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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 22, 2004

SCHUMER, CLINTON SECURE $250,000 FOR RENOVATIONS TO THE LUCKEY PLATT BUILDING

Funding part of FY 2005 Omnibus Appropriations Bill

US Senators Charles E. Schumer and Hillary Rodham Clinton announced today that Congress passed the FY2005 Omnibus Appropriations bill which includes $250,000 for the City of Poughkeepsie for renovations to the historic Luckey Platt Building. The funding was included in the VA-HUD Appropriations section of the bill. It is expected that the bill will be sent to the President in the coming weeks for his signature

"When I went on an economic development tour of Poughkeepsie with Mayor Nancy Cozean and other local officials on January 15th of this year, the Luckey Platt building was one of the new Mayor’s top priorities," said Schumer. "I want to see the federal government support the city’s efforts to create a public-private partnership that will restore the former department store to its place as the cornerstone of a lively downtown Poughkeepsie and a revitalized Main Street."

"The Luckey Platt Building is a significant landmark, not only for its place in architectural history, but for its place in the history of Poughkeepsie. We are so fortunate to have this wonderful piece of heritage in downtown Poughkeepsie and I am committed to doing everything I can to preserve it for future generations," Senator Clinton said. "We have to do everything we can to preserve our heritage and to show the world the wonders of this region. I am pleased that these funds will help us do just that."

The historic 19th-century former Luckey Platt department store is a complex of several buildings located on Main Street. Most prominent is a five-story classically inspired building on the corner of Main and Academy streets.

"We are so grateful to Senators Schumer and Clinton and our Congressional delegation for understanding the importance of the rehabilitation of our downtown area and especially the importance of anchoring our downtown with such historic buildings as the Luckey Platt," said Poughkeepsie Mayor Cozean. "This is a bellwether for a very positive future for the city."

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