NEWBURGH – City officials believe Newburgh can offer “A River of Opportunity” to light manufacturing businesses so they have joined forces with a number of other entities to launch a major marketing effort to attract more employers to the city.

Mayor Judy Kennedy announced on Wednesday the program in an old, vacant commercial building on Spring Street that new owners plan to redevelop, saying the city will be getting the word out to metropolitan New York companies about the opportunities in Newburgh.

“It is time to be pro-active and not just sit here and wait to be discovered,” Kennedy said.

Interim City Manager James Slaughter said Newburgh has a substantial inventory of available space.

“We have, between private and public, over 2½ million square feet of commercial/warehouse/industrial space available,” Slaughter said.

Orange County Partnership President Maureen Halahan’s agency has rejuvenating the county’s three cities high on its agenda.

“These cities need some tender loving care,” Halahan said. “These cities house the workforce, and this city [Newburgh] is highly motivated to make some changes. We have seen a lot of changes occur in the City of Middletown. Port Jervis is trying its best, but the City of Newburgh is the perfect storm and they are coming together to make things happen.”

The marketing effort will be in partnership with the city, its Industrial Development Agency, The Solar Energy Consortium and the Orange County Partnership.