Orange County Faces ‘Most Consequential Economic Development Period’ in its History
Valerie Maginsky, City of Port Jervis Community Development Agency; Maria Bruni, City of Middletown; Conor Eckert, Orange County Partnership; Cher Vickers, City of Newburgh IDA
By John Jordan
MIDDLETOWN, NY—More than 500 business, government and elected officials gathered on Oct. 6 at the Barn at Villa Venezia here to celebrate the achievements of three women dedicated to economic development in Orange County and to get a glimpse of what’s in store for the county’s economy for the rest of 2026 and into 2027.
The gathering got a true sense of what opportunities lie ahead for the county when Conor Eckert, president and CEO of the Orange County Partnership bluntly said: “Orange County is in the midst of what I would call the most consequential economic development period in the history of the county.”
The Investor Breakfast staged by the Orange County Partnership feted its 2026 Women of Achievement in Economic Development honorees: Maria Bruni, Director of Community Development, City of Middletown; Valerie Maginsky, Executive Director, City of Port Jervis Community Development Agency and Cherisse Vickers, Executive Director, City of the Newburgh Industrial Development Agency. However, the jammed packed morning session also featured highly informative updates and perspectives from key players in the economic development space.
The program included presentations by Eckert, Orange County Partnership Chairperson Mary Beth Bianconi; Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus and an update on the $1.6-billon Walmart development project in the Town of Wallkill by Kevin Thompson, Group Director, State & Local Government Relations, who told the crowd that the company had signed a Project Labor Agreement with the local building trades and hopes to break ground on its 1.5-million-square-foot project sometime in 2027.
Eckert related that Orange County currently has a pipeline of more than $3 billion in projects involving investments in advanced manufacturing., pharmaceuticals, life sciences, warehouse/distribution, industrial, software development, agribusiness and others.
He said one of the keys to economic growth in Orange County has and will continue to be how quickly a project can be advanced from inception to securing necessary approvals to breaking ground. Another critical component is providing the talent for the diverse industries seeking to invest in Orange County.
In addition to the Walmart project, which is currently in the approval process in the Town of Wallkill, he cited the opportunities that the Galaxy Railyards project (also known as the STEAM Rail Park) that is being marketed for advanced manufacturing uses. Late last year, in a major win for Orange County’s push to secure advanced manufacturing investment, the Village of Maybrook was awarded a $25.48-million FAST NY grant to upgrade the former Maybrook Rail Yard site for future high-tech manufacturing use.
Eckert also noted that the county is facing increased industrial vacancies and that the Orange County Partnership team has traveled to locations throughout the Northeast to market available industrial space and promote the advantages of the county’s strategic location and other advantages to firms in New England and in the New York metro region.
Looking to the future, he noted that Orange County can compete for investment in quantum software development, semiconductor and defense technology industries. However, to attract these industries, Orange County must invest in building more housing, upgrading its infrastructure and in workforce development.
Orange County Partnership Chairperson Bianconi discussed prevailing trends in the approval process, noting “timely reviews are a challenge.”
Bianconi, who is a partner with Delaware Engineering, implored attendees to reach out to elected officials on the need to hire more staff so that project reviews can be conducted in a timely fashion and that funding allocated for projects go out to bid.
“The agencies are truly overwhelmed and we need more staff and more capacity to get projects approved,” she said. Bianconi also stressed of informing the community of the importance of maintaining and improving infrastructure and its associated cost.
She also noted that advancing new housing projects, whether they are affordable, market rate or luxury, will all help alleviate the current housing crisis.
Orange County Executive Neuhaus touted the recent trip by a contingent of county economic development officials to Taiwan where they met with approximately 20 companies. He predicted that two Taiwanese-based firms will establish operations in Orange County in the future.
He also discussed the pending county budget and said the county will make some hard decisions in the weeks ahead but noted “you can’t tax your way out of your problems.”
Neuhaus also pointed to a host of positive developments, including the future redevelopment of the former Sterling Forest Ski Center in Tuxedo, the planned $200-million in improvements to SUNY Orange campuses in Middletown and Newburgh and $250 million in sewer treatment facility upgrades in Orange County.
He also reiterated his hope to have Orange County take over the marketing of New York Stewart International Airport and also noted the county hopes to build new hangar facilities at Orange County Airport in Montgomery.
