WARWICK, NY—A Local Development Corporation created by officials of the Town of Warwick was literally handed the keys to the 730-acre former Mid-Orange Correctional Facility here and will now begin marketing a portion of the complex for industrial, high-tech, and office uses.

Officials with the Warwick Valley Local Development Corp. held a press conference on Thursday to announce it had taken control of the Orange County property from New York State about two-and-a-half years after the state officially shut down and vacated the Mid-Orange Correctional Facility.

Warwick Valley LDC paid $3.5 million for a 150-acre parcel of the former correctional facility property. This portion of the property, which includes existing buildings and shovel-ready building sites, will be marketed for economic development under the name the Warwick Valley Office and Technology Corporate Park. A number of parties have already expressed serious interest in the location. Recently, the town approved the subdivision of a portion of the property to accommodate 10 “shovel-ready” pad sites that can accommodate 85,000 square feet of development.

The bulk of the property, 580 acres, was sold to the Town of Warwick for $1 by New York State and will remain undeveloped and used for recreational and land preservation purposes, village officials state.

"Closing on this property is the culmination of a long journey and a shining example of an effective private-public partnership," says LDC Chairman Robert Krahulik. "I appreciate all the time and effort put forth by Governor Cuomo's Office, Empire State Development Corporation, the Office of General Services, and the Department of Corrections—it is their hard work and cooperation that brought us here today."

"The collaboration doesn't stop there," adds Town of Warwick Supervisor Michael Sweeton. "As we work to attract business opportunities to this great location, Empire State Development will be offering economic incentives through New York State, the Orange County Industrial Development Agency will be making local incentives available, and the Orange County Partnership will be taking the lead on marketing the property. It is this team work that will make this project successful and fulfill its potential to attract hundreds of jobs to the area.”