News
August 11, 2005
Zoning shift sought for psych center
Developers show plan outlines
By Michael Valkys - Poughkeepsie Journal
The new owners of the former Hudson River Psychiatric Center site want Town of Poughkeepsie officials to create a new historic revitalization development zone at the massive Route 9 property near Marist College.
Arnold Moss, a principal with developer Hudson Heritage CPCR Ventures, said Wednesday the new zoning would allow the project, seven years in the making, to move forward.
"Preserving the historic landscape as the core of a new community," Moss said when asked for Hudson Heritage's goal for the site.
Benefit for tax base
Supervisor Joseph Davis said town officials will scrutinize any plans.
"We're all waiting with anticipation on what it is," Davis said of Hudson Heritage's revised plan for the property, which he and the town board have yet to formally discuss.
The town board must approve any zoning change at the site, which now allows for single-family homes. Plans outlined by Hudson Heritage at an editorial board session at the Poughkeepsie Journal Wednesday call for:
- A 60-room hotel.
- A 65,000-square-foot supermarket.
- More than 780 housing units featuring a combination of row houses, cottage-style townhouses and apartments.
- Office and retail space.
Development of the site would dramatically change the town's northern Route 9 corridor and potentially add hundreds of students to the nearby Hyde Park school district. Residents of the Fairview Fire District, believed to be the highest taxed fire district in the state, could benefit from the property's addition to the tax rolls. The district is home to two major tax-exempt institutions, Marist College and St. Francis Hospital.
Restoring a landmark
Alex Reese, another Hudson Heritage principal, said preserving the historic main administration building and renovating it would likely be the first phase tackled by the firm. The expansive lawn on the property leading toward the Hudson River would remain open space.
"A lot of that building is in a state of collapse," Reese said of the main structure, where work has already begun to temporarily cover gaping holes in the roof that allow interior water damage.
But he said the 19th century historic structure is worth preserving.
"It's completely unique in the Hudson Valley," Reese said. "I don't think any- one wants to see this site fall further into ruin."
Hudson Heritage officials said the site could add as many as 1,600 residents to the town. Construction would take place in phases over seven to 10 years.
Hudson Heritage closed on the property in March, five years after the state announced it had a contract to sell it. The developer paid $2.75 million for the sprawling, 156-acre property and could spend between $150 million and $200 million for renovations and construction.
The psychiatric center remains open off Route 9G on property not included in the sale.
Added jobs, residents
Hudson Heritage acquired more than one million square feet of existing buildings on the former campus, which was once a community unto itself with a fire department, churches, a bowling alley and more.
Some of those amenities will be preserved, although Hudson Heritage officials said it is likely the Cheney building, the center's main hospital for the second half of the 20th century, would be demolished.
The property became available after the state closed or downsized its psychiatric centers in the 1990s. At its peak operation in the 1950s, the center housed more than 6,000 patients.
Supporters of the development say it will bring construction jobs and customers for local businesses while providing needed housing. Others are concerned about traffic along the already heavily traveled Route 9 where hundreds of Marist students cross on foot each day.
Hudson Heritage officials said they will work with the town and community to address any concerns during the approval process. Informal meetings with residents and the developer could begin next month.
Michael Valkys can be reached at mvalkys@poughkeepsiejournal.com