Town of Poughkeepsie, New York

T he Town of Poughkeepsie, New York is a community in transition. The largest town in Dutchess County, this thriving community of 44,000 has several major developments underway and has set a plan to repurpose its older and underused properties to help bolster an already bustling area. “We’re very busy,” says Michael Welti, Director of Municipal Development for the Town of Poughkeepsie. “There’s a lot of construction going on in the town, and some very exciting development projects that are underway or that are in the pipeline. So, I think it’s a good time for us.” Their biggest new development is the Eastdale Village project, off of Route 44. “It’s basically building a whole community,” says Jon “Jay” Baisley, Poughkeepsie’s Town Supervisor. “It’s a village setting with walkable streets, there’s a medical facility and over 300 units of housing currently under construction.” The development will also include about 40 spaces for businesses – five of which are already up and running. “It will be mostly small, locally-owned restaurants, clothing stores, and many other interesting amenities,” Baisley adds. On the west side of town is the Hudson Heritage Project – a 156-acre, mixed-use site “It’s a good time for us” OWN OF psie, New York