Arts center plan gains traction

By Edie Johnson
GOSHEN — Orange County lawmakers were long promised "one more bite at the apple" in deciding what to do about their ailing government center. This week they were treated to four different options, presented in a marathon session lasting nearly four hours.

Everything about the government center consumes huge amounts of time. Legislators have been wrangling about it for more than three years, since a flood caused by Hurricane Irene shut it down. And, still, the government center's basic fate — whether it will be renovated or sold, or whether a new complex will rise in its place — remains undecided.

Village of Goshen officials are irate at the prospect of even more delays, which are hurting downtown businesses that once enjoyed a daily influx of county workers.

"The Orange County Government has spent more than three years and over $2 million dollars studying and preparing for the BB+ renovation and expansion project," say the village trustees in a letter this week. "It is the only alternative that makes sense....Goshen and Orange County have suffered long enough. It is time to move forward with the renovation plan that was already voted on and approved by the Legislature."

The county sent out a request for proposals that attracted two responses, from Gene Kaufman and from The Pike Company.

Orange Arts
Gene Kaufman of Gwathmey Siegel Kaufman and Associates Architects LLC is offering $5 million to buy the government center outright for use as an arts center. His plan offers the best hope to preservationists who want to save the 1960s design by architect Paul Rudolph. The building is on the World Monuments List. The State Historic Preservation Office has also intervened on the building's behalf.

Kaufman said his plan could be completed in the same time frame as the one proposed by Clark Patterson Lee, the design firm whose plans the legislature has already approved and that have a target completion date of 2017, although design changes may affect the approval. Kaufman said his plan would cost less and provide the new office building legislators want, all without disturbing the structure.

"Saving a lot of what is there is both cost saving and green," he said.

He cited his experience restoring buildings in New York.

"Compared to many of the other buildings we have renovated, it is in very good condition," he said of the Rudolph building. "I'm betting my reputation on it."

He plans to rent out sections as gathering places for artists, both local and from New York City, where, he said, many artists are getting priced out of living and studio space. The building would also host civic events.

Kaufman said artists have already shown interest in the building, including a dance company interested in offering a residency at the center.

"It could save a lot of people's careers, and I bet the response would be overwhelming," he said. "This could well become the best of the arts centers in the Hudson Valley."

Some legislators wondered if his plan would compete with local art groups.

"On the contrary," Kaufman said, "it would likely expand their contacts and boost their business. You need a certain critical mass for success, and we have seen this happen in other locations."

Addressing concerns raised by the Village of Goshen, he said village taxes would not be lost to a payment in lieu of taxes agreement.

"They would not lose one penny," he said.

He also disagreed with the trustees' assertion that the village would have to change its zoning.

"Some 'mixed use' is already permitted under current zoning," said Kaufman. He said he was eager to talk with Goshen officials to work out an agreement.

Several legislators were enthusiastic about Kaufman's plans, calling them "visionary."

Myrna Kemnitz (D-Monroe) said she has written many grants for renovations. "This is one of the finest I've ever seen," she said.

The Pike Company
The Pike Company of Rochester, a construction and renovation company, proposes to complete the work designed by Clark Patterson Lee and Holt Construction for $84 million and lease the offices back to the county. This plan would defray costs over 25 years, at 5.25 percent. During that time, Pike would assume all management responsibilities, except for heating, air conditioning and furnishing.

Pike's president, Peter Cornell, said that because the firm does so much work in the Hudson Valley, it reduces costs through "value engineering" steps. For example, he said, rubberized insulation for the complex's 80-plus leaky roofs would eliminate the need for lots of flashing and other expensive insulation materials.

The company would also be open to a flexible payment schedule that would allow the county to work on reducing its budget shortfall.

Cornell agrees with Clark Patterson Lee that, contrary to popular belief, there is mold damage in the building.

"I walked it, and I don't have any issues, but I did not feel great afterward," he said.

He said he would recommend reconstructing the walls to eliminate pockets where moisture can collect.

Pike will be looking for a payment in lieu of taxes agreement and exemptions for mortgage and sales tax, Cornell said.

Cornell said the project could be completed in two years to 27 months.

"We have 1,000 permits out and under construction," Cornell said. "Eighty percent are repeat clients....Tough jobs, and fast jobs, are typically Pike jobs. Our virtual design and construction process will eliminate any problems or conflicts."

Clark Patterson Lee/Holt
Then there was the latest update on Clark Patterson Lee's renovation plan. The firm believes demolishing portions of the Rudolph building offers a much more efficient space for the demands of work today. It also improves the handicapped accessibility of the original structure.

The plan was originally designed with DesignLabs of Massachusetts, which helped restore the Rudolph-designed Carney Library at Yale University. But DesignLabs separated from the Goshen project in August because of undisclosed "professional and ethical" problems.

At that point, because of objections from the state and pressure from preservation groups, what had been called the "B+B" design was changed. The front addition, which preservationists said obscured crucial elements of Rudolph's design, was moved to a fourth-floor addition in the rear of the building. Other aspects of the design were changed as well, including removal of a stormwater solution that was to be a "water feature."

Phil Clark said newer, lighter materials could copy Rudolph's stone facade while putting less stress on the exterior walls and allowing contractors to apply a layer of insulation. Their cost for design, engineering, and construction with partner Holt Construction is estimated to cost $79.5 million.

Matthews Street TD Bank Complex

Legislators are also considering sticking with the status quo — that is, conducting much county business at the TD Bank complex in Goshen. This option would eliminate the expense of a big new construction project, but the county would receive no returns from all the rent it would be paying. Buying the entire complex would cost about $46 million. But this option is complicated by other renters at the site who hold long-term leases

Pressure mounts
With pressure to make a decision soon, many legislators seemed caught off-guard by the manifold details offered in these new proposals. They'd already spent many months working on the Clark Patterson Lee option and were already looking at interior designs. In addition, a vote on any of the alternative options would have to meet a high bar, requiring a two-thirds supermajority vote. All this adds to legislators' temptation to continue the road they're already on.

But they are discontented with the latest plan, which was supposed to be simpler and cheaper, and retain more Rudolph features. Instead it adds square footage, an additional floor, and the removal of the Rudolph-designed fascia valued by preservationists.

Fred Bernstein, who writes the ArtsBeat Blog for the New York Times, wrote in Architectural Record magazine this week: "With almost 50 cheesy hotel buildings to his name (sometimes two or more to a block), Gene Kaufman has done immeasurable damage to Manhattan." But he said Kaufman had a chance to redeem himself if he can rescue the building from the Clark Patterson design, which Bernstein called "nothing short of scary."

"The plan reduces the number of roofs to 34 and the amount of charm (at least in the portion of the building seen in the rendering) to zero," he wrote.