September 4, 2003
 

Steinhaus Helps City of Poughkeepsie to Announce 400 Block Project

 

Poughkeepsie… County Executive William R. Steinhaus joined Mayor Colette Lafuente today to announce the beginning of the 400 Block Project in the City of Poughkeepsie. The project, which began as a partnership between the County of Dutchess and the City of Poughkeepsie, is being developed by Pennrose Properties/Duvernay + Brooks.

The county is providing $370,000 to the 400 Block Project. This project will involve the construction of 54 rental units in three, 3-story buildings and 6,500 square feet of ground floor retail/commercial space. The project is located on vacant “in fill” land at 417-451 Main Street and will contain a mixture of one, two and three bedroom units with all units being affordable to households at 50-60% of the county’s median income. It is expected construction will begin in January 2004 with project completion scheduled for March 2005.

According to the County Executive, “I am pleased I was able to commit the county to this project in the beginning. The county, through the Department of Planning and Development, was contacted by Pennrose/Duvernay + Brooks in March 2002 regarding development opportunities in Dutchess County. I was pleased to host the developers for a meeting in my office, and asked our staff from our County Department of Planning and Development to give them a tour of potential city projects, including the 400 Block. Pennrose/Duvernay expressed interest in the 400 Block Project, so our county staff then introduced them to the city’s Development Director. At that time I knew it was in good hands.”

Steinhaus added, “It’s nice to see our vision come to results. I’d like to congratulate the city of Poughkeepsie, for seeing this project through. Over the past year, the city has made this project one of their top priorities, meeting with developers, planners and others to ensure the project met multiple needs in rebuilding Main Street. Most importantly, the needs of our families and Pennrose/Duvernay + Brooks has designed this block to contain a number of decent housing units for our lower income hard-working residents.”

Since the county’s initial funding of this project in March 2003 the project has also received $265,000 from the New York Federal Home Loan Bank and $2.8 million from New York State Division of Housing Community Renewal (DHCR). The County Executive noted, “The county’s early financial commitment to this project, through its HOME Investment Partnership Program, clearly demonstrated county support and helped attract and leverage these additional dollars to make this project a reality.”

The county’s funding of this project is just part of the county’s larger effort to encourage the revitalization of downtown Poughkeepsie. In the funding round that funded the Pennrose/Duvernay + Brooks project the county also provided $314,000 towards the development of 30 units of housing on the 300 Block by Jon Behrends and $71,100 to Hudson River Housing for a project on Mill Street.
 

Commissioner Judith Calogero, NYS Division of Housing & Community Renewal, Mayor Colette Lafuente, City of Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County Executive Bill Steinhaus (center), NYS Senator Stephen Saland and members of the City of Poughkeepsie Common Council break ground on Main Street’s 400 Block to celebrate funding rewards that will complete housing project by March 2005.

-end-