Is the Rebuilding of the Hudson River State Hospital Connected to a Larger Trend of Gentrification?

By Jake Harris

In an era in which architecture has become increasingly brutalist, corporate, and made for efficiency, the former Hudson River State Hospital represents an ethereal flashback of an older time. Built in 1873, The massive gothic structure housed many of the Hudson Valley’s psychiatric patients throughout the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries respectively.

In recent years, large prison-like asylums to hold the mentally ill have become more obsolete in the field of mental health treatment, as a result, large psychiatric facilities have been downsized to fit more specific needs for patients.

In 2007, a fire as a result of a lightning strike on the property caused one of the largest fires in the history of Dutchess County. This was just one of many factors that led to the decision to turn the structure from an abandoned one, into a rebuilt one.

Gentrification is when urban, working-class residential areas are bought out by wealthier individuals which in turn increases the cost of living and has the potential to force out long-term residents. Many of these cities were former hubs of manufacturing and industrialization before a large amount of these jobs were shipped overseas for cheaper labor.

Kelly Hawks of Poughkeepsie talked about the opportunities the project can bring, “I think it’s a good idea, like anything there are pros and cons but it will be good for the local stores.”

In 2021, the local government released an assessment of the overall housing needs in the city. The assessment found that the city is experiencing a housing crisis and is witnessing increases in costs. Residents are spending on average thirty percent of their income on rent.

The Hudson Heritage Project aims to turn this unused land into a complex consisting of hotel space, business, and medical campuses, as well as apartments. Throughout the past year specifically, you can see how they are picking up pace. Throughout the day, numerous construction workers are seen turning years of architectural designs and sketches into a reality. The hospital itself is one of the last major areas of the Hudson Heritage Project that is yet to be rebuilt. The land to the right of the hospital has already been turned into a retail complex consisting of Burger King, CVS, Starbucks, and ShopRite.

With this, will the Hudson Heritage Project be positive for the City of Poughkeepsie? An important aspect to remember is that no housing was demolished to build the complex. The land that belonged to the psychiatric institution had been abandoned or declining for decades in advance.

The project has estimated itself to bring 500 million to the local economy, and bring an increase in tourism from outsiders to help businesses. The hotel complex may provide an upstate traveler with an incentive to spend money local to the area.

Christine Jablonski of Poughkeepsie emphasized the complexity of the issue, “It will bring more jobs and as a result more people will be able to work, it also looks nicer and is more appealing. It is inevitable that more competition for land will lead to higher prices overall. Humans can sometimes be overly individualistic, we don’t take into account how influxes in housing and businesses affect the people who are already there.”