Architect's rendering

NEWBURGH – College and Orange County officials Thursday night laid out the plans for the new Orange County Community College campus at a public forum in the City of Newburgh. The city council had asked college President Dr. William Richards and County Executive Edward Diana to lead a delegation to go over plans for the Newburgh campus.

The project will include renovations to existing buildings at Washington Center – the former Key Bank complex – and construction of new facilities.

Diana said with funding approved by the county legislature and plans drawn, ground could be broken late this year.

If all goes well, they could break ground in October or November on the excavation piece of the project. In December or January, the county would go out to bid to build the new Kaplan Building. Work on that would begin next spring.

The college’s main campus remains in Middletown, but the Newburgh facility would now be allowed to confer degrees.

For years, OCCC has had a satellite campus in Newburgh.