Warwick Valley Development Corporation donates $1.5 million to city

Warwick Valley Development Corporation, which oversaw the development of the former Mid-Orange Correctional Facility, presented the city of Warwick with a check for $1.5 million during the Warwick City Council meeting on Sept. 12. It marked the final sale of the last parcel of land on the former prison site and the culmination of more than a decade of efforts to develop the property.

Former Warwick Town Supervisor Michael Sweeton, joined by other members of the Warwick Valley Development Corporation, Chairman Robert Krahulik and Warwick Village Mayor Michael Newhard, provided an overview of the closure of the jail, which closed in 2021 and resulted in the loss of more than 400 jobs. Sweeton shared the town’s concerns that the property would be developed inappropriately and how, thanks to a generous donation from a resident, the town was able to purchase a portion of the land to develop the first corporate park for Warwick.

“We have been diligent in adding good businesses to the park for the last 10 years, which has provided tax revenue to the city and created local jobs,” said Sweeton, who noted that the city has been able to replace nearly all of the 400 jobs it lost when the prison closed.

Sweeton announced that the Warwick Valley Development Corporation had completed the sale of the last parcel of land at the prison on July 26, before presenting the city council with a giant check. While explaining that it was just for a photo op, Sweeton confirmed that the money had already been given to the city and would be used to improve parks in the Warwick villages.

Praising the work of the development corporation, Jesse Dwyer, Warwick Town Supervisor, acknowledged that the property could have taken a different course and thanked the corporation for having the foresight and courage to take the initiative and transform it into what it is today.

Land protection

Later in the meeting, the council passed a resolution pledging $150,000 each to Florida, Warwick, and Greenwood Lake for the purchase of park land or the improvement of parks within the City of Warwick through a fund created from the $1.5 million previously mentioned.

To promote and protect open spaces in the Town of Warwick, the board passed two resolutions supporting funding for the Orange County Land Trust to purchase Moraczewski Farm, a 166-acre hay and livestock farm, and Gibraltar Rock, a 136-acre property the trust intends to develop into a community forest. For the latter, the town agreed to use up to $242,000 from the Community Preservation Fund to assist in purchasing the property.

Other matters

During the meeting, Dwyer provided an update on the Wickham Sewer situation, saying the city is working with the Department of Environmental Conservation to find a solution while the city waits for funding through a grant. The city received a $16 million grant to help pay for repairs to the Wickham Sewer District, but Dwyer said the process of getting that funding is taking time and the city needs to address the immediate needs of the old system.

Dwyer also informed the public about adding a suspension option to the city’s short-term rental code. He said the city council and building department wanted a different way to deal with code violators than by revoking the code. He said the city recently had to suspend a property that was hosting a large party, which led to multiple police agencies being called and vehicles being towed.