Village of Maybrook Mayor Dennis Leahy this month outlined three major development projects he says could reshape the village’s economic future: the Galaxy business park, the Rakov-Rumph residential development and redevelopment of the former Church of Assumption property.

Maybrook, once known as Orange Junction, was home to the Maybrook Yard of the Central New England Railway, a major Northeast rail terminal. The village’s economy declined after a 1974 fire destroyed the Poughkeepsie Bridge.

“As mayor, I want to take an opportunity to update our residents on three major development projects that have the potential to significantly impact the future of the Village of Maybrook,” Leahy said Sept. 1. “For many years, one of Maybrook’s greatest challenges has been our limited tax base. We have worked hard to maintain services and improve our infrastructure, while recognizing that we need responsible economic and residential growth to strengthen the village financially. Today, we are beginning to see the results of many years of planning.”

Galaxy/STEAM Rail and Business Park
Galaxy Limited LLC first submitted plans in October 2017 to annex 82.9 acres from the Town of Montgomery into the village. The land, southeast of Maybrook, includes wetlands and the former Maybrook Rail Yard. Galaxy Limited plans to subdivide the property into five lots and build a 965,500-square-foot business park with space for business, commercial, industrial and warehouse use.

The park would be reached by a road connected to New Haven Drive, with access to Interstate 84 via state Route 208 and the nearby rail line. It would use village water and sewer service, and the project includes a new roadway linking Main Street in Maybrook to Henry Henning Road in the Town of Montgomery.

“This project has been many years in the making and represents the opportunity to transform property that once drove Maybrook’s economy into a modern, rail-served business park,” Leahy said. “The proposed development has the potential for more than one million square feet of business space, rail access, and a new roadway connecting Main Street in Maybrook to Henry Henning Road in the Town of Montgomery.”

In 2021, the village Board of Trustees and its consultants completed an environmental review under the State Environmental Quality Review Act and adopted a negative declaration for the project. The village Planning Board approved the project’s five-lot subdivision in September 2022.

“A major step forward occurred when the village was awarded $25.48 million through New York state’s FAST NY program,” Leahy said. “This funding is intended for the infrastructure necessary to make the property development-ready, including roads, water, sewer, and drainage improvements and the creation of six building pad sites.”

The village received the $25.48 million grant in December 2025 through the state’s Focused Attraction of Shovel-Ready Tracts in New York, or FAST NY, program. The funding will support six building pad sites and other infrastructure.

The project’s negative declaration and subdivision approval, which had expired in 2024, were renewed last February. Since then, village officials have met weekly with Galaxy Limited staff, and this month the developer began clearing a path for the new roadway connecting Main Street to Henry Henning Road.

“This is exactly the type of commercial and industrial development Maybrook has needed,” Leahy said. “It has the potential to create jobs, attract private investment, and most importantly for our residents, expand our tax base.”

Rakov-Rumph residential development
Yuan Fada Inc. submitted plans last August to the village Planning Board for 163 single-family homes on the Rakov and Rumph properties. The proposal is undergoing environmental review, and Leahy said the number of homes could change before final approval.

“The developer is currently going through the environmental review process. At this time, the proposal calls for approximately 163 single-family homes,” Leahy said. “I want to emphasize that this is the developer’s current proposal. The project is still undergoing environmental and governmental review, and the final development will be subject to the required review and approval process.”

“This is a substantial resident project for a community the size of Maybrook,” Leahy said. “Our responsibility throughout this process is to make sure growth is done responsibly and that issues involving traffic, drainage, water, sewer, environmental impacts, and the overall effect on our existing neighborhoods are carefully considered.”

Church of Assumption property
The Church of Assumption, at 211 Homestead Ave., closed in January 2023 after serving the community for a century. The property was listed for sale on Sept. 10, 2025, at $850,000. Local builder Frank Nutt Jr., a former parishioner, and his son, Frank Nutt III, purchased the property this year and have presented conceptual plans to the Board of Trustees.

The Nutts propose dividing the property into three lots: converting the existing parish center into a preschool, building an 8,000-square-foot mixed-use building with ground-floor commercial space and a dozen apartments above along Route 208 and Homestead Avenue, and constructing 14 single-family starter homes. The village would need to amend its zoning code to allow single-family homes on that lot, which is not currently zoned for them.

“The concept being proposed at this time includes a universal pre-K program utilizing the former parish center, approximately 14 single-family homes, and new storefronts along Route 208 with apartments above the commercial space,” Leahy said.

The plans remain conceptual and have not yet gone to the Planning Board. The Nutts are focused first on the preschool; once its building plans are finalized, they will seek a building permit and submit the project for Planning Board review before pursuing the commercial building and single-family homes.

Looking ahead
Leahy, mayor since 2008, has overseen park upgrades, renovation of the senior center and construction of a new sewer plant during his tenure. He said the three proposed projects represent the next phase of a long-term effort to grow the village’s tax base and revitalize its downtown.

“As mayor, my goal has always been to encourage responsible growth that strengthens our tax base without losing the character and sense of community that make Maybrook special,” Leahy said. “We have spent years investing in our infrastructure and preparing Maybrook for opportunities like these.”

“There is still a great deal of work ahead, but I believe we are entering an exciting period in Maybrook’s history,” he continued.