The Newburgh City Council approved the resolution to authorize the city manager to execute a site development agreement for the redevelopment of 120 Grand Street with the Genesis Group/ZWC Global Partners.

In October 2021, the mayor’s Strategic Development Advisory Committee [SEDAC] recommended the request for proposal [RFP] submitted by the Genesis Group/ZWC Global Partners for the redevelopment of 120 Grand Street. The reported $1.3 million proposal proposed the usage of the current brick building for various commercial spaces.

SEDAC highlighted to the council that they were impressed by Genesis Group/ZWC Global Partners’s restoration and redevelopment projects that are in New York City.

“What they’re proposing for the property is a commercial redevelopment. There’s no proposed residential uses for the property. The renovation will be sensitive to the historic preservation standards. There’ll be no expansion to the footprint of the building and each of the three floors will be renovated for commercial uses that are permitted in the zone,” Corporation Counsel Kelson said. “The proposal that we received was contemplating a restaurant or a cafe on the cellar, ground floor. Performance space on the second floor and some co-working artist studio spaces on the third floor with the possibility of a green roof deck.”

120 Grand Street has gone by several names in the City of Newburgh since it was first constructed in the 1800s. The building was designed by the pair Andrew Jackson Downing and Calvert Vaux, who are also credited in the design of Downing Park and other architectural landmarks in the city. 120 Grand Street has gone by the name of the “City Club” and as the William Culbert House.

While the building itself was not torn down during the Urban Renewal period, a fire in the early 1980s damaged most of the structure. In recent years, the roof of the building collapsed. The building currently stands in front of the Newburgh Free Library and was repurposed into a botanical garden for the public the previous summer.

The property is now owned by the city and the city council seems eager to move forward on the redevelopment of this historic piece of property. “It’s been almost a half a century since we’ve been waiting for a rebirth of the city club,” said Councilman Bob Sklarz.

“I’m very happy with this project because I really do see it as a great asset for that community, for the people that are visiting the library,” said Councilman Anthony Grice.

“I’m happy to support this effort. It’s [120 Grand Street] a gorgeous historic building,” said Councilwoman Ramona Monteverde.