The Poughkeepsie Planning Board has issued a negative declaration of environmental impacts for a proposed apartment and commercial development at 654 Main St. The development would use part of the existing parking lot serving the Market Fresh supermarket.
The applicant, Jay Diesling of Mauri Architects, was planning to go before Poughkeepsie’s Zoning Board of Appeals to seek certain variances for the project following issuance of the negative declaration. The property is owned by EFDS Realty, which is located in Newburgh. It was expected that the Planning Board would conduct a public hearing on the site plan in July.
According to Diesling, the owner would like to subdivide the property into three parcels. The property covers approximately 2.92 acres. No work is proposed to the existing grocery store, Market Fresh and it would occupy one of the parcels. The remaining two parcels would each have a new multifamily building.
A lot fronting on Main Street is proposed to contain a three-story mixed-use building. There would be at ground level 2,200 square feet of leasable retail space and one 1-bedroom accessible apartment. Floors two and three would have six apartment units: two 2-bedroom units and four 1-bedroom units.
The last lot, fronting on Reynolds Avenue, is proposed to have a three-story apartment building with 28 apartments: 14 studios and 14 1-bedroom units. There would be site improvements that include upgraded parking layouts with islands and landscaping, pedestrian walkways, open yards for the residents, and new lighting.
Diesling said that the application and project are privately funded by the owner and no outside funding or grants will be used. The application shows that the estimated cost of the project is $6 million.
It was emphasized to the Planning Board that the parking lot currently is underutilized and that the project would transform what is an area of asphalt into a plus for the city. Many of the grocery store customers are walk-ins. The parking lot would be shared by the grocery and the new buildings.
