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Poughkeepsie
WALKWAY OVER THE HUDSON
Of all the adaptive-reuse projects in the county, none may be as impressive as the Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park.
Built in 1889, the Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge was a vital part of the nation’s transportation infrastructure during America’s late 19th- century industrial heyday. More than a mile long and crossing 212 feet above the Hudson River, the multispan cantilever truss bridge was considered an engineering marvel, carrying freight trains between industrialized Northeastern cities and the Midwest.
In 1992, advocates began discussing restoring the bridge, which had been unused for 18 years, as a pedestrian walkway. These activists mounted an intensive outreach campaign, and with funding from the Dyson Foundation, the state and federal governments, and other sources, bridge restoration work began.
Today, the Walkway is the longest pedestrian footbridge in the world. Its economic impact on Dutchess and Ulster counties—including its indirect impact, which accounts for employees spending money in other sectors—is $24 million and 383 new jobs annually. It sees 500,000 visitors each year, pedestrians as well as cyclists, and is the site of charity races and special community events. It also links the Hudson Valley Rail Trail in Ulster County with the Dutchess County Rail Trail, ensuring greater collaboration between counties and added health bene ts for the region’s residents.
The Walkway Over the Hudson proves that adaptive reuse can lead to an internationally renowned economic engine for Dutchess County and the Hudson Valley.
“You have history bu s, you have hikers, bikers, and walkers, you have people who want to enjoy the scenic beauty, people who appreciate the environmental impact,” says Elizabeth Waldstein-Hart, executive director of the Walkway Over the Hudson. “People come from lots of di erent perspectives to the Walkway, and I think that tells you how the repurposing of old structures can pay dividends for the future.”
business, which focuses on high-end architectural and art pieces, moved its production operation from Brooklyn to Poughkeepsie in 2016. Its owners needed more production space, and personally, room to breathe and grow their families.
“We found the right property in Poughkeepsie,” says Markusen-Weiss of Fourth State Metals. “We like the fact that it has a lot of really good bones and potential for the future. We also chose Poughkeepsie because it’s just a beautiful place to live.”
Fourth State collaborates with other manufacturers and fabricators, and has brought fellow Brooklyn business RUSHdesign to Poughkeepsie. Facing higher costs and lack of space in Brooklyn, the company, which specializes in multi-disciplinary design, engineering, and fabrication, has found room to grow in Dutchess County.
The increase in business and manufacturing is leading to a need for more residential housing, with new development now spreading throughout the city.
FOCUS ON MIDDLE MAIN
One of the city’s more ambitious recent development projects is the $7.2 million restoration of the Poughkeepsie Underwear Factory in the Middle Main Street area. Built in 1874 and used as a garment manufacturing plant, the three- story, 22,000-square-foot factory is being converted into a multiuse space.
North River Roasters, Poughkeepsie’s only resident co ee roaster, will operate a production facility and café in the factory. The building will also include studio apartments; artist work studios; a shared-use commercial kitchen for chefs, caterers, educators, and food truck operators; and an education and event space for corporate gatherings and weddings. Hudson River Housing, which is spearheading the project through its group Middle Main, is creating more than a dozen jobs with the Underwear Factory project.
“We really think it’s key to the community that it brings it back from
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