New York state will be spending $25.48 million on the planned preparation of a former railroad switching yard for conversion into a business park according to a Dec. 12 announcement by Gov. Kathy Hochul. The former Maybrook Rail Yard in the Orange County Village of Maybrook is intended to be repurposed into a business park to be called Switchyard Terminal for Economic and Advanced Manufacturing Rail & Business Park.
The funding is part of the state’s FAST NY program that has awarded more than $326 million to help create improvements and bring new jobs to 39 sites in the state.
The Maybrook grant is due to fund infrastructure installation, improvements and expansions including roads, water, sewer, and drainage at the former rail yard. The objective is to wind up with six building-pad sites that would attract new industries to the area. The sites for future construction would be accessible via a rail line running from Middletown, New Jersey, in addition to being reachable via local roads and highways.
The entity Galaxy Limited LLC, which owns the former Maywood Rail Yard, in 2019 was awarded $600,000 in Empire State Development funds to prepare building sites on 80 acres of railside property that would support up to 850,000 square feet of commercial and industrial space and 1,500 jobs.
Galaxy Limited Chairman Armand Pohan, in reacting to the Dec. 12 announcement said, “Our family has for many years had a presence in Orange County in the transportation and freight industries. Now through Governor Hochul’s leadership and the FAST NY program’s $25-million investment in the Galaxy property in Maybrook and Montgomery, we can redevelop a long-idle property into the Switchyard Terminal for manufacturing and other productive economic uses. We look forward to working with our public partners to bring this project to fruition quickly and successfully.”
Village of Maybrook Mayor Dennis Leahy said, “For many years, the Maybrook Rail Yard has symbolized both great promise and missed opportunity. The state’s $25 million investment will redevelop this long-idle property… establishing shovel-ready sites that will attract innovative employers and expand economic opportunity for Maybrook and Orange County. With our infrastructure revitalized, the village is prepared to assume its role as a regional economic center.”
Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus predicted that the new business park “will create high-quality, well-paying manufacturing jobs, revitalize a long-neglected property, and strengthen the local economy for generations. I’m glad to see some positive movement on this.”
The Orange County Partnership helped get the state funding and the organization’s president and CEO Conor Eckert said, “Working alongside the Village of Maybrook, the County of Orange, Galaxy Limited and Empire State Development to secure this funding has been extraordinary. We are grateful to Governor Hochul and Empire State Development for their investment in Orange County. With FAST NY support, we are sending a clear message: Orange County and New York are open for business and ready to lead.”
