Orange County Government Center showing progress

BY ERIKA NORTON
GOSHEN - The Orange County Government Center in the heart of Goshen is set to open this fall, with progress being made on the building's reconstruction.
According to Justin Rodriguez, the assistant to Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus, fall of this year is still target date, with the project currently on time and on budget.

In October of last year, a “topping out” ceremony was held by county officials as the final steel beam was placed on top of the building, signalling that the building had reached its full height.
The revitalized government center will bring the executive and legislative branches of county government and supporting departments back to the new facility. The building was closed after the floods of Hurricane Irene in August 2012.
Built in the 1960s, the building was designed by famous American architect Paul Rudolph, which created controversy over how to renovate the building. Plans to fix the building expanded into a much larger project, ultimately removing most of the distinctive Rudolph elements and adding a floor.
Goshen's economy suffered as a result of the center closing, losing the weekday business from government employees and visitors. In November of last year, Village of Goshen Mayor Kyle Roddey said that when the government center reopens, he expects it to be “a huge shot in the arm to local business, the local economy.
“It's really going to be an excellent thing,” Roddey said. “And even now with all the work going on there, that's already delivered some benefits, in terms of those employees that are working onsite going shopping downtown.
“So I really think that we've strengthened ourselves as a community,” Roddey continued, “but when that opens it's really going to take us to the next level, even beyond what we were before the Great Recession and the closure of the government center.”