The city of Poughkeepsie is undergoing a renaissance of sorts and the restoration of the historic river city will be aided by a new development director.
Laura E. Wojtowicz, currently the director of planning for the town of Poughkeepsie will take up her new city post July 28.
“Laura is a perfect fit for our city,” said Mayor John C. Tkazyik. He noted she had almost 17 years experience in planning, development and zoning issues and added, “She lives here she knows the city and she loves the city.”
He said she will offer the city both experience and an ability to work with various specialists and teams to accomplish goals and solve complex issues. “I feel that she will be able to work well with potential developers and bring business back to the city. We need to revitalize the downtown area, and I have full confidence that Ms. Wojtowicz will complete that task.”
Wojtowicz was on vacation prior to starting her new job, but the mayor said they were in accord regarding the challenges and opportunities facing Poughkeepsie. The riverfront has lately been revitalized, a process that is continuing with the rehabilitation of the DeLaval site, for example, a former farm manufacturing machinery facility that once employed 2,000 people and now is being converted to a riverfront plaza with offices, restaurants, shops, a marina and a walkway.
But Mayor Tkazyik said that redevelopment in the historic center of the city is also proceeding apace, and that a prime challenge of the new development director will be to link the activity in a coherent and beneficial way. “We have to enhance the revitalization so that we have an even flow of development along the river front and midtown so it ties in together.”
Along those lines, he said the city is seeking to bring a supermarket to midtown and also anticipates the completion of the Luckey Platt building restoration as a mixed-use anchor facility downtown. He said that the Metro-North station is assessing expanding its parking facility, a move that would open more on-street parking around the downtown. And the city has received a $600,000 state grant to begin planning the rebuilding of the Cottage Street enterprise district.
Wojtowicz”™s task will in one sense be a simple one. “We need someone that is going to be proactive and business friendly,” said Tkazyik. “Make people aware we are open for business and shout from the rooftops all the good things happening in Poughkeepsie.”
