For more than 50 years, Camp LaGuardia in Orange County was New York City”™s answer for housing the homeless. But as homes started springing up around the 258-acre site, the mix became a mismatch: a 1,100-bed shelter for the down and out and the family-oriented communities surrounding it.
The county bought the property from New York City for $8.5 million in 2007. Next mission? Finding the right developer and the right plan, essential to putting Camp LaGuardia back on the tax rolls, a top priority for the county.
The county has three potential developers”™ plans in hand. Of the three, Mountco, a Scarsdale-based company that is familiar with the region and that recently completed the renovation of the Hotel Newburgh, was asked to discuss its concept with legislators at the legislative chambers in Goshen on Feb 7.
Joel Mounty, Mountco president and chief executive officer, brought his company’s impressive resume and a Mountco project team, including architect John Sullivan, to make his pitch.
Mounty hopes to be chosen to create what he envisions as a “village for all income brackets ”“ from affordable, work force and market-rate. Something for everyone, with a piazza that would become the new community”™s center.”
Sullivan, of White Plains-based Sullivan Architecture, sees the potential for the site ”“ as do the towns surrounding it, who would like to see it back on tax rolls and in the plus column when it comes to quality of life. He and Mounty envision using only a third of the 258 acres to build approximately 800 housing units and approximately 250,000 square feet of retail and commercial space.
Camp LaGuardia was a thorn in the sides of many in the towns of Chester and Blooming Grove, the village of Chester and the nearby village of Monroe. The Heritage Trail, a linear park runs right by the shelter and became a footpath for residents to walk or bike to nearby communities. But panhandling and drinking created a somewhat foreboding atmosphere both around the facility and in Chester”™s main shopping area: a bad mix.
Camp LaGuardia”™s closure has now made Chester”™s Brookside Avenue a destination. Its former status of “places to avoid” has been erased with the Camp”™s closure last year. A new hotel, a new Lowe”™s Home store and Provident Bank”™s new 6,100-square-foot building, both under construction, are testaments to Chester”™s growing desirability now that LaGuardia”™s homeless have decamped.
While only one legislator balked at the price the county paid for the property, $8.5 million, County Executive Edward Diana said its purchase was the right move for the county and for the communities around it. Now, picking the right developer is on the table.
For Mountco, it means packaging together finances to bring the community from rendering to reality, to the tune of between $300 million and $400 million, according to Mountco.
“We see it as a real plus for us and for Orange County,” said Mounty. “And I think it”™s a feather in the county”™s cap to have had the foresight to buy this property and plan for its future.”
He continued: “What we heard most from legislators and local officials was the fact that their own children could not afford to stay in their own county. Also, there is a need to provide affordable housing for our community volunteers: firemen and EMT workers, so that towns and villages can continue to rely on the volunteer services remaining in place. Police, hospital workers and others need decent homes at prices they can afford.”
Counties, said Mounty, certainly cannot afford to lose their volunteers nor continue to lose younger population. “Seniors also want to stay in the community. We need a mix of housing to create a true walkable village atmosphere.”
Designing a “walkable community where shopping is 10 minutes away is the goal,” said Mounty. “We”™ve done a lot of work in the Hudson Valley so we are more than familiar with the territory.”
While the Lincoln”™s birthday holiday found many officials unavailable for comment, town of Blooming Grove Supervisor Charles Bohan was at his desk. “Mountco seems to be in the lead. I liked their proposal. Although I think the site would have been a good one for the new community college we are building in Newburgh, Mountco”™s plan looks good. My only fear is that the property will be ”˜flipped”™ ”“ but I am hoping that isn”™t going to happen. They (Mountco) seem like a decent bunch of people.”
While many builders have stopped projects or are waiting until qualified buyers appear, Mountco”™s CEO says it will take a full 18 months to go through the environmental impact statement process, “which puts us into 2010. By then, we”™re anticipating the market will stabilize. We”™ll also be working with SONYMAE and using county guidelines to be sure the selling price is right.” As for Bohan”™s concerns, Mounty said, “We plan to see this project through from beginning to end.”
The other two developers, who had not been invited to discuss further their plans by press time, are: Carmel-based Malt L.L.C. and Easy Equities of Queens.
