Talk about a change of scenery. A building on the grounds of a former psychiatric center in Orange County could soon be filled with preschoolers instead of the ghosts of its past.

The City of Middletown is moving forward with plans to transform the long-vacant Kleiner Building into a modern educational facility, including Universal Pre-K classrooms, a regional special education center and a new childcare center.

The project recently received another $3.3 million in state funding, bringing New York's total investment to $10 million, according to the New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD).

Commissioner Willow Baer announced the latest funding on behalf of Governor Kathy Hochul, alongside Middletown Mayor Joseph DeStefano, State Senator James Skoufis and Assemblymember Paula Elaine Kay.

The building is part of the former Middletown Psychiatric Center campus, which closed in 2006. The Kleiner Building has sat vacant and deteriorating for years, with broken windows and a long list of needed repairs.

Now, its next chapter could involve story time, finger painting and the occasional preschooler refusing to take a nap.

The transformation is part of a broader effort to bring new life to the former psychiatric campus and create educational opportunities for local families.

The approximately 80,000-square-foot Kleiner Building is expected to serve the Middletown City School District and Orange-Ulster BOCES. The plans include Universal Pre-K classrooms, specialized educational programs for students with disabilities and childcare services.

The project was initially envisioned as a community center, but plans have since shifted toward an educational facility to address local needs.

And while the building's history might make the preschool plans sound like the setup for a particularly dark sitcom, the goal is a serious one: turn a deteriorating property into a useful space for children, students with disabilities and families throughout the region.

New York State has committed $10 million to the Kleiner Building project. The latest $3.3 million award was announced in October 2026.

However, that money won't cover the entire redevelopment. Recent reporting puts the estimated cost at approximately $65 million to $70 million, meaning substantial additional funding will be needed before the project can be completed.

The city acquired a 33-acre portion of the former state campus from New York in 2024 for $1, beginning a new phase in efforts to redevelop the long-neglected property.

The Kleiner Building is one part of a larger campus that officials hope to turn into a destination for education, arts and community activity.