Orange County IDA Launches Brownfields Initiative

Tour of the former Consolidated Iron and Steel Ways sites in Newburgh

NEW WINDSOR, NY—The Orange County Industrial Development Agency announced recently it had launched its Orange County Brownfields Revitalization Initiative.

On March 19, the first Community Meeting of the IDA was held at the Orange County Emergency Services Center in Goshen following a private tour of potential brownfield sites.

The tour included three properties currently under consideration for remediation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA). These sites include the former Consolidated Iron and Steel Ways sites in Newburgh; the former Diamond Candlestick factory in New Windsor, and the Orange County Fairgrounds in the Town of Wallkill.

Each of these properties represents a unique piece of Orange County’s history, from steel contribution for the New York City skyline to candle fabrication for the Vatican. By removing contaminants and reclaiming the properties for commercial use, OCIDA and the U.S. EPA aim to restore and revive these historic properties to benefit local communities, IDA officials stated.

Present for the tour were OCIDA CEO Bill Fioravanti; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 2 Administrator Michael Martucci; Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus, and Orange County Partnership President and CEO Conor Eckert; Project Manager at HRP Associates Cassandra George and OCIDA Board Member Jeff Crist.

After the tour, 45 community members gathered for the Brownfield Initiative’s inaugural Community Meeting in Goshen, which included Mr. Martucci and Mr. Neuhaus. This meeting’s presentation is available online for anyone interested in learning about the revitalization of brownfields in Orange County:

Part of the agency’s broader effort to identify and prepare shovel ready

sites around the county, the OCIDA’s Brownfields Revitalization Initiative is seeking input from elected and county officials and the public to identify and prioritize which properties to assess and ultimately redevelop.

Brownfields are properties that have been left unused or abandoned because of potential contaminants, such as former industrial sites that could contain hazardous substances or pollutants. The potential contamination could be minimal or widespread, which is why it is crucial to strategically identify, assess, and select prospective sites for remediation, the Orange County IDA stated.

With help from the public and property owners, the Orange County IDA’s Brownfields Revitalization Initiative will turn vacant lots into valuable community assets that will raise property values and increase the local tax base, helping increase funding for Orange County schools, roads, first responders and other infrastructure needs. For this reason, the Orange County Brownfields Revitalization Initiative aligns closely with OCIDA’s mission to promote economic growth through investment by unlocking the full potential of selected properties.

“This initiative is a great opportunity to take properties that are eyesores and rehabilitate them, simultaneously removing threats to the environment and turning them into revenue generators. This is a total win-win for our local communities,” said Fioravanti.

“Orange County is my home county, and I’m proud to support its brownfields program. When we invest in cleaning up and reusing former industrial properties, local families gain healthier, safer neighborhoods and entrepreneurs gain new sites to open businesses and create jobs that grow our economy,” said EPA Regional Administrator Martucci. “The EPA is teaming up with OCIDA, local leaders, and community members to remove barriers to redevelopment, expand opportunities for investment, and ensure these revitalized properties become long term assets that strengthen the county’s prosperity and quality of life.”