Job Creators Honored at Orange County Partnership’s Annual Fete

By Lisa Ramirez

The North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters Local 278 and Resorts World Hudson Valley — a project on which CCA member Holt Construction was construction manager and then general contractor — were each celebrated at The Orange County Partnership’s Annual Event.

The sell-out event, held Dec. 6 at The Barn at Villa Venezia in Goshen, was attended by upwards of 600 people, all there to celebrate the vision and accomplishments of the region’s builders, planners, developers and leaders.

“We celebrate every victory together because the victories belong to all of us,” said Maureen Halahan, president and CEO of the Partnership. Halahan’s team at the OCP works with commercial real estate brokers, developers, site selection firms and economic development agencies to find the most advantageous and cost-effective locations for corporate attractions and expansions.

The mood was celebratory and social as attendees looked to the New Year with optimism. Projects are planned, the economic conditions in Orange County are bright, jobs are being created.

The outlook, they said, is good.

Conor Eckert, the Partnership’s Senior Development Officer and Vice President of Business Attraction, said there is “one key goal,” and that’s securing projects for Orange County.

“Just wait ‘til you see what we have in the works for 2023,” Eckert told the crowd.

Three awards were presented, each recognizing those who have brought jobs and economic opportunity to the area.

Jeff Crist of Crist Apple Bros, received the 2022 Quality of Life Award. Members of the Crist family have been farming in Orange County for more than 100 years, and now maintain a close partnership with Angry Orchard, which has a popular cidery in Walden.

The North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters Local 279 received the Partnerships 2022 Spirit of Innovation Award, which recognizes those in Orange County who are at the forefront with their current and forward-thinking initiatives Local 279 has exemplified this with their newly renovated state-of-theart training facility in Rock Tavern, Career Connections partnerships, Carpenters AOS degree with SUNY Sullivan, the Sisters in the Brotherhood Pre-Apprenticeship Program and their volunteer work.

The award was accepted by Council Representative Matthew Ross, who said the union intends to “bring the trades back as a real first (career) choice.”

Resorts World Hudson Valley, which on Dec. 28 opened its doors in the old Newburgh Mall, received the 2022 Alliance for Balanced Growth’s Golden Shovel Award.

The $32 million project resulted in the renovation of the former Bon-Ton department store into a sprawling electronic gaming casino, boasting 1,200 slot machines and electronic table games. The construction effort — led by Holt Construction — employed approximately 200 people, and its opening promises to bring 250 full-time jobs. The adaptive reuse of empty retail space transformed 90,000 square feet in the shopping center, and it is hoped that the casino will serve as a catalyst for the revitalization of the mall which, like many shopping centers, has struggled in recent years.

“Thank you to the men and women of the trades who built our facility,” said Robert DeSalvio, President of Genting Americas East, adding that the experience of working with Holt and local skilled labor “has been incredible.”