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HISTORIC STRUCTURES
In the late 19th century, Poughkeepsie was a leader in whaling, brewing, and shipping, as well as paper, iron, and glass manufacturing. Some of the mills active during this time are now the subject of adaptive-reuse projects happening throughout the city. Two located in the central business district, Blue Collar Brewery and Mill House Brewing Company, are resurrecting Poughkeepsie’s brewing heritage. Mill House, which opened in 2013 as a restaurant and brewpub, is already expanding. It began distributing its beer in 2015, and will be opening a separate site for production and distribution in a once-vacant city property.
Another building from that era, the Bardavon 1869 Opera House, is the oldest continuously operating theater in New York. At the turn of the 20th century, acclaimed performers like Sarah Bernhardt and John Barrymore graced the Bardavon stage. Today, it’s home to the Hudson Valley Philharmonic and hosts performances by renowned artists like Tony Bennett, Kevin James, and John Legend.
The mid-20th century is also an important part of Poughkeepsie’s history. The o ces of the Poughkeepsie Journal, the oldest newspaper in New York and the second-oldest nationwide, are located inside a meticulously restored 1941 Colonial Revival building in uenced by the region’s rich Dutch history. The iconic eldstone building served as the CNN headquarters of its day.
Today, the Journal is being reshaped by its new publisher, Jim Fogler, a native of Dutchess County who returned in 2016 after working at newspapers across the Northeast. Fogler, who has said that his dream was to be publisher of the Journal, is energizing the Poughkeepsie Journal Media Group as it looks into the future of media with multimedia and the production of digital and print content.
The 19th-century manufacturing history of Poughkeepsie meshes well with its mid-20th-century industrial renaissance. Among the companies that call Poughkeepsie home are EFCO
WATERFRONT PLAN
For centuries, the Hudson River has provided Poughkeepsie with many bene ts, and it continues to be an unparalleled asset for the city. From 1895 to 1949, the Hudson played host to the Poughkeepsie Regatta, which was regarded as “the greatest one-day sporting event in America.” Today, the rowing history continues through the Hudson River Rowing Association—which operates the HRRA Boathouse and o ers rowing for all ages—and Marist College’s Cornell Boathouse. Constructed in the 19th century and renovated in 2009, the boathouse is now a dual-use building, with boat storage on the rst oor and event space on the second.
Also located on the riverfront is Poughkeepsie’s train station, which provides an opportunity for transit-oriented development. Dutchess County is leading the charge, in partnership with the City of Poughkeepsie and the Metropolitan Transit Authority, to develop residential and commercial units and to preserve parkland for community and social gatherings. This vision has a clear goal: to create a world-class waterfront for Poughkeepsie that links all the communities in the city to one another.
“We’re focusing on areas of the city that will accommodate growth,” says Poughkeepsie Mayor Robert Rolison. “We think our waterfront area, with its easy access to the train, is our best bet for redevelopment.”
Poughkeepsie’s plan calls for increased green space along the waterfront, along with the completion of One Dutchess Avenue, a development of 384 townhomes and condominiums on the former Dutton lumberyard site. The $80 million project will also include more than 13,000 square feet of commercial space and a public waterfront park. A greenway along the length of the waterfront would link to sections of the Hudson River Valley Greenway Trail System, which will ultimately connect New York City to the Federal Dam in Rensselaer County.
Restoration of the waterfront Kaal Rock Park is also included in the plan. Poughkeepsie Alliance, a group of business and community leaders inside and outside of the city, is helping spearhead e orts to restore the park. These e orts will connect the city’s main waterfront to both Main Street and the city’s southern waterfront. Development along the waterfront, from high-density housing to parkland, is key to the city’s economic future.
“People are moving back to cities for those reasons—being close to transit, being close to recreational venues and restaurants,” says Rolison. “When you’re down by that waterfront, one of the most beautiful rivers in the world is right in front of you. That’s an asset that can’t be overstated.”
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