On the chopping block

8.17.09 On the chopping block: A controversial property on the sealed bid list is 257 Liberty, the building adjacent to Audrey Carey Park that is vacant and attractively decorated on its eastern façade with window paintings.  The property was sold to the Newburgh Community Action Committee in the past for a song, then bought back by the city by resolution 94-2005 on May 9th for $150,000.  In the minutes of that resolution, Councilman Bowles remarks that this “will benefit the Park and could also be a traveling spot where people can come into our City and obtain information about our City through a traveling library.  It will also be a place for young kids to see what the past has been through with pictures or movies.”  Councilwoman App: “it was the Audrey Carey Park Committee [anyone recall who was on this?] that came forward and asked the council to please purchase this so that they could make it accessible to the Park participants.”  Councilwoman Angelo: “will be voting ‘yes.’ This will provide bathrooms and a caretaker.”  Mayor Valentine: “will be voting ‘yes’ after careful consideration and reviewing in his own independent way that this would be a benefit not only to the neighborhood but certainly to the Park, which he thinks is finally on track and moving forward in a very good way.”  No comment, but a Nay vote from Councilman Cracolici.  In her comment, City Manager McGrane says the money for this will be coming from the “Property Management Program.”  McGrane’s Property Management Program mustn’t have fared so well, since in resolution 174-2005 she is shuffling money from the “Equipment Contingency” budget line to the “Acquisition of Property” to cover the purchase.  No comments about the change in funding.  Councilman Cracolici comments “that he thinks the seller should be responsible for the asbestos removal.”  Councilman Bowles comments that “this is a good thing for the Liberty Street area.  This is growth and we should do as much as we can for the people of downtown.”  The resolution passes 4-1.  Update to 2009: Dwight Douglas and Lourdes Zapata, both now city alums, both were adamant that it would be impossible to make public use of the building due to the cost of making it ADA compliant.  Hmmm.