POUGHKEEPSIE – The Poughkeepsie Common Council and members of the public, Wednesday night, were given a virtual presentation of the progressing plans to re-develop the Poughkeepsie YMCA that has been shuttered since 2009.
The latest update involves the city’s potential sale of the three-acre parcel and structure to Dutchess County for $10, in order to move a $25 million re-development commitment from the county forward.
The city took ownership of the abandoned property in 2019. Shortly after, Mayor Rob Rolison and the city put out a Request for Expression of Interest, seeking proposals for ideas to develop a recreational and cultural facility, with a focus on a youth/community center.
The building has been deemed unsafe and the city is not financially capable of developing the property without community-based partners.
The city had received a few proposals, with the most notable being submitted by the 35 Montgomery Street Coalition. In November of 2019, 35 Montgomery was the only proposal ready to proceed. The partnership is made up of several stakeholders including Community Matters II, the YMCA of Kingston and Ulster County, MASS Design Group, Day One Early Learning, Dutchess Community College, Dutchess County, and others. The proposal was delayed when the COVID-19 pandemic struck in March of 2020.
The YMCA of Ulster County and Kingston is a partner offering assistance, and its president, Heidi Kirschner, said the goal of all Y’s is to strengthen the community.
“There are three areas that we have as causes at every single Y. One is youth development and that seems to be a real common theme throughout this whole presentation. Number two is healthy living and the third is social responsibility,” she said.
Under local finance law, Dutchess County must have ownership of the property to finance the $25 million development project through municipal bonding. If the common council approves ownership by the county, the transfer of the property and bonding would then go to the county legislature for final approval. The council is expected to receive the official resolution seeking the transfer in the coming days. If approved by the city, the resolution would then head to the county for their vote.
The first phase of the project would transform the property into community green space while design plans proceed for the youth center and other community benefit services on the more than 3-acre property. By all accounts, the safest and most efficient way for the redevelopment to occur requires the existing YMCA to be demolished and turned into a temporary park-like setting before the new facility can be brought to fruition.
Councilman Evan Menist represents the Second Ward where the future project will rise and announced that he is in full support of the ownership transfer and pledged his assistance in seeking grant funding opportunities to move the project forward.
