The original roof of the Poughkeepsie train station is getting an overhaul. And not a moment too soon.
“I hate to characterize it this way, but this is really overdue,” said Marjorie Anders, spokesperson for Metro-North Railroad. “The first time we tried to do this project, (the proposal) included upgrades for the windows and doors as well. But when nobody bid, we broke it into two separate projects.”
GEM Construction and Restoration of Union City, N.J. will conduct the $5.8 million restoration, which will include new clay tiles, cornice, gutters and waterproofing. The building will also get a long-awaited upgrade to its sewer system.
“Any improvement on any public property is important,” said Charlie North, the president of the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce. “In my opinion our train station is the last stop and the best stop on Metro-North. We’re not at the end of the line. We’re at the beginning of new things.”
The 33-month project is expected to kick off in August. The work will begin with the peaked canopy above the new staircase from the center island platform to the Main Street bridge.
The canopy has been fitted with a state-of-the-art rubber roof and covered over with clay tiles to ensure that it remains historically consistent with the rest of the station. Work will begin on the front of the roof in early 2010. A separate contract will be awarded in two years to upgrade the station’s windows and doors.
“A station like this is gorgeous,” said Anders. “It’s a treasure and our legacy. Not to mention that it’s extremely functional. The last time I checked, the Poughkeepsie station was used by 1,800 people per day. And that number is always going up.”
“It’s a commuter hub,” added North. “It’s the connector. This is not just about Poughkeepsie. People use this station from all over Dutchess County. And it’s also a key stop for Amtrak. It’s really the center of the commuter universe in our area.”
History abounds
“A lot of people don’t know that our station was designed by the same people that did Grand Central,” said North. “That’s a very special signature for this region.”
In the early 20th century, the architectural firm of Warren and Wetmore was hired to design a train station for Poughkeepsie that would communicate the city’s burgeoning sense of civic pride and rising cosmopolitan status. The firm chose to model the design after Grand Central Station, which had been completed just a few years earlier.
After five years of vigorous construction, the new Poughkeepsie train station was unveiled in 1918. The building has remained intact since then and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
“The train station is the focal point of transportation in our area and it’s one of our historic showcase pieces,” said City of Poughkeepsie Mayor John Tkazyik. “We’re proud to have it here. We definitely strive to maintain our beautiful historic structures and preserve them for as many years as possible.”
“Grand Central’s roof has been restored and it stands to reason that its contemporary in Poughkeepsie needs to be replaced too,” said Metro-North President Peter A. Cannito in a press release. “As stewards of these legacy buildings, Metro-North intends to bring the Poughkeepsie Station back to its former glory.”
Cannito also noted that the Yonkers Station, which was also designed by Warren and Wetmore in 1911, was restored in 2004.
“Poughkeepsie is a center for the arts and tourism and now it will again be a center for the commuter,” said North. “It’s also such an artistically beautiful building. And this kind of improvement will not only be good for the station, but also for the surrounding communities.”
“These stations are gems,” added Anders. “They’re art.”