POUGHKEEPSIE – Mayor Rob Rolison spoke at Monday’s meeting of the Common Council and told of a letter he sent to the 35 Montgomery Community Coalition, the name of the multi-agency group seeking to revive the property at the now-defunct YMCA.
According to Rolison, the YMCA Site Selection Advisory Committee recommended, and the City Administration agreed that the city move forward with a “due diligence” study. To that end, Rolison has requested additional information from the coalition, namely a business plan, to determine if the project can move forward as perceived.
In Rolison’s letter, he is seeking a list of all organizations that will be involved as well as their actual financial commitment to the project. The city is also trying to determine how the property ownership will be structured, the amount of the capital budget, and the actual source of the funds. The mayor has requested that the coalition provide a timeline for the design phase as well as the construction phase. When 35 Montgomery Coalition unveiled their plan in October, representatives of MASS Design Corp, the center of the coalition, indicated that the robust project would take at least two years to complete once all parties are in agreement as to the scope of the plan.
Rolison has told MASS Design that “City staff remain ready to assist you if you have more questions or seek any clarifications regarding this crucial step in the process.” The City has been actively seeking a use for the property since taking ownership of it. Calling the City’s timeline for action “ambitious” and “well-paced”, Rolison has requested that MASS Design Corp respond to the inquiry within ninety days.
