Plans by the military to auction a sought-after Poughkeepsie facility that has gone unused since 2007 are moving forward following an Oct. 3 appeal by Sen. Charles Schumer.
In response to Schumer”™s overtures and repeated urging by the city of Poughkeepsie and Dutchess County officials, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. General Services Administration said they will hold a public auction of the Carpenter U.S. Army Reserve Center Nov. 15.
A report commissioned by the City of Poughkeepsie Industrial Development Agency (IDA) estimated that the sale of the 3.3-acre, 14,800-square-foot property to a private entity could result in the creation of at least 50 jobs in the near term.
To date, at least six organizations have submitted formal notices of interest to city officials regarding the property, including a high-tech manufacturing firm hoping to expand its footprint in Poughkeepsie.
Despite companies”™ interest in acquiring the property, five years had lapsed since the Army Reserve Center was designated for closure by the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission with little to show for it.
“The federal government cannot waste any time bringing the former Army Reserve Center in Poughkeepsie to public auction while high-tech companies stand at the ready to boost the Hudson Valley economy,” Schumer said in an Oct. 3 statement. “For five years, the closed Army Reserve Center has collected cobwebs, while Dutchess County taxpayers and businesses lose out on a potential hub for next-generation technology.”
Poughkeepsie Mayor John Tkazyik said it is a critical time to “enhance that manufacturing and industrial base here in the city.”
“We”™ve been waiting patiently, and so have the interested parties and those in the high-tech manufacturing field who have expressed interest in being here ”“ especially at a time when we need to get people back to work and to create jobs,” Tkazyik said. “This is a critical time and we cannot afford any more delays.”
The city will collaborate with Hudson Valley Economic Development Corp. (HVEDC) to host at least one open house event toward the end of the month for prospective buyers, Tkazyik said.
The Nov. 15 auction, set for 10 a.m., will have an “open outcry” format, with the highest bidder coming in over $150,000 walking away with the rights to the property.
While the city has not disclosed the identities of the businesses that have expressed interest in acquiring the property, Ted Luty, president of Dorsey Metrology International Inc., has publicly discussed an interest in the property.
Located just a block away from the Army Reserve Center, Dorsey Metrology manufactures high-tech measuring devices and gauges.
According to a statement from Schumer”™s office, Luty has said Dorsey Metrology would immediately hire up to 10 new employees and could expand to up to 50 new employees over the course of a few years, should it acquire the Army Reserve Center property.
HVEDC President Mike Oates said in a statement that the property has the potential to be an “economic engine” for the city and the region, and cautioned against further delays.
“Further delay of the public sale could allow the building to fall into disrepair, or worse, force the companies to find immediate and more reliable space outside of Dutchess County,” he said.
