Long-down Newburgh looks up
Housing push targets blighted area
For a city on the verge of “turning the corner,” Newburgh certainly gets its share of bad press. It’s been rated one of the worst cities in America. Drugs, crime and homelessness have taken their toll. Broadway sees more drug busts and boarded-up businesses than the shoppers it once drew.
Those are blemishes several groups are working to erase from the city’s face: Habitat for Humanity of Greater Newburgh is one of them. The not-for-profit organization has been bringing the city’s residents affordable housing, one building at a time, for several years.
Now, Leyland Alliance is the new partner in the rebuild Newburgh mix. It conducted the well-attended gathering earlier this year. The weeklong process attracted hundreds of residents who gave input and ideas to Leyland and its lead architect, Andres Duany, for the redevelopment of 30 acres of prime Newburgh waterfront property. Duany is considered the “father of new urbanism” and is well-known throughout the country for his innovative building concepts.
Leyland is now teaming with Habitat to tear down most of the buildings rotting on East Parmenter Street. This is the first collaboration between the two entities. Hopefully, say both, there will be more to come in the future.
There are a few holdouts still living on East Parmenter, a block filled with boarded-up, burnt-out homes and abandoned buildings.
“This street was beautiful up until the early 1980s” said one homeowner, speaking on condition of anonymity. “My wife and I are one of the few families left here. The house next to me was a meth (crystal methamphetamine) factory and the police closed that down. It was so bad we had to leave our house because of the smell, but we finally were able to move back. I’ll welcome anything that will restore this neighborhood. It was a pleasure to live here at one time.”
Store owners, too, hope Newburgh can overcome political infighting and some of the bureaucratic morass created over the years. One shopkeeper, also requesting anonymity, said police are “tired of responding to problems here. Kids have nothing to do, so they’ll harass store owners, throw rocks in your door. By the time cops arrive, it’s all over. If you say anything, you might find a mob waiting for you. I’d like to see that changed. I don’t want any trouble or retaliation. I’m just trying to keep my business going. I just hope the people in charge clean up the city. There are a lot of decent people here of every color. They deserve better.”
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