The issue of redevelopment of hillside property along Water Street in the City of Newburgh came before the Newburgh City Council at its Aug. 8 work session. The council received an update on the Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) Nomination Study that is currently evaluating the land and engaging the public on the future of the land.

The City of Newburgh has 144 acres of vacant land on and near its waterfront that was once an area where communities of Black residents and business owners thrived. During the late 1950s and 1960s, the East End was drastically affected by the urban renewal process.

Conservation efforts and protections for buildings in that part of the East End ceased the urban renewal process, and the greater East End Historic District today retains those buildings and is recognized for its historic preservation. However, families affected by the urban renewal process either remained in Newburgh or ultimately left.

The nomination study will allow the city to understand more about the current land’s conditions and potentially contaminants which may be uncovered. A property having either known or perceived contamination which could be a barrier to potential development is classified as a brownfield site.

During the August 8 work session, City Director of Planning and Development Ali Church said a steering committee has been meeting since the beginning of the year in relation to the BOA. Through the steering committee, the specific boundaries of the study were established. “It runs from Regal Bag in the north, to the wastewater treatment plant in the south, and it goes up Broadway and includes mid-Broadway properties,” said Church.

Church said the study is based around public engagement and outreach opportunities held in the city.

Recommendations and conversations with the public have given comments about maintaining the viewshed of the river. Also, if the property were to be redeveloped, activities for families would be an attraction on the waterfront. Church continued that policy changes surrounding ownership of the development has also been a feedback item from the public.

Next steps with the study, Church explained, include additional community outreach meetings in the coming months. Meetings with descendants of families affected by Urban Renewal are planned to further discuss policy related to the study. A draft map of the potential area to be redeveloped and a set of policy recommendations would be presented to the steering committee and ultimately to the city council for review by the fall.

By the end of the year, a draft nomination would be prepared, and with the city council’s approval, would be submitted to the New York State Department of State. It would nominate the hillside areas as a state-recognized Brownfield Opportunity Area.

The expectation of the city is that the nomination would be accepted by mid-Spring of 2025. This would allow developments on the site to apply for additional tax credits to remediate properties. Public properties, which make up more than half of the studied area, would be able to apply for additional grants, Church said.

Mayor Torrance Harvey said he was happy to see the list of recommendations presented to council and has had the opportunity to attend several of the community sessions. Harvey said he was glad to see that the Consolidated Iron and Metal site was included in the BOA study. Consolidated Iron was once an active scrap yard along the city’s waterfront.

Harvey further inquired about private landowners within the BOA study area. Church responded that private owners would be eligible only for the base level tax credits. If the nomination is approved, higher tax credits would be available.

Councilman Omari Shakur was frustrated about the discussion, citing the lack of benefits for those impacted, who he said have not been present at the community engagement sessions. Church discussed the “right to return” policy but Shakur was still frustrated with the discussion.

Harvey and Shakur traded heated remarks on Newburgh’s Urban Renewal program and the BOA.

Visit newburghboa.com to learn more about the study and the Newburgh BOA.