Poughkeepsie waterfront plan nears state review as city seeks grant for De La Val/DeLaVall site and reviews nearby proposals

The City of Poughkeepsie’s waterfront planning work moved closer to final city review on Sept. 3 as the Waterfront Advisory Committee discussed a near‑final Local Waterfront Revitalization Program and a state grant application to support planning for the De La Val site. City Planner Richard Distill said the LWRP and appended mapping are in their final editing stage and will be submitted for the state’s 60‑day review in the coming weeks.

The LWRP matters because it establishes local policies and a framework the city will use to review waterfront proposals and to qualify for certain state funding. “The Fallkill LWRP was put out to bid a week and a half ago,” Distill said, and he told the committee staff would send members a copy when the package goes to the state for review.

Distill also told the committee the city submitted a Consolidated Funding Application this summer for planning work at the De La Val site. The CFA request was for “a little bit over a million dollars,” Distill said; the city expects to hear back in December. If awarded, the grant would fund a larger, consultant‑led planning process intended to broaden public engagement and to produce a cohesive redevelopment strategy for the property.

Committee members were told two nearby properties — 9 Duchess Avenue and 141 North Water Street — have requested pre‑submission workshops with planning staff and board chairs. The meetings are intended to clarify application documentation, LWRP requirements and the materials applicants must bring to planning and WACC review. Distill said those workshops will occur later in the week and that materials will be circulated to WACC members once submitted.

A separate, smaller project involving a children’s museum expansion also is in the pipeline. Distill described the Discovery Museum proposal as a lease‑based use of a city parcel adjacent to Juarez/Morris Park for an interactive outdoor exhibit and playground. He said the item likely can be approved through a staff‑level planning review but will still come before the Waterfront Advisory Committee for advice under the LWRP.

Committee members used the discussion to press for a holistic approach linking the riverfront to downtown. Waterfront Advisory Committee member Mark Valente described the riverfront as an economic and cultural asset and urged coordinated planning to support Main Street businesses, arts and events. He and other members suggested city staff and committee members study comparable riverfront turnarounds such as Chattanooga’s, and to explore outreach to corporate partners, including IBM, for sponsorship of waterfront events.

Members also discussed riverfront amenities and connections already identified in city plans. Cal Rock Park was described as a potential natural amphitheater that could host performances with the Hudson River as a backdrop; the Cal Rock Connector has funding for engineering and design studies and is listed in the city’s capital improvements list, members said.

Next steps reported to the committee were procedural: staff will send the LWRP package to members before it goes to the state for the 60‑day review, will hold pre‑submission workshops with the two developers, and will circulate incoming application materials to WACC members. The CFA award decision is expected in December, and committee members said they will look for formal proposals and public submissions after those steps.