Last time we checked in with the Orange County Government Center in Goshen, N.Y., the embattled Paul Rudolph brutalist structure headed for partial demolition, residents defending the original building were planning to take the case to court. Well, they did. In late March, local lawyer Michael Sussman filed a request for a temporary restraining order to stop the county's plan to give the building a generic glassy overhaul. This past Friday, State Supreme Court judge Christopher Cahill denied the temporary restraining order, but ruled that no demolition should happen before July—not before he has had time to assess arguments on a preliminary injunction from both sides.
This saga, of course, has been unfolding for months. At one point, the county was considering alternative redevelopment plans, one of which, put forth by New York City architect Gene Kaufman, would see Rudolph's work restored and converted into an arts community. After county executive Steven M. Neuhaus vetoed a proposal that would entertain outside bids, the government's own redevelopment plan looked like it was a go.
Sussman, whose arguments for blocking the county's plan include "destruction of a historic building" and overspending on resources, sounds optimistic about the latest ruling. "We're delighted with the result," Sussman told The New York Times. He's also looking forward to "the matter being 'further resolved at trial.'" Meanwhile, both sides will have until May 15 to submit all their documents to Cahill, who promises a decision by July 1. "My plan is to move this case along in an expedited fashion," he
told the Times Herald-Record. "This isn't going to drag on."
Below, renderings of the county's redevelopment proposal:
· Judge Rules Rudolph-Designed Building in Orange County Cannot Be Torn Down Before July [NY Times]
· The Fight Over Paul Rudolph's Government Center is Headed for the Courts [Curbed National]
· It's Not Too Late to Save a Paul Rudolph Classic from 'Soul-Crushing' Updates [Curbed National]
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