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Rockland County Acquires 103 Acres Of Land In Hudson Highlands For Conservation
With the assistance of state and federal agencies, Rockland County acquired 103 acres of forested land at 173 Orange Turnpike in Sloatsburg.
The property, purchased from Solo Group Holdings for $2.225 million, was acquired in part with funds from New York State’s Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation through the Highlands Conservation Act Program, administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Conservation Investment.
The acquisition by Rockland County is part of a long-term plan to preserve land in the Hudson Highlands Region. The land is to be preserved and protected in perpetuity. The land features are critical to natural resources and habitats in the Highland Region.
The Highlands Region in New York refers to a specific geological and geographical area that encompasses the Hudson Highlands, a range of mountains on both sides of the Hudson River. This region is part of the broader Appalachian Highlands.
According to the Fish & Wildlife Service website, almost 6,000 acres in the Highlands have been preserved in New York State with an investment of over $28 million.
Under the terms of the grant, and incorporated as a restriction on the deed, the property will be incorporated into the Rockland County Parks System, and cannot be encumbered or sold, except in accordance with the restrictive provisions of the grant.
The Solo Group, originally a mortgagee, acquired the property in a foreclosure action in 2016 for $97,000.
Town of Ramapo Scores $10 Million in Second Round of Mid-Hudson Momentum Fund Awards For Housing Infrastructure
The second round of awards under the Mid-Hudson Momentum Fund provided more than $60 million to support 10 transformative projects across the Mid-Hudson region. The grants leverage $627 million in total public-private investment towards critical infrastructure improvements and mixed-use projects that support housing development across Orange, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester counties.
“The second round of Mid-Hudson Momentum Fund awards reflects our proactive approach to addressing New York’s critical housing shortage while strengthening the infrastructure needed for thriving, resilient communities,” Governor Kathy Hochul said.
Mid-Hudson Momentum Funds are only available to Certified Pro-Housing Communities that actively support growth and economic opportunity.
The awards included $10 million for Town of Ramapo infrastructure improvements. Critical infrastructure upgrades include approximately two miles of new sewer piping and a new water main serving Ramapo’s underserved northeastern areas. The improvements address water supply and sanitary sewer deficiencies that currently prevent housing and commercial development from moving forward. With a total project cost of $20 million, this project will unlock 1,196 units, including 296 affordable units.
New York’s fiscal year 2025 budget also strengthened the Pro-Housing Community Program which the Governor launched in 2023. Pro-Housing certification is now a requirement for localities to access up to $650 million in discretionary funding. Currently, more than 300 communities have been certified. Ramapo is the only town in Rockland County to apply for and receive certification as a Pro-Housing Community.
Request for Proposals Issued For Sain Building Redevelopment in New City
Rockland County has issued a Request For Proposal (RFP) for the redevelopment of the roughly 3.69-acre Sain Building site at 18 New Hempstead Road in New City.
Last November, the County Legislature voted to declare the Sain property as surplus. The building has been vacant for many years and is considered beyond repair.
“Rockland’s housing challenges are well documented; rents have skyrocketed, older residents are being priced out, and our young people can’t afford to stay. But we are taking action; I am thrilled to be working with the County Legislature on the redevelopment of this derelict site into a mixed-use space that provides workforce housing for our cost-burdened residents and puts this property back on the tax rolls to the benefit of all our taxpayers,” said County Executive Ed Day in a press release.
The six-story Sain Building was built in 1962. The County purchased it in 1974. Original plans called for a restaurant on the top floor. A swimming pool in the basement was filled with cement.
Key requirements of the RFP:
- At least 75% of units will be affordable for workforce and middle-income earners
- Units can be either rental or homeownership or a mix
- At least 10% of the site must be used for public open space
- Prioritize outdoor community areas such as picnic tables, benches, sustainable landscaping incorporating native plantings, and stormwater management
- 40-foot buffer of landscaped vegetation between any new building on the site and the residential properties on Eberling Drive & Clark Place
- No entrance/exit to Eberling Drive
- Compliance with Rockland County Green Building Standards and Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards
- Demolition of existing on-site buildings
Compliance with the Town of Clarkstown zoning regulations if the site is purchased or leased:
- Current zoning allows for 10 units per acre for any age residential, and 21 units per acre for senior housing
- Each unit must be between 500 and 1,250 square feet and no more than two bedrooms
- Buildings may not exceed 35 feet in height
Developers responding to the RFP should be prepared to conduct at least two public engagement sessions, in person or hybrid, where public feedback can be given on the plans for redevelopment, one session targeting the immediate residential/business neighbors, and the other geared to the community at large.
Earlier plans to sell the Sain Building, demolish the structure, and construct senior housing on the site were abandoned by the Massachusetts-based National Development Acquisition LLC when a commitment to sell the property stalled. The developer had offered $4.5 million for the property in 2018.
The property is situated in close proximity to supermarkets, shopping, transportation, parks and other local amenities.
Proposals must be submitted by Wednesday, September 17, 2025. Public engagement sessions will be held in the late fall or winter of this year.
DataBank Launches 20MW Data Center in Orangeburg
The company announced the opening of its LGA3 data center at 2000 Corporate Drive in Orangeburg. The facility is about 110,000 square feet. DataBank said LGA3 is fully operational and nearly fully leased, with AI cloud firm CoreWeave named as one of the facility’s customers.
“Establishing a presence in the Hudson Valley goes beyond building a data center,” said Raul Martynek, DataBank CEO. “It’s about creating lasting partnerships, supporting the local community, and enabling the next generation of AI. LGA3 represents a key step forward, and the relationships we’ve built across every level of government will be essential as we plan for future growth, including the development of LGA4.”
DataBank announced plans for a 30MW data center in Orangeburg in October 2021. The site is based at a former Verizon data center. The old facility was demolished and a new structure built on site.
The company is developing a second building on the campus, known as LGA4, which will take the site to 40MW across 220,000 square feet. That facility is also due to come online later this year.
The Orangeburg Campus also will be connected to DataBank’s major carrier hotel locations at 111 8th Avenue and 60 Hudson in Manhattan, as well as 165 Halsey Street in Newark, NJ (EWR1) providing “one-hop” performance for latency-sensitive financial, media and A.I. applications.
