Excellence Award Spotlight: Lofts at the Foundry
The Lofts at the Foundry represents the extraordinary culmination of a nearly 40-year effort to complete one of the Hudson Valley's most ambitious adaptive reuse undertakings: the transformation of the historic Whitehill Engine & Pictet Ice Machine Works in Newburgh, NY into a 120-unit residential condominium. Completed in November 2023, the final phase — 59 units known as The Lofts at the Foundry — overcame decades of economic turmoil, legal setbacks, and previous development missteps to deliver a model of sustainable preservation and community revitalization. The League is thrilled to recognize this effort with a 2025 Excellence in Historic Preservation Award.
“We are incredibly honored to be selected among this year’s recipients of the League’s Excellence Award,” said Andrew Schrijver, Managing Partner at Attic Labs LLC. “The Lofts at the Foundry required a level of sustained commitment by the development team as well as the local community, city government, state and lending partners, that is truly exceptional.”
Originally launched in 1985 as The Foundry at Washington Square Park Condominium, the first phase of the adaptive reuse project created 27 units that were completed in 1988. The second phase, which added 34 units, wasn’t completed until 2004. All the while the third and final phase sat unfinished and exposed to the elements.
Archival black and white illustration showing the Foundry complex at 96 Liberty Street.
Like many buildings of this type, the Foundry complex was constructed over phases, beginning in 1883 and continuing to grow until 1900. It was home to the Whitehill Engine & Pictet Ice Machine Company, one of Newburgh’s pre-eminent industrial firms. The company was known for advances in steam engine technology and some of the earliest practical ice-making and refrigeration equipment in the United States — an industry that defined industrial Newburgh and Orange County and helped usher in a new era of industrial cooling and refrigerated transport, according to the Newburgh Preservation Association. The Foundry site remained in industrial use through the 1970s, after which it stood vacant. Carson Carter, President of the Newburgh Preservation Association, said “For decades, the massive masonry walls and boarded arched windows fronting the Hudson River stood as a physical reminder of the city’s lost industrial might but also the possibility of preservation and renewal.”
In August 2020, amid the early COVID-19 pandemic, Attic Labs LLC (led by Andrew Schrijver) assembled a new development team to take on the project, including co-developers Mana Tree Properties (Jake Chai, later joined by Michael Engels), Bespin Capital (Eric Edelman) and veteran developer and contractor AHC LLC (Keith P. and Keith H. Libolt). This team faced the daunting task of completing a partially constructed and legally encumbered project amidst a skeptical community. Challenges included inconsistent floor heights from prior phases, outdated framing plans, a decaying roof and a reverter clause that rendered the site unfinanceable. The team worked with the City of Newburgh IDA to extinguish the clause and secure the city's first PILOT agreement in years — a deviation from standard policy due to the absence of a commercial component. The team also deftly navigated regulatory and financial obstacles. They tracked down the original environmental consultant from one decade prior, whose updated reports satisfied lending requirements. In talking about the discovery of a “decades-old sticky note” that contained the information about that consultant, Andrew Schrijver said, “That discovery allowed us to update and validate prior reports, saving the project from costly delays. It was a small but critical breakthrough that helped unlock our financing. It also reinforced how deep institutional memory—and luck—play a role in historic projects like this.” And when a three-month delay in switch gear delivery threatened their construction timeline, they generated interim income by renting the building while still under construction (but fully sprinklered and fire safe) to two film productions, including a major studio feature.
All 59 units were leased within six months of receiving a certificate of occupancy in November 2023. The developers plan to operate the building as a rental to fulfill Historic Tax Credit requirements, with plans to sell units after the PILOT compliance period ends in 2030.
l-r: Archival black and white photograph showing an interior space while the factory was still in operation; an empty interior before construction began; a finished loft apartment interior.
From a sustainability standpoint, adaptive reuse dramatically reduced material consumption. Units feature high-efficiency heat pumps, Energy Star appliances, LED lighting, and low-flow fixtures. The team helped the HOA introduce recycling for the first time to the complex and initiated the phased redesign of the shared courtyard to introduce green space and enhance resident well-being. The Lofts at the Foundry is not just a construction project — it's a multi-decade case study in persistence, partnership, and preservation. It rescued a significant industrial building that narrowly escaped demolition and revitalized a block that had been stalled in limbo for generations. Its story highlights overlooked industrial heritage and proves that adaptive reuse, when coupled with tenacity and community trust-building, can be transformative.
When asked what this statewide recognition means for the project team, Andrew Schrijver said, “It sends a message that projects in overlooked cities like Newburgh matter, and that historic places still have powerful roles to play in shaping our future. This recognition helps elevate not just the project, but the city itself.”
Development team: Attic Labs, Affordable Housing Concepts, Mana Tree Properties, and Bespin Capital; Project Architect: Coppola Associates; Historic Consultant: Coppola Preservation Consulting; Structural Engineer: Day Stokosa Engineering; MEP Engineer: Gilson Engineering
Initial acquisition financing was provided by NBT Bank. Construction, Tax Credit Bridge and Permanent Financing was provided by Webster Bank. Historic Tax Credit approval provided by the NY State Historic Preservation Office and National Park Service. The Tax Credit Investor for the Project is J.P. Morgan Chase Bank.