Youth Opportunity Center Set to Move Into 35 Montgomery Street
The old YMCA building at 35 Montgomery St. in Poughkeepsie sat vacant for over a decade — but on Wednesday, March 3, plans advanced to once again provide youth programming at the abandoned locale.
The Common Council of the City of Poughkeepsie convened for a special meeting to discuss the property’s future use. Situated four blocks from Main Street and near the public library, the old building became the primary focus of the 35 Montgomery Coalition, whose proposal won in the city’s “Request for Expressions of Interest” process in 2019. Their proposed project, tentatively titled a Youth Opportunity Center, seeks to fill a void in the community.
“The lack of resources to support young people growing up in Poughkeepsie is a detriment to the city and the people who live here,” Timmian Massie, a lifelong Poughkeepsie resident and member of the coalition, said.
County Executive Marc Molinaro said that Dutchess County has pledged to bond for $25 million for the project, emphasizing that it would be “taking ownership of the property, not the idea.” Now, with the county’s commitment and other partners aligned, Poughkeepsie Mayor Rob Rolison said now is the time to move the project forward and “show the community that we never forgot about that place.”
The city’s review of the property deemed the building unsafe and determined that it must be demolished. MASS Design Group developed the conceptual design for the new structure, envisioning more than a new building but rather a campus on the property.
Inside, the building would boast an indoor pool, gym, playground, and recreational facilities as well as health and therapy services. The YMCA of Kingston and Ulster County has already teamed up with the coalition, lending its services to resurrect youth programming for county residents.
DAY ONE, another partner, plans to host its 24-Hour Child Development Center and early childhood education services in the center. The campus will also serve as a home-base for the county’s “Path to Promise” youth services program, launched in 2017.
The coalition actively seeks more community partners and funding for the project. Molinaro indicated that the ultimate cost may exceed the $25 million already pledged; Massie predicts double that. For 5th Ward City of Poughkeepsie Councilmember Yvonne Flowers, the county’s involvement raises concerns about the center’s longevity.
“What guarantees do we have that later down the road, we don’t have a county executive like Marc Molinaro and we don’t have a mayor like Rob Rolison and all of the sudden things start to change?” While Molinaro emphasized the county’s commitment, community concerns about the cost remained.
Members of the coalition hope that an agreement between the county and the city will emerge within the next two months and that the old building will be demolished by summer. From there, determinations about who will operate the center will come to the fore. But for Massie, the organization in charge is far less important than the outcomes produced. His family has lived in Poughkeepsie for two centuries. He calls this his legacy project.
“Whether you’ve been here for 200 years or you’ve been here for two months, it’s an opportunity for this community to come together on a project that will have a dramatic and lasting impact on children, teens, and adults well past any of our lifetimes,” Massie said.
