to $390,000 has been awarded to revitalize these homes on a block that needs attention. Many of these homes have been converted into multifamily homes, fallen into disrepair, or abandoned. According to the Mid Hudson news, under the conditions of the program for the project, tenants will be offered the opportunity to buy the properties and can receive educational preparation about home ownership. Apparently the idea is to revitalize Dubois Street through the ownership of these homes.
A face lift to properties is something that St. Luke’s Hospital will probably be glad to see. They have been improving their image. It would be nice to have some of the surrounding properties match. See below for other restoration projects done to other Dubois Street homes. For more positive Newburgh news check out this link.
I’m quite excited about this small feature inside the March/April 2011 Preservation Magazine. They have a section of the magazine called “Transitions” where they discuss historic properties that are in limbo, threatened, lost, restored, or saved. I instantly thought that the success story of the Westshore Train Station would be an excellent addition for a restored story. I wrote the magazine, which in turn was able to speak to the Tran Station’s owner Ray Yannone. Now, Newburgh is in a national magazine for something positive. You can check out this link or read the small excerpt below:
