Former state facility gets new lease on life

Real Estate Weekly, Sept 18, 2002

The former New York State facility known as the Letchworth Village Developmental Disabilities Center is in the process of starting a new life. The town of Haverstraw, under the leadership of supervisor Howard Phillips, has secured a 159-acre portion of the former state institution and has established a redevelopment process for the campus with the help of the noted planning Ferrandino & Associates Inc. and Fox and Fowle Architects.

Letchworth occupies a hilltop location in New York's Rockland county, next to more than a dozen former institutional buildings, and is conveniently located near the Palisades Interstate Parkway. One of a handful of firms interested in working with the town of Haverstraw on the re-use plan is Center Development Corporation, headed by William N. Hubbard. Hubbard's firm focuses on both development and conservation, seeking to create mixed-use communities through the preservation and adaptive reuse of existing structures. It has developed more than 5,000,000 SF of residential and commercial property through both rehabilitation and new construction.

On a recent site visit to the Letchworth campus with long time collaborator Frederick Bland, of Beyer Blinder Belle Architects and Planners, Hubbard expressed his enthusiasm for this particular project.

"This setting is spectacular with the old stone buildings and formal layout among the trees," he said.

Fred Bland was also intrigued by the site, explaining that BBB is no stranger to taking on projects like Letchworth, restoring them to create gems of their communities. Beyer Blinder Belle is noted for restoration of historic landmarks such as Ellis Island and mixed-use developments such as the South Street Seaport Museum.