NYO&W Middletown Depot

“One option is a mixed use option, the other is a professional building and the city certainly is willing to engage any private development offer because our goal is not to make money on this building,” he said. “Our goal is to get this building back up and running as a viable building in our community and at the same time, preserve the historic significance of the structure.”

http://www.midhudsonnews.com/News/2011/ ... Mar11.html

Wow, this is great news. Of course, they probably got it for free from the current owners, who would have been responsible for tearing it down. A risk to the taxpayers who might end up on the hook for tearing it down, but on the other hand, if it gets redeveloped, that's that much more taxes they can bill.

Otto Vondrak wrote:

JBlaisdell wrote:I heard on local news Friday that the City of Middletown has purchased the old O&W Deopt/ headquarters building and is looking to renovate it for development.

I want to think this is good news. I really, really do.

Totally agreed. I want more than anything to see this place restored to some kind of former glory--no matter what they use it for. However, the years of abandonedmenr have TRULY taken their toll. I hope that they can follow through with whatever goal they decide to set.

I agree, the building looks pretty sad but is most likely restorable at a cost.
I wish the city and/or new owners lots of success.
I remember stopping by there in the summer of 1957 not long after operations had ended but there were still some folks working around the station. One of them was kind enough to give me a copy of the last NYO&W employee timetable which of course I still have in my collection. Everybody around Middletown was still hopeful that somebody would show up and take things over and reopen the line but of course we all know that this did not happen.
Noel Weaver

Unfortunately, the building has been exposed to the elements for SEVEN years... the fire took place February 2004, if I remember correctly. I'm glad action is finally being taken now, but where was all this support seven years ago? I hope the city is able to find a development partner that can help save the structure. Maybe the folks from the O&W "historical society" can lend their support (moral support, if not monetary)?

-otto-

Otto, it looks like the O&W Historical Society has gotten involved. Over the weekend there's been a page put up on their website.

http://www.nyow.org/middletown_station.html

The OWRHS has been working with the architect, supplying structure plans and information, and has begun communicating with Middletown Community Health Center management.

There is a scan of a local newspaper article from April 9 on the page as well, and this link (no guarantees how long it will last) which is for the same article:

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.d ... 27/-1/COMM

From which I'll take this fair use quote:

The long-suffering O&W train station downtown will return to public life as a new health center.

The city has agreed to sell the building for $1 to the Middletown Community Health Center.

The health center plans to restore the old station during the next three years at an estimated cost of about $5 million.

I also hope this is really good news.

At least the building appears to have a future.

It has a slate roof. Any building with a slate roof has a future, even if some of the slates need repair.

when i was consulting for erail-the buyers of the mnjrr- i thought the mnjrr would provide a viable link for a nys&W SPARTA-HANFORD-MIDDLETOWN-PORT JERVIS commuter service as well as a reduction in nys&w operating costs for their daily freights. mnjrr had some parcels that could provide a less expensive layover yard site. utilizing a closed landfill, as proposed, is problematic. i floated this by mnrr . no interest.
i viewed the depot as important to support walk-in commuters from a section of middletown that can't get to the r r station at the shopping center i.e. no cars.

ken patrick

when i was consulting for erail-the buyers of the mnjrr- i thought the mnjrr would provide a viable link for a nys&W SPARTA-HANFORD-MIDDLETOWN-PORT JERVIS commuter service

Were you consulting using a time machine? Not only has the Hanford line been gone since 1958 and there are buildings, lakes and a quarry where the right of way used to be. The grade up to Beaver Lake would be excessive and you go through places tat have less population now than they did in 1958!

my thoughts were based on the nys&w passenger project to sparta and to the landfill 8 miles off the lhr. a modest grade separation at hamburg then 10 miles to the mnjrr row. all bridge abutments remain in place. no quarries. the lake is shallow. the row is on the south side and can be easily filled. the building can be easily be by-passed with new row to the south .if you look at the major hanford segment it adjoins the river. as for money, if the nys&w project goes forward, the cost of hanford restoration would be less than recovering the capped landfill for layover. plus it takes pressure off the port jervis - lhr segment while opening up nw new jersey/sw orange county for commuters. thanks. ken patrick

So what exactly would the station building be used for?

According to the fair use quote posted a few posts up, a health center, whatever those do.

It's great to see that the depot is getting a new lease on life. I know the primary use will be for the health center but I think it would be great if a portion of the depot could be given to the O&W Historical Society for at least their archive storage and maybe room to hold their meetings.

Just a thought.........

jmp883 wrote:It's great to see that the depot is getting a new lease on life. I know the primary use will be for the health center but I think it would be great if a portion of the depot could be given to the O&W Historical Society for at least their archive storage and maybe room to hold their meetings.

Just a thought.........

They already have secure, temperature controlled archives. Would be nice if they had some presence at the statn, though.