Halted since Aug. 25, restoration work resumed over the weekend at the landmark Luckey Platt building on Main Street.
George McGann, the city’s building inspector, issued the stop-work order last month when the building’s developer, Queens-based Alma Realty Corp., failed to obtain work permits for the next phase of renovations at the long-vacant structure.
That order was lifted late last week when new permits were granted.
Plans for the building include 135 apartments, stores at the street level and a second-floor café. The city sold the dilapidated building to the developer for $1 earlier this year after spending more than $1 million to stabilize it after a partial collapse two winters ago.
The city’s planned purchase of the waterfront Hoffman House property from Central Hudson, thrown into doubt in August, appears to be back on track.
Central Hudson Gas and Electric Corp. spokesperson Denise Van Buren said that the other bidder for the Hoffman House property has dropped out of negotiations, but there is still no final arrangement between the city and Central Hudson.
“We are still in discussions for the sale with the city,” she said. “No contract for the property has been signed yet.”
Mayor Nancy Cozean said she is hopeful the $765,000 purchase will go through. “This is such an important acquisition for the city,” she said, adding that the property could play a key role in increasing public access to the waterfront, cleaning up the Fallkill Creek and building a new reservoir.
Firefighters are investigating a house fire that left eight people homeless over the weekend, according to the fire chief.
Firefighters responded to a call around 10 a.m. on Saturday morning, discovering a fire in a second-floor bedroom at 16 Roosevelt Ave. All eight people inside the two-family structure were safely evacuated by the time firefighters arrived, and the Red Cross was on hand to assist them in finding temporary housing.
Chief Ken Boyd said an investigation has revealed that the fire started in the bedroom and was confined to that room, which was so badly damaged that it has been difficult to determine the cause of the blaze. “It appears accidental at this point,” he said.
The rest of the house sustained smoke and water damage, but Boyd said it would be inhabitable after repairs were made.
Dutchess County Legislator Robert G. Rolison (R-City/Town of Poughkeepsie) will be addressing the Dutchess County Mayors and Supervisors Association’s monthly meeting on Oct. 6. Rolison will discuss the county’s efforts in managing its sex offender population. Rolison is a member of the Dutchess County sex offender project.
“It is essential that Dutchess County have the cooperation of its mayors and supervisors as we move forward in the implementation of more coordinated efforts between the county and the local governments,” said Rolison.
Rolison and the Sex Offender Management Project have conducted community forums throughout Dutchess County since October, 2004.
The forums have provided useful information to the community on how to keep their children safe. Rolison plans to introduce legislation that will establish a citizens advisory committee on sexual assault modeled after the successful citizen’s advisory committee on domestic violence.
Rolison said, “We must do everything in our power to ensure one of our most vulnerable populations, that being our children, are protected from sex offenders.”