The City of Newburgh Department of Planning & Development will hold a community outreach day on Saturday, January 13 at several locations around the city, as the next step in the Newburgh Hillside Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) Planning Study. Community members are invited to drop by one of the several locations and share their vision of the future for the Hillside and Lower Broadway Area.

This community input will inform a planning study, currently underway, that is examining potential clean-up needs and redevelopment opportunities for a 144-acre study area along the waterfront. The study is funded by a Brownfield Opportunity Areas (BOA) grant from the New York State Department of State (NYS DOS). The schedule of events for the community outreach day is as follows: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Newburgh Armory Unity Center (321 South William Street) with a Spanish language interpreter available; 10 a.m. to 12 p.m at the Newburgh Farmers Market (107 Broadway); 1 to 2:30 p.m. at the Newburgh Free Library (124 Grand Street); 1:15 to 2:15 p.m. at Blacc Vanilla Café (197 South Street) and 3 to 4:30 p.m. at Safe Harbors Lobby at the Ritz (107 Broadway).

The Newburgh Hillside BOA Nomination Study will focus on the approximately 144-acre Hillside area between the Hudson River and Newburgh’s downtown commercial corridors. Once the commercial heart of the City, the “Hillside” was the epicenter of urban renewal during the 1960s and 1970s. Approximately 1,300 buildings were demolished, nine streets were buried, and thousands of residents displaced. Much of the hillside area has remained vacant and underutilized for decades and it is expected that numerous environmental concerns - including soil and groundwater contamination - are present. Investment in this area and the surrounding area has been limited, and the needs of this diverse and low-income community have been historically neglected.

The BOA planning process will enable community leaders to establish a clear vision and action plan to revitalize the Hillside into a sustainable and livable downtown neighborhood. The effort is overseen by a Steering Committee comprised of local stakeholders and government officials and supported by project partners from the City of Newburgh, New York State Department of State, and a consultant team. The project includes a Community Participation Plan to keep stakeholders and the public informed and engaged throughout the process.

Additional expected outcomes of the BOA Nomination Study are neighborhood stabilization and the marketing of strategic areas which will encourage investment and revitalization of the downtown business district.

Anticipated community benefits include the creation of jobs, private and public sector reinvestment, increased tax revenue and increased property values. Information on the BOA project will be posted to the project website.newburghboa.com/ For any questions, please contact the City of Newburgh Department of Planning & Development at (845) 569-9400.