Mayor says no plans to redevelop turntable property

At the start of the Monday, Dec. 8 city council meeting, Port Jervis Mayor Dominic Cicalese said the city does not have plans to redevelop the soon to be abandoned Erie Turntable property.

“The historic turntable is not being demolished, the land is not being sold and there is no development going on that land,” Cicalese said. “Those artifacts are staying here, and they need to stay here. This is their home and this is where their heritage and their history are. Outside of that, there is nothing much more I can say and there is nothing much more that the public can hear on this other than the site is not being demolished. The site is not being sold.”

Cicalese confirmed the city is seeking brownfield remediation for the site as well as others throughout the city.

The mayor’s remarks came in response to TOYX Chairman and Vice President Neil Finch, who said during the public comment period that TOYX – which operates the boxcar museum and preserves other historic railroad cars at the 8.67-acre site – does not want to leave the city. He later told a group of meeting attendees that any artifacts belonging to the City of Port Jervis would be returned to the City of Port Jervis as TOYX leaves.

The discussion followed last week’s TOYX announcement that it had been notified by the city that all leases and agreements related to the property will be terminated effective July 26, 2026, as the city plans to pursue sale and redevelopment of the site.

Prior to Monday’s meeting, TOYX President Rudy Garbely outlined his organization’s involvement with the turntable property, which began in 2021.

“[We] have a service-based sublease,” Garbely said “The city owns the site and leases it to the Outdoor Club of Port Jervis, which is responsible for the maintenance of the property, grounds, and turntable. The Outdoor Club then sub-leases all of the tracks to TOYX for the storage, maintenance and display of our trains. TOYX’s agreement with the Outdoor Club lasts through July 26, 2031, at which point it automatically renews assuming that all conditions of the lease are being met, which they are.”

However, Garbely said the Outdoor Club has had second thoughts about its involvement with the turntable property, as it was a bit outside its normal scope. As such, TOYX approached the city about taking over the property from the Outdoor Club but did not receive a response.

“Then, sometime late this past summer we met with the mayor and councilman-at-large in late summer and were informed all leases and agreements will be terminated as of July 26, 2026,” Garbely said. “We sent out a press release about it last week because we found a way to get our equipment out after having received threats from the city that they would try to entrap our equipment, disable the turntable, pull the motors and make it so we were unable to leave if we did not do certain things.”

When asked about the matter, Sean Donnelly, treasurer of the Outdoor Club of Port Jervis, said he could not comment.

Voicemails and emails left with the mayor and city councilmembers were not returned.

‘Operation Toy Train’ bypassing the city

With equipment still being moved out of the turntable site and most of the box cars already off site, it would be a logistical challenge to move them back in for Operation Toy Train, Garbely said.

According to TOYX, this initiative has collected more than 40,000 toys annually, with over 7,000 of them benefiting children in Orange County. This year’s event is set for Sunday, Dec. 14, and will make stops in Warwick, Sugar Loaf, Walden, Montgomery, Campbell Hall and Middletown.

Erie Turntable

The Erie Turntable property was a central hub of the Erie Railroad’s extensive shop and roundhouse complex and has been a cornerstone of Port Jervis’s heritage since the railroad arrived in 1848. TOYX spent the last four years revitalizing the property, restoring historic railcars, installing public exhibits and partnering with local businesses and nonprofits to bring visitors to the site.