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Ex-Psych Site Plans Hopeful
Source : Poughkeepsie Journal
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Date: 09.01.2005
Persistence should eventually pay off for the new owners of the sprawling Hudson River Psychiatric Center grounds off Route 9, but their plans to redevelop this key property will take time.
The Town of Poughkeepsie will have to work closely with the developers to see this ambitious plan to convert a former state property into a thriving community lives up to its potential. The site includes a Victorian-era administration building, flanked by two impressive wings, that has been vacant for decades. This National Historic Landmark building should be the centerpiece of the new development, which will feature a small hotel, townhouses, row houses, businesses and more.
It took about seven years for the developers, Hudson Heritage CPCR Ventures, to obtain the land and the dozens of buildings on it from the state. The negotiations were complicated. A number of environmental cleanups still must take place on the property, and it took time to determine the state's and developers' roles in these matters. Ultimately, the state sold 156 acres of land to the developers for $2.75 million, and each party will be responsible for capping a landfill on the site.
The state now operates a smaller psychiatric center off Route 9G. It has been steadily downsizing its larger psychiatric centers since the 1990s and moving more patients into community-home settings.
But the old state facilities remain off the tax rolls until private developers come along to reclaim the lands. At the former psychiatric center, a cluster of buildings has been steadily falling into a state of disrepair as these particular negotiations wore on.
Zoning Revisions Will be Sought
Since most of the property is zoned residential, the new owners want the town to create a more flexible zoning plan that gives them the opportunity to achieve their vision. The town will have to carefully review this idea once it is officially submitted.
Since the developers started negotiating with the state, the building climate has definitely changed in the Poughkeepsie area. Earlier this year, town officials approved a moratorium on large-scale residential construction, a ban that effectively will last at least until the end of the year. The town is working to update its master and zoning plans. Officials are correctly concerned about so much new development coming in at once, especially along the Route 9 corridor.
Hudson Heritage must hold true to its word that it will put a high premium on saving most of the old buildings and creating a good mix of uses, not just new homes. The developer is expected to spend from $150 million to $200 million to renovate buildings and prepare the property for reuse. At various steps, the public will have a chance to comment on these plans. So far, the developers have shown they are committed to this project and that they recognize the unique and historic property that is now in their hands.
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