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City outlines downtown infrastructure and placemaking package including streetscape, Market Street two-way conversion and wayfinding
Summary
City officials presented a package of connected downtown investments — streetscaping for the 300 block of Main, a Market Street two-way conversion with stormwater upgrades, public plazas and a small projects fund — and asked the LPC to consider DRI support for matching and implementation; staff said CDBG will be used across projects and that some
City of Poughkeepsie development staff presented a coordinated set of downtown infrastructure and placemaking proposals and said they are seeking DRI support to complete elements that leverage federal CDBG, state EFC and other funding sources. Projects discussed included 300 Block of Main Street streetscaping, a Market Street conversion back to two-way traffic with stormwater infrastructure, a downtown public plazas and programming package, a small-project fund for building improvements and public art, and a branding/wayfinding campaign.
Europa McGovern, City Commissioner of Development, told the LPC the city expects to allocate a substantial portion of its annual Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) entitlement to the two large infrastructure projects over 2026–27 and that CDBG public-infrastructure funds historically compose over half the city’s CDBG allocation. McGovern cautioned that construction estimates for the 300 Block have risen from a consultant estimate of about $2.5 million to roughly $4 million and that the city can phase or scale elements such as the Crannell Alley pedestrian connector to meet budget constraints.
On Market Street, staff said the $10.4 million total project includes approximately $4 million of stormwater infrastructure improvements to separate stormwater from sanitary flow—work the city’s engineers say will reduce combined-sewer overflows and enable future private connections. McGovern said some elements (for example, traffic signals at state-controlled intersections) are not cost-reducible, while other streetscape items (bike racks, planters) could be scaled back or phased.
For downtown public plazas and Mural Square, city staff emphasized the role of programming and maintenance and said that a Business Improvement District (BID) on the cusp of forming would be an important partner for long-term maintenance and activation. For the small-project fund allocating grants to building owners and public art, staff said recipients would be expected to provide a 25 percent match and that the city would define application and evaluation criteria in advance; DRI funds cannot be used for long-term maintenance, staff noted, but projects with maintenance commitments would score more strongly.
On branding and wayfinding, staff said they plan an inventory and branding exercise before fabricating signs; the request would fund strategy work, sign fabrication and up to 30–50 larger wayfinding signs, with procurement and agency coordination to determine whether a local or regional branding consultant is selected. McGovern said the city’s existing PK Go brand provides a place to build from rather than starting a brand from scratch.
LPC members asked about community engagement, phasing, maintenance, BID roles and how the city would avoid duplicating recent investments. City staff said the projects are conceptual and that detailed community engagement would shape final designs and maintenance responsibilities; staff also said several projects have EFC or state planning funding already in hand for stormwater work.
