The City of Poughkeepsie has released the submissions it received regarding the development of a prominent 14-acre site on the city’s southern waterfront.
The city created a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) for the DeLaval site, which takes its name from the former owner and occupant of the site, the DeLaval Separator Company.
The site is the last parcel with undeveloped acres on the city’s waterfront, with spectacular views of the Hudson River and the Highland bluffs of Franny Reese Park.
The city’s goal is to identify qualified developers/organizations that have the experience and financial and design/construction capabilities to be able to successfully complete a redevelopment project.
The city received two submissions — one from Chai Developers, LLC, Bernard “Berry” Kohn, the other from Southern Waterfront Development, LLC, Joseph Bonura, Jr. Today, the city is opening up a 30-day public comment period on the proposals.
“We are grateful to the developers who have stepped up and have expressed interest in this key project,” said Mayor Marc Nelson. “This site has been dormant for far too long and is an essential parcel to create a seamless waterfront that connects destinations along the city’s Hudson shore.”
Over the years, the city has completed a number of visioning exercises concerning the site and arrived at the overarching goal of creating an anchor on the southern waterfront — providing public space and water-related uses, driving tourism to bolster the local economy and complementing existing waterfront assets, such as Waryas Park and the Walkway Over the Hudson.
Kohn’s proposed development plan calls for the creation of a city-owned park that would span the full length of the western edge and provide a paved pathway for pedestrian access along the riverfront portion of the site. The applicant outlined a number of “bump-out” locations along the promenade to accommodate a wide range of public uses along with the construction of a dock suitable for motorized and non-motorized watercraft accessible to the public.
Commercial development would be focused on two buildings located at opposite ends of the site, with the centerpiece including a signature 12-story hotel and conference center. The hotel would include 136 rooms as well as a wide range of luxurious amenities. The site plan also calls for the construction of a private marina along with an outdoor event space that could be utilized for public performances. Additionally, the proposal calls for the construction of a three-story commercial building that would host a diverse array of events designed to generate year-round activity.
Bonura’s submission envisions the project as a public-private partnership between the city and Bonura Hospitality Group. The developer proposed to divide the site into two parcels allowing for both a dedicated riverfront park space and an inland commercial development. The hallmark feature of this project would be a riverfront promenade that would include a public walkway spanning the entire waterfront portion of the site. In addition to providing north-south pedestrian access to the buildings and site amenities, the promenade would have lighting, benches and landscaped areas available for leisure and recreation. Additional public space also would include an amphitheater along the southern end of the site, public parking and a kayak/canoe launch adjacent to a large public boat dock.
In addition to the public uses described above, this project would feature approximately 30,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space with roughly 25 market-rate rental units above. The project also calls for the construction of a six-story residential building with approximately 110 units on the southern end of the site.
Public comments about the proposals must be sent by June 7 to development@cityofpoughkeepsie.com.
City officials said the RFEI may lead to a Request for Proposals (RFP) process that may result in an award of a preferred developer to negotiate a Development Agreement that will delineate the terms and conditions for a development.