Demolition work has begun on the old Bulkeley Middle School en route to what the architect behind the long-awaited redevelopment project hopes will be a 2028 completion date. (Photo by Tony Tackaberry)
Window panes, red cinderblock, and other material came crashing down as the claw knocked them over with apparent ease.
“ It is a beautiful day, and I’m really excited to actually start implementing the vision that we, as developers and architects, [with the] community’s input, have,” said architect David Ruff. “I’m excited to deliver much-needed housing units to this community.”
When finished, the old school at 6 Mulberry Street, sometimes called the Father Brogan Center, will be converted into 10 one- and two-bedroom rental units, including one affordable housing rental unit. The remaining land on the 1.4-acre parcel will be subdivided into four lots, each of which will feature a single-family home.
Village Mayor Gary Bassett said Friday that he is pleased that the demolition work is taking place. “I’m happy … that they’re at the phase of the project where they’re starting to do [physical] work,” he told The Daily Catch.
Ruff, who was on-site this morning, said the dramatic work of knocking the annex down will likely be finished by tomorrow. For the next 10 to 15 days, workers with the construction arm of Ruff’s firm NAVA, based in New York City, will sort the debris, recycle eligible materials, clean up the site, and fill holes or pits created during the demolition process.
When finished, the old school at 6 Mulberry Street will be converted into 10 one- and two-bedroom rental units, including one affordable housing rental unit. (Video by Tony Tackaberry)
The owners of the project are Ruff; his wife, real estate agent Gitu Ramani; and developer Maish Freedman.
Architect David Ruff said he is “excited to deliver much-needed housing units to this community.” (Photo by Elena Gastaldo)
The owners first approached the Rhinebeck Village Board in 2021 about rezoning the site. In 2024, the Village Board passed a local law creating a special zoning district that would allow the schoolhouse to be converted into multi-family housing.
In spring 2025, the Planning Board granted conditional approval for the project. Because the annex sits atop of one of the lot lines that will divide the future home sites, removing the annex is one of the conditions that the owners must satisfy before the Planning Board will give the final sign-off on the project’s site plan, Ruff said. A portion of the chainlink fence that surrounds the property must also be removed for the project to proceed, he added.
According to Ruff, the next phase of construction work will begin in six to eight months.
He acknowledged the impact of the noise and disruption. “ We’re making a mess right now, and that’s not wonderful, but that’s part of the process,” he said.
Victor Britton, a neighbor who lives on South Street, told The Daily Catch that he participated in the public comment period when the project was being approved. He said that some of his suggestions for the redevelopment were not adopted by owners, but he feels that the building being redeveloped is better than letting it “languish.”
“I’m just glad it’s moving forward,” he said.