Agreement with the school district is in motion

Second-Portion-of-Maple-Avenue-Building-1024x768 County Executive Neuhaus Signs Resolution to Purchase Maple Avenue Building in Chester — Second Portion of Maple Avenue Building

Goshen, N.Y. – On Monday, Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus officially signed the resolution, entering into an agreement to purchase the Maple Avenue Building located in the Village of Chester. The future of the building has been under consideration for some time, including a failed referendum in 2019 until on July 2nd, the Orange County Legislature moved the process of acquiring ownership along with a unanimous vote.

Neuhaus has been passionate about this project from the start and knows the building can ultimately be a benefit for the residents of Orange County. A potential use of the building is redeveloping it into a high-tech training facility and sharing the space for municipal use.

“First and foremost, we must stabilize the property,” stated Neuhaus. “After securing the property, developing a phased plan for renovating and upgrading the building will be the priority.”

The Maple Avenue building was erected in 1947 as Chester High School, with a second portion being added in 1965. It was retired upon the opening of the Chester Academy on Hambletonian Avenue in 2004. Orange-Ulster BOCES utilized the former high school until 2019. It is important to note, the Chester Union Free School District will maintain ownership of the gymnasium and athletic fields.

“I’m excited about what’s in store for this terrific building and for our community,” said Orange County Legislator Glenn Ehlers, who was present for the resolution signing. “County Executive Neuhaus and the great team that will repurpose it have a wonderful vision, and I’m grateful to them for seeing the potential in this structure and what it can ultimately become.”

Maple-Avenue-Building-1024x768 County Executive Neuhaus Signs Resolution to Purchase Maple Avenue Building in Chester — Maple Avenue Building

This would not have been possible without the collaborative efforts of Orange County Government, the Village of Chester, and the Chester Union Free School District, as well as the support of the Orange County Legislature.

“Much of our world is already built,” said Orange County Legislator Joseph Minuta. “Adaptive reuse of existing constructs repurposes past investments of materials, efforts, and skilled trades. This reduces the time, resources, and materials required while at the same time reviving a community.”

Before Orange County officials proposed to the school district the option of purchasing the building plans being considered included listing it for sale, demolition, and just letting it deteriorate through the years.

Maple-Avenue-Building-1-1024x768 County Executive Neuhaus Signs Resolution to Purchase Maple Avenue Building in Chester — Maple Avenue Building

“This is the recipe for a success story in the County and we are going to get to work on this project to make it something very beneficial to County residents,” said Neuhaus. Winston Churchill said, ‘We shape our buildings; thereafter, our buildings shape us.’ I look forward to working to create a future for this beautiful building that will shape and enrich our community for years to come.”

For more information, contact Rebecca Sheehan, Assistant to the County Executive, Director of Public Information and Media Relations at 845.291.2700 or presscontact@orangecountygov.com.

To learn more about what County Executive Neuhaus is doing for Orange County, follow Orange County Government and Steven M. Neuhaus on Facebook, @Orange County NY Govt and @steve.neuhaus on Instagram, and @OCGovNY and @SNeuhausOC on X. You can also watch Neuhaus’ NeuCast podcasts and Leadership Speaker Series on YouTube.