Newburgh Seeks Broker to Market City-Owned Properties
John Jordan | January 5, 2017
NEWBURGH—The City of Newburgh has issued a Request for Qualifications for a real estate broker to help sell some city-owned properties.
The city issued a Request for Qualifications on Dec. 23 for New York State licensed real estate brokers “to provide professional brokerage services for marketing, listing and selling select city-owned properties.” RFQ submittals are due to the city by January 25th at 4 p.m.
The solicitation comes one month after the city issued a Request for Proposals for developers to rehabilitate two architecturally significant buildings—the Historic Dutch Reformed Church and The City Club building and develop a parcel of former waterfront urban renewal land at 2 Montgomery St. The deadline for responses to the RFP is Feb. 1 at 4 p.m.
In 2015 the City of Newburgh earned approximately $800,000 in sales from its inventory of properties, City Manager Michael Ciaravino recently told the Middletown Times-Herald Record. Ciaravino added that a licensed real estate broker could market properties to a wider audience, resulting in more sales and higher sale prices.
“The economic development team has done a stellar job moving property,” Ciaravino said in the published report. “But at the end of the day, they’re not real estate brokers with all the tools that Realtors have at their disposal.” Ciaravino could not be reached for comment by Real Estate In-Depth at press time.
According to the RFQ for a real estate broker, among the qualifications cited by the city include membership with the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors. If selected, the broker will be required to provide a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) for each property to be marketed; offer advice and guidance on the marketing of specific properties; list properties in the HGMLS and provide a copy of the listing to the Department of Planning and Development and advertise the property in local publications and/or through appropriate on-line or social media resources.
The city stated in the RFQ that in its evaluation process 50% consideration would be given to a broker that has demonstrated marketing and selling of property in the City of Newburgh; 30% preference would be given in terms of the competitiveness of the commission proposal and 20% consideration or preference would be granted to brokers who have a physical office in the City of Newburgh.
The Historic Dutch Reformed Church is a Greek Revival building designed in 1835 by architect Alexander Jackson Davis. The National Historic Landmark building has been neglected for decades and is in dire need of stabilization and extensive restoration. In fact, according to the RFP, the interior has deteriorated significantly following the collapse of a large portion of the vaulted coffered ceiling in 2014.
The city is seeking a full restoration of the Dutch Reformed Church and a re-establishment of its historic role as a civic center for the city.
The City Club property is located just south of the Dutch Reformed Church at 120 Ground St. The brick and sandstone building was designed by Andrew Jackson Downing and Calvert Vaux and built between 1852 and 1857 and was originally designed as the home/office of William Culbert. In 1904 it became the headquarters of the Newburgh City Club, an organization that catered to the city’s leading businessmen and politicians. The building was restored in the 1970s, but was heavily damaged by a fire in 1981. All that remains of the original structure are the foundation walls and exterior walls of the first and second stories. The city states in the RFP that the building has no interior walls or roof.
The city also states in the RFP: “A full exterior renovation would be preferred, however alternative plans for rehabilitation or reuse may be considered. The city would also prefer public access or community use as a component of the project. Both the Historic Dutch Reformed Church and the City Club property are eligible for potential federal and state tax credits and exemptions.
The city is also seeking to develop a 1.8-acre block of former urban renewal land adjacent to the city’s waterfront that is bounded by Montgomery Street, Second Street, Colden Street and Orange County Community College. In the RFP, the city states that mid- to high-rise buildings with shop fronts on the first floor are encouraged in the Waterfront Gateway Zone.
Editor, Real Estate In-Depth