Group Project Design Connect: Reuse Proposals for Camp Monterey

The reuse proposals for Camp Monterey hopes to attract investors and developers to take advantage of the facilities of the former incarceration correctional center while helping to secure benefits for the surrounding community, the Town of Orange, New York. Design Connect was first contacted by Judy Cherry, the executive director of Schuyler County Partnership for Economic Development (SCOPED) to come up with reuse proposals for Camp Monterey. This site, which was closed July 2014, is an important resource to the town as the correctional facility provided jobs, while the inmates provided community service.

The Design Connect team’s work was primarily divided into three parts: research, community outreach, and design. During the research phase, they studied the history and existing context of the site, the demographics of the Town of Orange, and some precedents of the adaptive reuse of prisons. From there, they came up with general use themes for the site: educational, light industrial, and recreation. Community meetings confirmed the research and helped narrow down the focus to concentrate on a lodge and brewery, ideas that resonated with the community. As alternatives, they also proposed a senior living center, a small manufacturing facility, and a rehabilitation center.

Moving forward, the team hopes that their efforts inspire continued community involvement with the future of Camp Monterey and to negotiate benefits for the Town of Orange. Included in the proposals are provisions for community spaces such as helipad access for emergencies, potential town office space, and a community store.