Fires at Camp LaGuardia
BREAKING NEWS THIS MORNING 7/21 SEE RELATED NEW STORY - CE STARTS A NEW PUSH TO CREATE A COUNTY PARK ON THE LAGUARDIA PROPERTY
UPDATE/CORRECTION - Orange County officials say the fires that happened at Camp LaGuardia were at buildings on Chester property. The site includes property in both Chester and Blooming Grove. Driving to the site yesterday the growth of brush made it impossible to get a clear view from the road of the damage and they have invited the Courier Journal to join them when they inspect the damage and we will get additional pictures and any new information about the fire and the two young men who were interviewed on the property when the fire occurred
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After a storied history as Army Housing, Women's Jail, Homeless Shelter, and Proposed Affordable Housing that was rejected by the public and officials when the developer pulled the commercial portion and wanted free reign on zoning, it appears that either or both of the the massive main stone structure(s) have met a fiery end. A 3-alarm fire encased the main facade and could be seen for miles across the Valley as residents heard sirens rushing to the scene. The site is divided between Blooming Grove and Chester,
Scenes from The Trail.com gives added history about the LaGuardia property
The 2 main buildings on the 250-plus acre property had been a prime discussion point over the years. Part iconic, part lure for ghost and abandoned site seekers with a penchant for graffiti, they held a history that some believed should be saved and the buildings restored for a different use. Others thought it had seen its day and should be demolished. Since the County of Orange purchased the site, developers have proposed everything from a hotel/boutique to a sports complex. But more recently the Open Space Institute has backed the County on a roposal for a new County Park. This would connect the lengthy Heritage Trail that crosses much of the county with the extensive new branch of the Schunnemunk Rail Trai that has work just beginning at the rear of the LaGuardia property, through the western quadrant of Blooming Grove, into the Village of Washingtonville and on to Salisbury Mills and the Moodna Trestle, where it connects to Cornwall and the Schunnemunk Ridge.
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