Scenic Hudson has opened the doors of its new Northside Hub offices, which were crafted from a deteriorated industrial site at 58 Parker Ave. in Poughkeepsie. The site for almost 80 years was home to the Standard Gage Company, which manufactured measurement tools. The company closed in 2002.
Scenic Hudson describes Northside Hub as the latest in a series of projects to harness the potential of underused areas for the local community. The nonprofit notes that it was a major supporter of turning a no-longer-used 1889 railroad bridge into the Walkway Over the Hudson, now the world’s longest elevated pedestrian bridge and a tourist attraction. Just down the road, the organization protected a former rail corridor that now, as Dutchess County’s Northside Line, offers a path to bike and walk across Poughkeepsie. Scenic Hudson is working with partners to increase public access to Fall Kill Creek, which runs behind the Northside Hub site.
Scenic Hudson points out that Northside Hub is now on the National Register of Historic Places. Improvements to the building include: a new ventilation system that provides up to twice the amount of fresh air as does a traditional system; a terraced park with native plants on what used to be a paved brownfield area; angled solar panel and timber canopies that provide shaded parking and, together with rooftop solar, produce more than enough electricity to power the entire site; a three-story atrium that works as an “air chimney” to help pull fresh air through the building and unifies the two main factory structures; stormwater control that keep all rainwater on-site; community resources including an auditorium, an open-air pavilion, green spaces, exhibition space that will be available for events beginning this January, as well as office space for local organizations and businesses.
The project’s design and construction was led the nonprofit architectural firm MASS Design Group and Consigli Construction Co., Inc.
“When Scenic Hudson was first introduced to this property, its shattered windows and polluted grounds were the picture of neglect, but we also saw a special place with a promising future,” Scenic Hudson’s President Ned Sullivan said. “On the factory floors where the Standard Gage Company once manufactured cutting-edge instruments during much of the 20th century, we’ve started a new chapter of innovation.”
Scott Cruikshank, project executive at Consigli Construction, said, “The Northside Hub presented a unique challenge: honoring the historical significance of the Standard Gage factory while integrating innovative, cutting-edge sustainable design. Our team is honored to have played a key role in the historic restoration and cleanup of this site, creating a space that respects the past while building a greener, more resilient future.”
Poughkeepsie Mayor Yvonne Flowers said that it means “so much to the local community to have this vibrant building and safe space open for anyone to gather, network, and dream up inventive ways to create that thriving city that we’re all longing for.”
