New plans emerge for storied City Club

Posted 11/2/21

A long-anticipated plan to renovate and restore Newburgh’s Historic City Club is once again in the works .

The Newburgh City Council, at its Oct 21 work session, listened to a $1.3 million …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

New plans emerge for storied City Club

Posted

A long-anticipated plan to renovate and restore Newburgh’s Historic City Club is once again in the works .

The Newburgh City Council, at its Oct 21 work session, listened to a $1.3 million proposal from Genesis/ZWC Partners to create a commercial space for arts and entertainment at the brick structure that stands in front of the Newburgh Free Library.

Genesis Ramos, co-chair of the Mayor’s Strategic Development Advisory Committee (SEDAC) said her group had reviewed four proposals after the city had issued Requests for Proposals (RFPs).

“When we receive these proposals, we take our time to read through them, and look through them,” Ramos said.

Two were rejected outright, while the two remaining respondents were brought in for interviews.The proposal by Genesis/ZWC Partners (no relation to Genesis Ramos) was accepted by SEDAC.

Wayne Warner, Chief Construction Manager for Genesis Global Partners, and an Orange County resident addressed the city council and said they plan to rebuild it as close as possible to the building that stood 100 years, but there are no specific occupants lined up. Recent projects for Warner include a mixed-use condo development in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, a 9-story rental building in Jamaica, Queens and a 25-story boutique hotel in the heart of the Wall Street area in lower Manhattan.

“We want nothing more than to see this building restored to its former glory,” said David Garland, Founder and CEO of Genesis Global Partners. “We want to retain as much of the original character of the building as possible.”

Garland said the plan is for a commercial space, with some sort of arts integration, perhaps with a dinner theatre on the second floor and a restaurant on the first floor of the three-story structure. He said he has been in contact with the Orange County Arts Council which, he said, “loves the idea” and may have some suggestions for who might occupy the space. He’s also been in contact with the Newburgh Free Library.

The top floor, he envisions, could provide some live/work space for attorneys coming into town on short business or perhaps artists.

The City Club, known also as the William Culbert House, has a storied, and also sad past.Designed in the early 1850s by Andrew Jackson Downing and Calvert Vaux, the house survived Urban Renewal efforts but was seriously damaged by a 1981 fire just as a major renovation effort by Irish Restorer Brian Thompson neared completion.

The roof collapsed a few years ago which provided a unique opportunity to create a botanical garden of wildflowers and plants inside its wall. The exhibit was opened to the public during weekends this past summer.

“Our belief is that the foundation is sound,” Garland said, adding that his form would work to find the right partners to occupy the building.

“The City Club is one of the many buildings that represent the heartbeat of our city,” said Councilman Bob Sklarz who said he was “heartbroken” by the destruction.

“I’d always hoped that this building in my lifetime would be renovated,” said Councilwoman Patty Sofokles.

Councilman Antony Grice sought assurance that city residents would be given preference for construction and renovation work, and when it came time to selecting tenants for the building.

Garland said the goal is to have the building renovated and occupied by mid 2023.

“We’re eager to go,” he said.