Although four groups hoped to use the former U.S. Army Reserve site at 25 Oakley St., ultimately the City of Poughkeepsie Industrial Development Agency could select only one.
Acknowledging the decision had been “tough,” the IDA, chaired by Mayor Nancy Cozean, voted 3-2 in favor of a proposal from the city’s Department of Public Works for the 3.3 acre parcel and 11,400 square foot main building. Supporters said that saving taxpayer dollars weighed heavily in their decision.
The task of finding a use for the federally-owned site fell to the IDA after the building was scrapped in a 2005 in a recent round of military base closings that have been ongoing since the 1980s. Federal authorities have final word on plan approval for the facility.
Three other groups in addition to DPW filed a notice of interest in the parcel: Hudson River Housing proposed to create housing for the homeless; Beulah Baptist Church wanted to create a Christian school for grades pre-K through third; and private gage-making company Dorsey Metrology International hoped to expand its location on Oakley.
IDA members said they found merits in all the proposals. Cozean said she found that “all the projects have the ability to sustain good growth” and board member Frank Mora (a former Common Council chair) called the choice “one of the toughest decisions” he has faced in public service.
DPW proposed moving its utilities and water divisions, which currently occupy double-wide rental trailers at the compound on Howard Street, into the space. The city’s engineering department, also in rented space, could relocate to the former Army facility, as well. Supporters said the proposal would save taxpayers $70,000 in rent on top of the estimated $4 million cost of building and bonding money for a new space for DPW.
Another consideration, according to Cozean, was the city’s crime-fighting efforts. The site borders College Hill Park, where criminal activity has been a problem. Use by DPW carried security benefits, according to Cozean.
DPW plans to seek a public conveyance. If approved, the city won’t have to pay the federal government for the site, which has an assessed value of $1.4 million. All of the groups except for Dorsey also planned to apply for conveyance, which requires sponsorship from a federal agency, to obtain the site for free. It is not yet known whether a conveyance will be granted.
The IDA’s two dissenting board members, Mora and council member John Tkazyik, said Dorsey was the better choice because the business would create jobs and preserve industry.
“This is an industrial area. We don’t want to lose our industrial base,” said Mora.
Jacki Brownstein, executive director of the Dutchess County Mental Health Association and co-chair of a countywide consortium on homelessness, said the city should have made housing for the homeless a greater priority. A federal law mandates that local redevelopment authorities consider and balance the needs of the homeless along with economic development and other community needs when finding uses for surplus military properties.
“I’m disappointed,” said Brownstein, adding she was “not surprised.”
“It’s unfortunate,” she said. “Here we thought we had a unique opportunity … for permanent housing for the homeless,” said Brownstein, noting the provision in the federal law.
Cozean emphasized the city’s existing efforts to provide affordable housing, saying the city was already “quite good” in that area.
In selecting a use, the IDA considered the federal homeless housing provision as well as its own feasibility analysis. Those criteria included the financial capability of applicants and economic, environmental and site impacts. A project’s ability to bring jobs, its implications for the tax base, infrastructure requirements and traffic impacts were all considered.
The IDA also sought the input of an outside consultant and the Northside Redevelopment Advisory Committee, which recommended DPW as its top choice. In the consultant’s study, DPW also “seemed to come out ahead” according to city planner Jeremy Doxsee, “mostly because of its potential for cost avoidance.”
The U.S. Congress enacted laws governing the closure of military bases in the 1980s and continued to tweak them into the 1990s. As massive military bases – some hundreds of thousands of acres with dozens of buildings – began to close during military downsizing, Congress established a procedure for putting redevelopment into the hands of local authorities.
IDA board member and city administrator James Marquette said the “process was designed for larger facilities” than the 11,400-square foot Oakley Street building, which also has a 3,000-square foot garage.
Former council member John Lawrence voted with Cozean and Marquette in favor of DPW.
Use of the facility, officially known as the 2nd Lt. Glen Carpenter U.S. Army Reserve Center, had been declining over the years. Most recently it was used for training by an Army Reserve medical unit. It had also been used by an Army Reserve engineering unit in the past.
Next steps include a meeting on Aug. 15 at 3 p.m. for the IDA to review the draft plan and a public hearing on Aug. 29 at 3 p.m. on the third floor of City Hall.