Dear Editor,
I am responding to Mr. Anonymity’s comments about the Carnival’s presence on the Southern Waterfront in the city of Poughkeepsie known as the DeLaval site and how it has drawn the ire of residents of the Hudson Pointe complex. I too live at Hudson Pointe and while I understand and respect his feelings, not all residents of Hudson Pointe agree with him. I am pleased about its presence along with many of my neighbors.
He states that “for years the city has wanted to have someone build a waterfront park here and instead we’ve got a carnival that began raising dust the minute setup began”. Here is a bit of history about past events at the site that he is apparently not aware of that raised a lot more than dust. In 1987,the City held its tricentennial celebration on the site. This event led to the birth of Riverfest, a festival that drew between 50,000 and 70,000 people to the site from 1987 to 1992. In 1994 an event called Summerfest was held on the site. A Balloon Festival was held there in 2015.
In the early 2000’s the City approved the development of three two story buildings for commercial and retail use. In 2015 the developer, in light of changing market conditions, changed his plans and announced he was going to build a 3 story residential building. Shortly thereafter I helped create the Poughkeepsie Riverfront Partnership, a 501(c)(3) Corporation to advocate for prevention of residential development on the DeLaval site. Our mission is dedicated to preserving, enhancing, and transforming the Poughkeepsie waterfront as a vibrant cultural, educational, ecological, and recreational experience for residents and visitors.
On April 5, 2021, the Southern Waterfront Redevelopment Task Force was inaugurated upon appointment of 11 members, who were selected by the Mayor and the Common Council. The resolution creating the Task Force cited the city’s priority to “take maximum advantage of the former DeLaval site’s location and sizable area (appx. 14 acres) to realize a landmark for the benefit of the City, its residents and visitors.”
The reports recommendations were unanimously approved by the members, one of whom is a resident of Hudson Pointe, on September 1,2021.
The members of the Poughkeepsie Riverfront Partnership’s board of trustees and advisors extend our thanks to Frank Costello, CEO of the Dutchess Regional Chamber of Commerce, for bringing the carnival to the waterfront and for his personal involvement in site cleanup and for adding to the quality of life for a diverse mix of socio-economic families.
Robert Phillips
President & Co-Founder
Poughkeepsie Riverfront Partnership, LLC
