POUGHKEEPSIE – The 35 Montgomery Community Coalition presented their concept for the redevelopment of the former YMCA in Poughkeepsie, which has been dormant since 2009. The group consisting of several corporations – Dutchess County, Vassar and Dutchess Community Colleges, and a multitude of community organizations – is proposing a 24-hour education and wellness center for all ages, according to Chris Kroner of Mass Design Group, one of the partners in the project.
L’Quette Taylor of Community Matters 2 (CM2) in Poughkeepsie has been an active participant in determining the needs and wishes of the community with regards to the former YMCA since the city took it over. Taylor sought to take a different approach to determining the needs of the children by actually surveying students in both the Poughkeepsie Middle and High Schools.
The survey garnered 202 responses in the middle school with 51 percent of those polled saying they had never been to a community center but would welcome the opportunity. In the high school, 275 respondents saw 90 percent expressing a need for a community center with both sports and academic programming. Christopher Grant, co-founder of CM2 took to the streets to survey adults in the community. He said the overwhelming response was that “Poughkeepsie needs a community center.”
Of the potential redevelopment, Kroner said, “This is not a design, this is a process,” with regard to the proposed campus-style redevelopment. When a member of the public asked about the funding stream, Kroner said, “It’s complicated,” based on the number of partners while noting that the price is unknown at this time because there is no final design concept. It is estimated that actual design time is one year followed by a one-year construction timeline. The conceptual drawings presented to the approximately eighty attendees included the retention of the pool in its current location while the remainder of the building would be completely remodeled.
The need for activities for children was a recurrent theme and city Alderwoman Natasha Cherry was credited with bringing the Friday Night Lights program to the Poughkeepsie Middle School where between 250 and 300 students can participate in a variety of activities, including swimming, on Friday nights.
School Superintendent Dr. Eric Rosser represents the district on the coalition and said “There’s a greater need for our children,” referring to the lack of space at the school. He indicated that the program would likely continue but noted that there is a need for a bigger facility.
The majority of the public that spoke at the meeting embraced the plan. The sole detractor and frequent common council critic, Laurie Sandow, criticized the makeup of the coalition, saying that the demographics of those involved do not match the demographics of the city. That statement drew harsh criticism from coalition members L’Quette Taylor and Satara Brown. Taylor replied saying “I am Poughkeepsie,” noting that he was born and raised here and works in the community every day. “Give the process a chance,” he added. Satara Brown of DAY ONE Child Development Center who works with hundreds of Poughkeepsie children during both her summer camps and at DAY ONE said “I like to think that I look like the children that I serve,” and chastised Sandow for making such statements.
Mayor Rob Rolison is pleased that progress is being made and called it “exciting” and indicated that he is looking forward to continued progress for the benefit of the city for years to come.
Dr. Pamela Edington, president of Dutchess Community College represents the college on the coalition. Of DCC’s involvement in the plan, Edington said, “The City of Poughkeepsie is absolutely critical to the mission of Dutchess Community College,” and noted that DCC has several programs in place in the city currently as part of the school’s push to make learning accessible to more residents.
“Dutchess County is committed to helping every child achieve success. We are excited to partner with a strong community coalition to develop a real community center in Poughkeepsie,” said County Executive Marcus Molinaro. “We believe this project and our financial commitment will make a real difference for kids and families – and the City overall!”
