Hudson Heritage – Hudson River Psychiatric Center

Community Preservation Corporation is currently completing an adaptive reuse and infill design of an abandoned NYS Psychiatric Center in the Town of Poughkeepsie.

The project involves intensive coordination with numerous local, regional and state agencies in ensuring the design of the facility maintains this historic significance of the property while at the same time creates inviting pedestrian orientated retail space.

The design of the new facility with Loony Ricks Kiss incorporates a new Urbanism Design and includes commercial, office, residential, multi-family and active/passive recreational facilities. The site is listed as a National Register Landmark site and strict involvement with the New York State Office of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation was necessary.

Further challenges to the design included the existence of an underground tunnel system which was a historical path for the transfer of patients from building to building and also contained the sites chilled water system. Numerous historical buildings contained hazardous materials including lead, asbestos and combustible items. Although most of the structures were planned for adaptive reuse, many structures had fallen in disrepair and were unable to be salvaged.