Newburgh Waterfront - Newburgh, NY

Newsroom

City Waterfronts Hot Property on the Hudson River

Author: Michael Hill - Associated Press
7/30/2006

NEWBURGH, N.Y. (July 30, 2006) - Shuttered shops and squealing freight trains have been particularly striking features of Hudson River city waterfronts for a long time.

That's finally changing with the valley's recent growth spurt.

Consider that when this old industrial hub north of New York City sought a developer for 30 acres near its new row of waterside bistros and cafes, 19 companies applied. It's a similar story up and down the river in cities like Poughkeepsie, Kingston, Yonkers and Beacon: waterfront parcels are being looked at to add some gentrified sparkle to cities past their industrial glory days.

"We see tremendous potential," said Steve Maun, president of Leyland Alliance, the developer chosen by Newburgh. "I think it could be the kind of place where we could have a wonderful hotel, a conference center."

Developing rusty old river cities can be a challenge. There are ramshackle factories and contaminated lots _ not to mention railroad tracks running right along the shore. But it makes more sense as more people from the New York City area look north for cheaper living and post-Sept. 11 peace of mind.

The valley's population has grown steadily in recent years and Pattern for Progress president Michael DiTullo projects that the region is going to need 50,000 additional housing units in the next 10 years.

It helps that the river _ once so polluted it was a national joke _ has been on the rebound. Boats crowd the river on nice weekends and the state is in the middle of a multiyear project to create more beaches for swimmers.

"I was born and raised here. I'm 56 years old," said Newburgh Mayor Nicholas Valentine. "I have seen Newburgh go through a time when it was a prime place to be, to where you wouldn't set foot in the city. Now what we're seeing is an influx of new people."

Think of it as a tide of development working its way upriver.

Yonkers, already home to a new river esplanade, housing and restaurants, is due to get a six-story office building near the riverfront in September. Beacon already has the Dia:Beacon art museum and there are plans for a 140-room, environmentally friendly hotel. Among the many projects on the drawing board in Kingston are two developments that would add more than 2,000 residential units. Leyland Alliance will work with Newburgh to create a mix of residential, retail and civic development. In Poughkeepsie, a developer is building a catering hall and has plans for a marina, restaurants, and an office building.

"It's a little scary to me in terms of competition," said Joseph Bonura Jr., whose family firm is building in Poughkeepsie. "There will be a lot of waterfront projects going on."

Fixing up waterfronts will not solve all the problems of the cities, some of which have sizable poverty rates. But officials say the development will draw more people and money to the urban centers.

These are cities with a history of settlement that can be measured in centuries. The 30-acre Newburgh development site, for instance, is a musket shot away from George Washington's Revolutionary War headquarters. Many of the Hudson cities thrived in the 19th century, when the river was a main thoroughfare for American commerce. The river was lined with shipyards, brickyards, foundries, factories and breweries.

When factories began shutting down in large numbers in the 20th century, sites contaminated by the likes of oil, mercury and PCBs were left behind. Expensive cleanups of old sites made little sense for cities already facing a mass exodus. Developers are more willing take risks during a hot real estate market, especially when governments offer cleanup help and tax breaks.

There is a track record for this sort of site recycling. The expansive Dia:Beacon was an old Nabisco printing factory. Rockland County built Haverstraw Bay County Park on the site of an old brickyard and an old foundry in Newburgh has been retrofitted for condos and a health club called _ what else? _ The Foundry.

Bonura's $12 million riverside restaurant and catering facility in Poughkeepsie is being built on the site of an old sewer treatment plant. But Bonura said the location _ a rare sizable chunk of land between the train tracks and the shore _ was too good to pass up. The Grandview is to open in September. A new restaurant is to open next year. A walkway, a marina and other amenities are planned for the future.

The development boom has sparked some worries the once-sleepy valley will become congested. A recent battle has taken place in Kingston, where Yonkers-based AVR Homebuilders this summer scaled back a plan to build more than 2,100 town house and condominium units by the river to 1,750 units.

The change was made after a sustained public argument over whether the development will bring money and life to the old city or a mega-development that will stress the infrastructure. Developers and conservationists clash on the details, but they agree on one thing: waterfront development is going to continue.

"This is the moment to get it right," said Scenic Hudson President Ned Sullivan. "And if we don't get it right, a tremendous opportunity will have been lost and the landscape that defined America will converted to Anywhere USA."

