Mid Hudson Times , Wednesday , December 28 , 2016 3
City seeks developer for Dutch Reformed Church Project to include City Club and Montgomery Street parcel
By SHANTAL RILEY sriley @ tcnewspapers . com
The City of Newburgh is seeking a land developer to purchase and rehabilitate the Reformed Dutch Church and two other ailing properties in the city ’ s East End Historic District .
“ A master developer is sought to collaborate with the city in the creation of viable residential , commercial and public space ,” a city request for proposals reads .
The RFP highlights two “ architecturally-significant ” buildings — the Dutch Reformed Church and the former City Club . The third is a 1.8-acre parcel of “ Urban Renewal ” land , expected to serve as income-generating real estate to support the preservation and restoration of the two historic properties .
We are looking , ideally , for a restoration of the DRC into a community-centered use ; a preservation plan for the City Club , including a final use ; and a new development of the piece of former Urban-Renewal land , known as 2 Montgomery Street , that meets existing city zoning code ,” city Planner Alexandra Church explained by email last week . “ We hope to hear some interesting and innovative ideas .”
When asked why the three properties were being bundled together , Church explained the city wants to provide the developer with a viable source of funding – in this case , the Montgomery Street parcel . “ We want the developer to make money so that they can sustain the project and provide the public and community benefits we want ,” she said . “ The City Club was added because we recently acquired it . It is in serious need of rehabilitation as well , and it makes sense for a developer to stabilize that whole block , to make their larger redevelopment more successful .”
The 1835 Dutch Reformed Church is a Greek Revivalstyle building designed by Alexander Jackson Davis , a famed architect who designed gothic-revival style buildings throughout the state . Located next to the Newburgh Free Library on Grand Street , the church was named a National Historic Landmark in 2001 , and named one of the “ 100 Most Endangered Sites ” in the world by World Monuments Fund in 2005 .
The city , its partners and grassroots groups have worked for years to preserve the church . A restoration committee was formed in 2002 and stabilization work followed . However , in 2012 , a large portion of the ceiling collapsed and fell , causing considerable damage to the inside of the church .
The Preservation League of New York State named the church one of “ Seven to Save ” in March . The designation guarantees a two-year commitment from the League to assist in restoration efforts .
The former City Club , also located next to the library , was designed by Andrew Jackson Downing , a Newburghborn landscape designer famous for designing Central Park in New York City and Newburgh ’ s own Downing Park .
The Montgomery Street property is land left over from
The City of Newburgh is actively seeking a developer for the Dutch Reformed Church , the former City Club and a small parcel on Montgomery Street .
the city ’ s ill-fated urban-renewal program of the 60s and 70s , when more than a thousand buildings were leveled . Many of those properties were located along the city ’ s waterfront .
The hillside vacant lot boasts panoramic views of the Hudson River and the Hudson Highlands . According to
Church , the city has identified the downtown hillside as a focus area for redevelopment .
Request for proposals are due by Feb . 1 . The RFP document is available on the City of Newburgh website at Cityofnewburgh-ny . gov . Click on the link to “ Bids and RFPs ” on the left side of the homepage .