The World Monuments Fund has some interesting things to say

From the World Monuments Fund Website  www.wmf.org

 

ORANGE COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER

Goshen, New York, United States

• WMF Program:

2012 Watch

 The Orange County Government Center in Goshen, New York, was designed by architect Paul Rudolph and is considered one of his greatest achievements. Completed in 1970, the structure stands as a testament to the era of late modernism, when civic architecture was forging new avenues in design and construction. Its striking brutalist style exterior is characterized by massive, textured concrete blocks and large expanses of glass. The three-winged, three-storied building creates complex interiors that divide administrative, judicial, and other government functions. Natural light bathes the space through clerestory windows along 87 multi-level roofs.
Poor maintenance practices have led to deterioration, and county government has been calling for the building to be demolished and replaced. Exacerbating the issue, a hurricane in September 2011 flooded and damaged the structure, after which the center was closed by county officials, who renewed the proposal for demolition. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which provides assistance to local governments after disasters, has asked for further study of conditions to determine whether repair is feasible. The local community is also calling for more review, and grassroots activists have united in support of the Orange County Government Center. It is hoped that inclusion on the Watch will help save this notable piece of progressive architecture.
UPDATE
Following the 2012 Watch, a long campaign succeeded in averting the building’s demolition. After the government center was closed in 2011, county government services were moved to other locations. Meanwhile, consultants were hired by the county administration to study the options for the future of the building. Their findings and cost estimates were presented to the public in January 2012. The county administration proposed to demolish the building and construct a new government center in its place. Local advocates hosted public forums around Orange County as part of a preservation campaign, and WMF collected over 2,000 signatures from around the world in an online petition opposing demolition. In May 2012 the Orange County legislature failed to achieve the two-thirds majority required to demolish the building. After the vote, a press investigation revealed U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency findings disputing the claim that the building was beyond repair, which had not been made available to county legislators. A special legislative committee was formed, and, after deliberations and expert hearings over the summer months, the committee concluded that the Orange County Government Center is fit for rehabilitation and that previous estimates of the cost of restoration were too high. In February 2013, legislators in Orange County voted to authorize $10 million to begin restoration. In April 2014, the legislature approved a final plan to restore much of the building, while demolishing part of it to make way for a new addition. On May 1, the Orange County Legislature authorized a bond for $77 million to renovate the building. In an unprecedented act, Gene Kaufmann, a New York City architect known primarily for his designs for hotels, attended the May 1 meeting where legislators voted to approve the $77 million bond and made an offer to buy the OCGC, turn it into artist spaces, and build a new government center. June 2014

UPDATE June 19^th 2014 FEMA and the State Require Additional Review of Orange County Government Center Plans Posted by Frank Sanchis, Program Director, United States

Steve Neuhaus, the Orange County Executive, recently claimed to have been “blind-sided” by a mandatory FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) review process, and said it could halt the $77 million renovation of the Orange County Government Center.
The review requirement, which county officials and press described as “new,” “last-minute,” and “a bombshell,” is actually widely known and accepted practice. Pursuant to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, a federal review is required whenever federal funds are used for a project affecting a building listed on the National Register of Historic Places or deemed eligible for listing. The building was found eligible for the National Register by the New York State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) in August 2011, which is a matter of public record. The use of FEMA funds by the county would therefore clearly require a review.
In August 2012, FEMA awarded over $3.6 million to Orange County to repair water damage to the OCGC. Early in 2014, the County Legislature approved a plan to renovate the building calling for demolition of about 1/3 of the building with extensive alterations to the remaining 2/3 and announced that demolition would begin on August 2. When the county first met with FEMA and the NYHPO in late May 2014 to discuss the proposed new plan, they were informed of the need for further review because of the substantial change in the scope of the work.
According to a June 13 article in the Times-Herald Record, the county is now rethinking the project. County Executive Neuhaus stated that “at this time all options are on the table.” He also said that an offer to purchase the OCGC has been made by a private buyer.

 (The underlines are Auntie's)

Dear Steve: Just fix it! And stop blaming Eddie, the Legislators (most of whom do what you say anyway) FEMA, SHPO and the man on the moon! Demonstrate some positive leadership and do, and this may be a surprise, what's good for the people of Orange County, the ones you were elected to represent. 

And if you do truly represent the people, you will not be afraid of a Referendum, in this and other matters affecting the county, like say. Valley View.