Back



	Newsroom City Waterfronts Hot Property on the Hudson River Author: Michael Hill - Associated Press 7/30/2006 NEWBURGH, N.Y. (July 30, 2006) - Shuttered shops and squealing freight trains have been particularly striking features of Hudson River city waterfronts for a long time. That's finally changing with the valley's recent growth spurt. Consider that when this old industrial hub north of New York City sought a developer for 30 acres near its new row of waterside bistros and cafes, 19 companies applied. It's a similar story up and down the river in cities like Poughkeepsie, Kingston, Yonkers and Beacon: waterfront parcels are being looked at to add some gentrified sparkle to cities past their industrial glory days. "We see tremendous potential," said Steve Maun, president of Leyland Alliance, the developer chosen by Newburgh. "I think it could be the kind of place where we could have a wonderful hotel, a conference center." Developing rusty old river cities can be a challenge. There are ramshackle factories and contaminated lots _ not to mention railroad tracks running right along the shore. But it makes more sense as more people from the New York City area look north for cheaper living and post-Sept. 11 peace of mind. The valley's population has grown steadily in recent years and Pattern for Progress president Michael DiTullo projects that the region is going to need 50,000 additional housing units in the next 10 years. It helps that the river _ once so polluted it was a national joke _ has been on the rebound. Boats crowd the river on nice weekends and the state is in the middle of a multiyear project to create more beaches for swimmers. "I was born and raised here. I'm 56 years old," said Newburgh Mayor Nicholas Valentine. "I have seen Newburgh go through a time when it was a prime place to be, to where you wouldn't set foot in the city. Now what we're seeing is an influx of new people." Think of it as a tide of development working its way upriver. Yonkers, already home to a new river esplanade, housing and restaurants, is due to get a six-story office building near the riverfront in September. Beacon already has the Dia:Beacon art museum and there are plans for a 140-room, environmentally friendly hotel. Among the many projects on the drawing board in Kingston are two developments that would add more than 2,000 residential units. Leyland Alliance will work with Newburgh to create a mix of residential, retail and civic development. In Poughkeepsie, a developer is building a catering hall and has plans for a marina, restaurants, and an office building. "It's a little scary to me in terms of competition," said Joseph Bonura Jr., whose family firm is building in Poughkeepsie. "There will be a lot of waterfront projects going on." Fixing up waterfronts will not solve all the problems of the cities, some of which have sizable poverty rates. But officials say the development will draw more people and money to the urban centers. These are cities with a history of settlement that can be measured in centuries. The 30-acre Newburgh development site, for instance, is a musket shot away from George Washington's Revolutionary War headquarters. Many of the Hudson cities thrived in the 19th century, when the river was a main thoroughfare for American commerce. The river was lined with shipyards, brickyards, foundries, factories and breweries. When factories began shutting down in large numbers in the 20th century, sites contaminated by the likes of oil, mercury and PCBs were left behind. Expensive cleanups of old sites made little sense for cities already facing a mass exodus. Developers are more willing take risks during a hot real estate market, especially when governments offer cleanup help and tax breaks. There is a track record for this sort of site recycling. The expansive Dia:Beacon was an old Nabisco printing factory. Rockland County built Haverstraw Bay County Park on the site of an old brickyard and an old foundry in Newburgh has been retrofitted for condos and a health club called _ what else? _ The Foundry. Bonura's $12 million riverside restaurant and catering facility in Poughkeepsie is being built on the site of an old sewer treatment plant. But Bonura said the location _ a rare sizable chunk of land between the train tracks and the shore _ was too good to pass up. The Grandview is to open in September. A new restaurant is to open next year. A walkway, a marina and other amenities are planned for the future. The development boom has sparked some worries the once-sleepy valley will become congested. A recent battle has taken place in Kingston, where Yonkers-based AVR Homebuilders this summer scaled back a plan to build more than 2,100 town house and condominium units by the river to 1,750 units. The change was made after a sustained public argument over whether the development will bring money and life to the old city or a mega-development that will stress the infrastructure. Developers and conservationists clash on the details, but they agree on one thing: waterfront development is going to continue. "This is the moment to get it right," said Scenic Hudson President Ned Sullivan. "And if we don't get it right, a tremendous opportunity will have been lost and the landscape that defined America will converted to Anywhere USA." Back