MIDDLETOWN, N.Y. – The Orange County Legislature has unanimously approved funding totaling $29,950,000 to support overall design and completion of Phase 1 of a sweeping SUNY Orange Facilities Master Plan that will modernize and reshape the College’s Middletown and Newburgh campuses over the next 10 to 12 years.

The Legislature’s approval of a pair of resolutions on April 10 paves the way for two critical next steps: it positions the College to secure $28.25 million in matching capital project funds from the State of New York, and it unlocks $1.7 million in county funding (also to be matched by NYS) for the master plan’s design phase.

Orange County’s commitment will fund half of the projected $59.9 million Phase 1 project, which was also unanimously supported by both the Legislature’s Education & Economic Development and Ways & Means committees as the proposal moved through the legislative process. County Executive Steve Neuhaus has also been a vocal and enthusiastic advocate of the College's efforts to upgrade facilities and improve the student experience.

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SUNY Orange President Dr. Kristine Young: “I want to thank County Executive Neuhaus and the Legislature for their enduring support of SUNY Orange and particularly their trust in us as good stewards of County funds. We look forward to working hand-in-hand with the County throughout implementation of what we believe is a forward-thinking Facilities Master Plan, and I view the Legislature’s support as a tremendous vote of confidence for the great work we are doing now and of our vision for a bigger and better future for the College and our students.

“It is important to note that we are not adding any square footage to either campus, this is not new construction. Rather, our Facilities Master Plan will reshape both campuses by modernizing existing buildings, beautifying public spaces, and reallocating internal spaces to enrich the teaching and learning environment for our students, faculty and staff.

“We’ve focused much of our institutional energy in recent years toward reshaping the SUNY Orange experience for our students, and that work has delivered enrollment growth and improved student outcomes. Now we begin the process of updating our campuses’ brick and mortar to further strengthen the student experience, and to continue attracting and retaining students.

Orange County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus: “SUNY Orange is a leader in preparing people for high demand jobs like health services and many others that they offer. To be successful they need to modernize their campuses and the investment that Orange County is making in the campuses will ensure that that record of excellence continues.”

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In total, the three-phase plan is projected to cost approximately $211.2 million to support the College’s transformative vision of aligning learning environments on both campuses, connecting academic spaces with workforce needs, organizing College spaces into supportive academic neighborhoods to enhance student learning and success, and paving the way for expansion of in-demand degree programs in the healthcare and tech sectors.

Work planned for Phase I on the Middletown campus includes relocating the Computer Science and Technology Department from the Bio-Tech Building to Harriman Hall, while the Education and Criminal Justice departments will move from Bio-Tech to Hudson Hall. These moves will create expanded space for the nursing and dental hygiene programs within Bio-Tech, along with spurring initial renovations in Harriman Hall and Hudson Hall to support the relocations. Phase I will also create swing space necessary to assure work during the second and third phases does not disrupt academics or operations.

Strategic upgrades will also be completed in both Kaplan Hall and the Tower Building on the Newburgh campus, with the highlights including SUNY Orange Plus expansion in the Tower Building and improvements to the plaza/walkway connecting the two buildings.

Phase 1 is projected for a three-year timeline (2026 to 2029) with Phase 2 and Phase 3 targeted for approximately 2030-2032 and 2033-2035, respectively.