New life for Camp LaGuardia
Camp LaGuardia, long the target of neighbors and town leaders for housing New York City”™s homeless and fugitive criminals, could be reborn as early as 2011 as a “new urbanist” community.
Mountco Development Corp. of Scarsdale has been working on its environmental impact statement for over a year and plans to bring it to a public hearing in Chester”™s Town Hall on Jan. 11 and again in Blooming Grove”™s Town Hall on Jan. 26. Most of the camp”™s property is in the two municipalities, with the village of Chester sharing a slice of the pie and providing water to the camp when it was in operation.
A mixed-use community composed of senior apartments, affordable workforce housing, single-family homes, condos and work/live apartments over stores that will surround a village square at its center, with “walkability” playing a major part in the design is Mountco”™s vision for the property. The plans also include a satellite campus for Newburgh”™s Mount St. Mary College.
“These hearings are going to give the public an opportunity to see what we have planned and for us to hear what they”™d like to see,” said John Madeo, Mountco”™s executive vice president. “Any project of this magnitude is a lengthy process. The first two public hearings will give residents and officials the ability to ask questions and give us the feedback we need to make the best decisions…and there will be more. This is a project the community will have a say in.”
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Securing capital is not an issue, said Madeo, and not the reason Mountco has asked for and been granted three extensions on its option to buy the property, the latest one set to expire on Feb. 9. “The credit crunch is loosening up and the market is gaining strength; but throughout the turmoil, this project has gotten very positive feedback. Money is not an issue.”
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Orange County paid $8.5 million in 2008 for the 255-acre property.
The facility was created in 1918 and served as a women”™s prison until 1934 when it was transferred to New York City”™s Welfare Department and named Camp Greycourt to provide temporary relief for the unemployed. The camp was renamed Camp LaGuardia in 1935. It eventually became a dumping ground for New York City”™s homeless, which included criminals.
New York City announced the closing of the 1,000-bed camp in November 2006. It had a budget of $19 million.
Chester Town Supervisor Steve Neuhaus is excited by the prospect of a real community coming in.
“I grew up here, and Camp LaGuardia really brought the area down …closing it has made the surrounding communities desirable to residents and business. What”™s planned is exciting. It will have something for everyone, especially affordable senior housing … the few in the region have long waiting lists. The idea of having a satellite campus for Mount St. Mary is extremely appealing. It is known for excellence in its nursing and health care programs, both growing industries. We also need rateables, and we”™re hoping to see them coming into this project to give it a strong base to balance it out.”
Neuhaus said the fact the property is two-thirds wetlands can offer an opportunity. “We live in an agricultural county and this land could be put to good use and become a real plus for everyone if handled properly.”
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According to New York City records, prior to World War II and through the late 1950s, the camp included a 191-acre farm that provided food for the residents. A 1958-dated report from the Welfare Department stated the farm harvested 184,572 pounds of potatoes.
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Along with the town of Blooming Grove”™s newly elected Supervisor Frank Fornario and Chester Mayor Philip Valastro, Neuhaus said the three are working together and determined to see Mountco”™s plans come to fruition.
But one neighboring community, the village of Kiryas Joel, is skeptical, saying the county”™s lawsuit against it for refusing to share a state-funded municipal sewage treatment plant within its border may send Mountco packing.
“Not so,” Madeo said. “We are dealing with the county as far as the water and sewer needs for the property and the county”™s lawsuit against Kiryas Joel will not impact our project.”
Neuhaus added, “Mountco has several options, including building its own plant or buying property where sewer capacity is available, if need be. The three municipalities involved want to make this project come to fruition as smoothly and as timely as possible.”
Madeo said it is possible for Mountco to get shovels in the ground by 2011, if not sooner. “The faster the process moves along, the closer we will be to getting started,” he said.
That”™s fine for Neuhaus, who says his counterparts are ready, willing and able to get the ball rolling. “There are so many positive scenarios for Camp La Guardia property,” said Neuhaus. “We”™re confident we”™re going to have a beautiful project we will all be proud of.”