Occupy Main Street, sell the vacant government center

To the Editor:
From a practical standpoint, the Orange County Government Center never really lived up to some of the ideal characteristics of public architecture. For example, the primary function of government buildings is to serve the people so they should be open and easily accessible to the public. Yet the main entrance to this county's government center led into a windowless concrete stairway. That being said, the Paul Rudolph-designed building, whatever we think of it functionally or ascetically, is an architectural landmark. With news of the state Office of Historic Preservation's criticism of plans to renovate the government center, a new option has emerged in the demolish vs. renovate debate: selling the government center to a private buyer and building a new center immediately or when fiscally prudent, presumably on the site of the old county jail.

An architect has expressed interesting in purchasing and restoring the government center, and transforming it into a destination for artists — perhaps a more fitting use for an architectural landmark. The currently vacant building would not only be a great resource for artists, but even non-profit groups looking for a central location in the county seat might find a place in this newly transformed public space. Rudolph fans and critics alike should agree that the building, although striking in appearance, ended up being a lot less practical as a government center and this shift from government center to center for the arts might ultimately save it from the wrecking ball for many years to come.

Re-purposing this building as a center for the arts has the potential to revitalize downtown Goshen. The elected officials and the Chamber of Commerce in Goshen should strongly support this third way forward to sell the old government center and, at some point, build a new one which would architecturally match the historic character of the village. In the past the politicians and business leaders of Goshen largely stayed out of the government center debate except to "urge action" on the part of the county government. They should now speak out vocally for a plan that has the potential to revitalized Goshen culturally and economically.

Salvatore LaBruna
Goshen