POUGHKEEPSIE – A Dutchess County Legislative committee will consider a plan to spend roughly $630,000 to purchase the land underneath and surrounding Dutchess Stadium, as well as the Intermodal Transportation Facility from the current owner, the Beacon City School District. The committee will discuss it Thursday evening.
The land under and around the stadium has been rented by Dutchess County since the stadium was built more than two decades ago. The county makes an annual rent payment to the school district for the use of the land.
In pitching the proposal, County Executive Marc Molinaro said, “Owning the land under Dutchess Stadium is logical and necessary. Thanks to the residents and officials of the Beacon City School District, Dutchess County will finally own the land this Dutchess County park was built in. This provides us the long-term security of a property that will produce millions of dollars in taxpayer benefit thanks to Beacon schools – and our partners the Hudson Valley Renegades and NY Yankees!”
The school district has agreed to sell the 33 acres to the county for just under $630,000. Molinaro plans to use federal funding received from the American Rescue Plan to complete the transaction.
Democratic Minority Leader Rebecca Edwards said that her caucus received the proposal Monday night at 5:30 p.m. “We’ll be reviewing the proposals and submitting some questions, and we look forward to presentations and discussion on Thursday,” said the lawmaker.
Republican Legislator Doug McHoul, who represents Fishkill, considers the deal a home run. “This is a win-win for everyone. Not only will the county save money through the property acquisition, but we are also able to use federal funding in order to prevent an increase in county taxes. More importantly, the school district walks away with $627,000, which will have a direct impact on the kids from the City of Beacon and Town of Fishkill who attend Beacon City Schools.”
