FISHKILL – A developer working with New York’s Empire State Development (ESD) is slated to put more than 1,000 apartments at the former Downstate Correctional Facility in Fishkill. The prison was shuttered in 2022, leaving the 34 buildings on the site vacant. The parcel is 80 acres and the buildings account for 558,000 square feet on Red Schoolhouse Road.
The state issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking a purchaser willing to redevelop the former maximum security prison. The RFP placed a strong emphasis on housing in a mix of unit sizes and affordability ranges and made $8 million in incentives available to eligible respondents to address remediation and demolition costs.
This week, representatives of ESD briefed state and local elected officials on the proposal submitted by Conifer Realty LLC, which has been conditionally selected by the state to repurpose the prison and bring 1,300 housing duplexes and triplexes to the prison.
The 10-year project will be done in phases with the first phase of 325 housing units being built starting in January 2026.
Twenty percent of the total housing will be “permanently affordable” for those who make less than 80 percent of the Area Median Income.
the project is expected to employ 200 construction workers.
“The former Downstate Correctional Facility represents an incredible opportunity to build the housing New Yorkers need, revitalize this community, and reimagine what’s possible on state land,” Governor Hochul said. “With this proposal, we are bringing the recommendations of our Prison Redevelopment Commission to life and turning this former prison into affordable new homes and vibrant community space that will serve generations of New Yorkers in Dutchess County and beyond.”
Fishkill Town Supervisor Ozzy Albra immediately objected to the plan, telling Mid-Hudson News ,”I found the plans unacceptable regarding the number of housing units being proposed as well as several other issues. The town and the state will discuss the plans further, as this project requires significant changes, further planning, and much more input from the Town.” Albra raised the issue of the major traffic impact that would be created on Red Schoolhouse Road, which is the only road that services the former prison.
Conifer Realty, LLC is a national, full-service real estate company specializing in the development, construction, management, and ownership of affordable housing communities. The company maintains offices in New York, New Jersey, Boston, and Maryland, while expanding into new markets across the Eastern Seaboard, to fulfill the pressing need for affordable housing. The company has developed more than 21,000 affordable housing apartments across more than 300 residential communities.
