Ulster County officials, emergency personnel, and the project team of lead architect Urbahn Architects, construction manager The Palombo Group, consulting architect Alfandre Architecture and others gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of construction on the new $34.5 million Ulster County Emergency Communications Center (ECC) in New Paltz.
“The new Emergency Communications Center is an essential investment in resilient emergency management infrastructure that will greatly enhance our ability to coordinate emergency response and disaster relief,” said Ulster County Executive Jen Metger. “The ECC will replace older facilities that are outdated, undersized, and vulnerable to severe weather and power outages, and will greatly strengthen our capacity to respond under any conditions.”
According to Urbahn Architects Managing Principal Donald E. Henry Jr., “The new 16,350-square-foot one-story building will replace the existing facility, which is too small to efficiently handle the needs of the growing county of 183,000 residents.” He explained that the new complex will house a 3,500-square-foot 911 call center, a 3,600-square-foot emergency operations center (EOC), which will serve as the county’s headquarters for responding to all natural and man-made disasters, a 975-square-foot information technology server room and 1,600 square feet of offices for the Department of Emergency Services (DES). The 911 call center will accommodate as many as 14 dispatchers and has room for expansion.
Everett Erichsen, director of Ulster County Emergency Services, said, “Every day, our emergency services professionals work together to answer life-critical calls, coordinate complex incidents, and prepare for evolving threats, often simultaneously and under pressure. This facility brings those functions together under one roof for the first time, streamlining coordination, strengthening communication, and supporting faster, more effective response.”
The Ulster County Legislature voted to issue bonds in the amount of $11,990,332 for the project. Ulster County was awarded a $2 million New York State Research and Development Authority grant to support the facility’s energy-conscious design, including super-insulated walls, geothermal heating and cooling, and rooftop solar with battery backup. The 2024 Executive Budget created an $18 million capital reserve for the Emergency Communications Center.
The county purchased the 57.3-acre property on Paradies Lane in New Paltz last year for $2.8 million, a reduction of $200,000 from the original price, which was adjusted to help better cover environmental remediation costs. The center will use approximately 6.5 acres of the site.
