City to hear revival plan for Main St.
A plan to revitalize the Main Street area of the City of Poughkeepsie will be presented Monday at city hall.
Staff with Pace University Land Use Law Center will share their ideas and recommendations with Poughkeepsie Common Council. The 5:30 p.m. meeting is open to the public.
“Hopefully, through their suggestions and recommendations we, as a council, can look to passing resolutions supporting their ideas on revitalizing Main Street,” said council Chairman Robert Mallory, D-3rd Ward. “Or, we can use those recommendations to work with the county and local businesses to revitalize the area.”
The Pace law center staff two years ago began studying how the city could reduce its number of vacant and abandoned properties.
“They were integral in creating an inventory of our abandoned and vacant properties,” said Paul Ackermann, city corporation counsel.
In conducting its research, the Pace staff determined what would have “the biggest impact on bringing these properties back to life is to strengthen (the) downtown core,” he said.
One suggestion by Pace to strengthen or revitalize the Main Street area is to improve public transportation there, Ackermann said.
Mallory, who recently met with Pace staff, said another idea to foster development is by amending land-use regulations.
“They talked about the zoning of the Main Street area and the possibility of changing it,” he said.
Once Common Council adopts a plan based on the Pace proposals, the university staff will help the city secure funding to implement their suggestions, Ackermann said.
“They are going to assist in leveraging funding opportunities,” he said.
John Davis: jpdavis@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4807, Twitter: @JohnDavisPJ
IF YOU GO
Pace University Land Use Law Center will present a plan to revitalize the Main Street corridor at 5:30 p.m. Monday at Poughkeepsie City Hall, 62 Civic Center Plaza. More information is available at 845-451-4200 or online at www.cityofpoughkeepsie.com.