Rockland Green, the county’s Solid Waste Management Authority, has finalized the purchase of a 15,000 square foot warehouse located at 427 Beach Road in West Haverstraw. The property was acquired from Beach Road Industrial LLC, a Stony Point-based company, for a sum of $3.8 million, translating to $253 per square foot, with the transaction closing on January 23, 2024.
Situated on a 3.39-acre parcel with frontage on Ecology Road, the site is earmarked for a state-of-the-art animal shelter. The comprehensive cost of acquiring and outfitting the facility is projected to reach $18 million, or approximately $1,200 per square foot. Prior to its purchase, Rockland Green had been leasing the vacant warehouse for $18,750 monthly throughout 2023.
For the task of transforming the existing structure into a modern animal shelter, Rockland Green has contracted BDA Architecture, P.A., a renowned New Mexico-based architectural firm. Construction is set to commence in May 2024 and is anticipated to extend over a year.
To finance this venture, the public authority has approved the issuance of Bond Anticipation Notes amounting to $10 million. These funds are intended to cover the acquisition cost, architectural and design fees, lease expenses incurred in 2023, and other related preliminary expenses. The anticipation notes are expected to be subsequently replaced by General Obligation Serial Bonds.
The forthcoming facility is designed to house 116 cats and 53 dogs, reflecting Rockland Green’s commitment to providing ample space and care for the county’s animal population. Notably, the new shelter will be located opposite a proposed 454,000 square foot warehouse/distribution center, which is to be developed on a 30-acre site previously used as an uncapped construction debris landfill.
An additional point of interest is the warehouse’s proximity to Cedar Pond Brook, a tributary of the Hudson River, placing it within an “AE” flood zone as per FEMA’s classification. This designation indicates a risk of 100-year floods, a factor likely considered in the planning and design phases of the shelter.