BOCES celebrates Arden Hill North Wing opening

Orange-Ulster BOCES held a ribbon cutting ceremony on Sept. 4 to celebrate the opening of the newly completed Arden Hill North Wing. The completed construction marks a final step in transforming the former hospital into a modern educational facility designed to support student success well into the future.

Members of the Orange-Ulster BOCES Cooperative Board were joined by Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus, New York State Assemblyman Karl Brabenec, and other local school district superintendents and administrators, to commemorate this occasion.

Also in attendance were Linda Bull, Cherie Cardone and Lyle Shute, descendants of Amy Bull Crist, a local icon and fierce champion of public education. Crist helped found Orange-Ulster BOCES, SUNY Orange and Occupations, Inc., before serving as the first Orange-Ulster BOCES district superintendent for 34 years. She passed away in 1995, and the Gibson Road campus is named in her honor.

“I attribute everything we do to Amy Bull Crist,” said Deborah McBride Heppes, Orange-Ulster BOCES Chief Operating Officer. “Amy was way ahead of her time, and she would always do what’s best for her students.”

The22,000 square foot North Wing was completed in time to welcome students for the start of the new school year and has 16 state-of-the-art classrooms, collaborative learning spaces, an enclosed courtyard with tiered Learning Steps, and expanded areas for essential student services. It also underwent full renovations of ceilings, floors and bathrooms.

The Arden Hill North ribbon-cutting marks the completion of academic renovations, but the construction of a new gymnasium is still underway. A groundbreaking ceremony for the final phase of the hospital-to-school transformation was held in June, and the gym is on track for completion by Summer 2026.

Once finished, the gym will serve as a welcoming and modern facility for physical education. It will also have generous space for outdoor athletics - as basketball courts and a half soccer field are planned - plus ample parking for staff and visitors.

The OUB Capital Project is being managed by The Palumbo Group of Poughkeepsie, with architectural design by KG+D Architects, known for their focus on future-ready school spaces.

“It looks gorgeous,” Neuhaus said. “This is a great day for Orange County and a great day for Orange-Ulster BOCES.”

To learn more about the OUB Capital Project, log onto https://shorturl.at/pEy1U.