Drapkin: similar issues
TOWN OF WALLKILL – Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress’s Jonathan
Drapkin and March Gallagher addressed Orange County’s Chamber of
Commerce Thursday morning about the county’s economy. As part of
Pattern’s 50th anniversary, they are traveling around the Hudson
Valley to meet with the local business communities and discuss upcoming
Pattern’s studies, as well as to share ideas.
“There are a lot of communities that share similar issues,”
said Gallagher. “How do you finance infrastructure? What’s
the best way to do waterfront development? How do we attract and retain
millennials? Do we have a brand for our city, town village? So, it’s
those types of activities.”
The presentation was divided into the categories of the New Tappan Zee
Bridge, Stewart Airport, small infrastructure, student debt, school taxes
and urban center focus.
Gallagher and Drapkin said there has been a large, unseen economic impact
on the county from the Tappan Zee Bridge in the form of barge building
and material transport. Stewart Airport has seen a drop in commercial
air travel from approximately one million travelers to 250,000 over the
last decade. School enrollments are decreasing but, school closures are
increasing. The population is aging and the younger generation prefers
to inhabit urban centers.
Those are a few of the myriad of points Gallagher and Drapkin made regarding
county’s current economy.
So, Pattern is conducting a number of studies over the coming months to
address these points.
“There will be three reports that will be released over the next
two months,” said Drapkin. “One will be on the urban centers
and demographics; one will be on school districts and career readiness;
and the third one will be on housing and how it impacts six cities in
particular.”
Of the six cities in the urban centers study, three will be Newburgh,
Middletown and Port Jervis.
Drapkin and Gallagher are predicting with the influx of visitation to
the county resulting from Montreign Casino when it comes to Sullivan,
the long list of infrastructure projects the county is involved with along
and urban renewal projects, the county’s future is looking bright.
