The New Paltz Central School District (NPCSD) is holding a contest for a proposal to design the space currently occupied by the former administrative building at the corner of Main Street and South Manheim Boulevard; the building, which was left vacant by the district over 15 years ago, is set to be demolished next summer.
The contest, which is open to NPCSD students and members of the community alike, is geared toward finding a reuse for the 0.16 acre space on one of the busiest corners in New Paltz. Proposals must represent the NPCSD, help beautify the community, are environmentally friendly and highlight and honor the educational history of New Paltz.
“We need to have a plan when the building is gone, and we felt that there were a lot of really smart people in the school district and in the community who could give us some great ideas,” said NPCSD Superintendent Stephen Gratto. “And we felt they were invested being part of the community and being part of the school district, so they should have chance to have their opinions submitted.”
Entries must include a description of the proposed project along with its benefits to the district, the community, and the environment; should include a detailed drawing of the project; explain how it honors the educational tradition of the community; and also include a cost estimate for completion of the project.
After leaving the now-dilapidated blue house around 15 years ago, the district first rented administrative space for six years on Henry W. DuBois Road before taking up residence in 2016 at Lenape Elementary School at 1 Eugene L. Brown Drive, space formerly used by Ulster BOCES. The property was reportedly abandoned for the same reason it’s proven difficult for the district to sell the building ever since: Asbestos.
In May of this year, the Board of Education voted 5-1 in favor of demolishing the building, which was used in recent years by a construction manager for the Palombo Group during the district’s comprehensive $52.9 million capital project, approved by voters in 2014. According to district officials, the Palombo Group safely shored up the interior spaces to make it usable during the renovation project, but critically not a long term solution.
Prior to the vote to demolish the building, school officials considered numerous options for the vacant blue house, which is actually two residential buildings connected by a passage. According to a report by national architectural and engineering firm CPL, the materials used in the buildings date them to between 70-100 years old, with the age of the connecting corridor unknown.
CPL concluded that repairing and renovating the building as-is would cost around $2,472,614, while demolition and either expanding the adjacent New Paltz Middle School parking lot or restoring the area with landscaping would range between $400,000-475,000. They also stressed that should they go with the former option, waiting would be inadvisable.
“If the building continues to be left unoccupied and in its current state, the property will suffer further deterioration and may become a neighborhood nuisance,” read the CPL report. “Given there is no immediate use to the district and based on the costs outlined above, we would recommend demolition of the building.”
Gratto said the idea for a contest came from the district’s Facilities Committee, taking into account that many in the community were unhappy with the decision to demolish the building, along with its iconic district marquee.
“The important thing to us is there was some people in the community who regretted seeing the big blue building be removed,” Gratto said.“It’s been there a long time, and so when we went down that road, we promised that we would be good neighbors to the New Paltz community and put something there that would enhance that corner, a very busy corner, rather than just throw some parking spots down there and make it look ugly.”
Honoring the community is at the heart of the reuse contest.
“We feel that the best solution should have some environmental side to it, something of use to the community and something that will beautify the community,” Gratto said. “And in addition, as the facilities committee was discussing it, they also thought it was a good opportunity to take a space and use it to recognize if possible, all of the great educational history that the New Paltz Central School District and SUNY New Paltz have in the community. We look at it as an opportunity to do a lot of good things.”
Thus far, the majority of interest in the contest has come from within the district, but that doesn’t guarantee the winning entry won’t come from someone in the community. Gratto has already spoken to around 20 students who have been assigned a submission as part of their public speaking class.
“Mr. (Joe) Dolan is doing a great job of making this into a teachable moment where his students are required to give it serious thought and come together with a proposal,” Gratto said. “I’m sure I’ll at least get some great ideas from them.”
The prize itself has yet to be revealed, but Gratto did add one other piece of information.
“The obligation to maintain the project is completely ours,” he said.“That’s why we must choose carefully. We don’t have a lot of money to spend on this and the winning proposal will not likely be one that costs a huge amount of money. But we will certainly support the winning proposal financially and we will maintain whatever is put in there in perpetuity.”
The submission deadline for the contest is Monday, January 1. Proposals can be submitted by email to: sgratto@newpaltz.k12.ny.us.
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