SCHUMER, RYAN SECURE NEARLY $5 MILLION FOR POUGHKEEPSIE FAMILY PARTNERSHIP VIA THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW TO CLEANUP HISTORIC BUILDING AND ACCELERATE TRANSFORMATION OF OLD HIGH SCHOOL INTO VIBRANT NONPROFIT HUB FOR THE COMMUNITY

Poughkeepsie Family Partnership Center Took Over The Old High School Nearly A Decade Ago, To Transform It Into Hub For Dozens Of Nonprofits & Families To Receive Vital Community Services From Healthcare To Youth Programs – But The Aging Structure Still Needs Many Major Renovations, Including Cleanup Of Toxic Asbestos

Funding Is Part Of $18+ Million In Fed Funding for Brownfield Sites Across NY, With Poughkeepsie As The Largest Single Award In NY; New $$ Build On $1 Million Schumer & Ryan Secured This Year For The Family Partnership Center In Congressionally Directed Spending

Schumer, Ryan: Cleanup And Reuse Of These Community Eyesores For The Hudson Valley Begins Today!

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Congressman Pat Ryan today announced they have secured $4,970,806 for Poughkeepsie Family Services to accelerate clean up and renovation of the 110-year-old Family Partnership Center’s building through the EPA’s federal Brownfields program, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law.

“Poughkeepsie Family Services has a vision of revitalizing the vacant high school into a pillar for support for our children and families, and now that complete transformation is taking another major step to becoming a reality.  I was proud to deliver $1 million earlier this year to jumpstart many of those renovations, but the building is old, with asbestos still present and in need of many major repairs to create the welcoming hub our Poughkeepsie families need to thrive. That is why I am so proud to deliver this major investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law. This funding isn’t just helping cleanup the historic building, it is laying the foundation for a brighter future for our families across Dutchess County,” said Senator Schumer. “The Brownfields program has had tremendous success in transforming sites like this into areas of new growth and these dollars will help accelerate cleanup and redevelopment efforts at the Center. I am proud to deliver this federal investment to revitalize our communities and will always fight for a brighter and cleaner future for the Hudson Valley.”

“Weeks ago, we came together to cut the ribbon on the newest renovations at the Family Partnerships Center and I’m proud that this nearly $5 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding, along with the $1 million I secured earlier this year, will help further the rehabilitation of the building,” said Congressman Pat Ryan. “Family Services has forged a critical support system that uplifts Poughkeepsie families at the Center and its impact is undeniable. That’s why I’ve fought tooth and nail for these funds and will keep fighting for the resources that it needs to complete this restoration.”

Poughkeepsie Mayor Yvonne Flowers said, “The City of Poughkeepsie has the opportunity to be a thriving city.  We are diligently working on plans to redevelop areas of our city to provide a better quality of life and better services for all our residents. The $4.9 million grant to Family Services Inc. to rehab the Family Partnership Center property will help toward the City of Poughkeepsie's overall redevelopment plans. I want to thank Senator Schumer and Congressman Ryan, for their diligent efforts to ensure redevelopment funding is available for communities like the City of Poughkeepsie.  Congratulations, Family Services Inc.   I am looking forward to seeing the new improvements to the FPC in the near future."

Leah Feldman CEO for Family Services said, "We are thrilled to receive such a significant investment from the EPA to further our dedication to environmental justice and responsibility. It is extremely meaningful to have the support of Federal partners, especially Senator Schumer and Congressman Ryan in our commitment to safety and in furthering our mission of creating healthier and safer communities for generations to come."

Schumer and Ryan explained the nearly $5 million in federal funding will clean up the Family Partnership Center located at 29 North Hamilton Street in the City of Poughkeepsie. The 110-year-old cleanup site is located on 4.5 acres of green space and was formerly used as a Catholic and a public high school. As is common with buildings of that age, it has many sections which are contaminated hazardous substances notably asbestos. The funding remediate and abate the asbestos across the Family Partnership Center campus to help build the needed infrastructure for the long planned build out of the facility.

The Family Partnership Center helps house services for many local nonprofits and programs including CMedtraining, Comunilife’s Life is Precious Program, Dutchess Community College, Dutchess Outreach, Planned Parenthood of Greater New York, the Poughkeepsie Performing Arts Academy and many more.

This funding builds on the $1 million in federal funds for Family Services that Schumer and Ryan secured earlier this year as Congressionally Directed Spending requests to complete additional renovations of the Family Partnership Center and further expand its capacity to assist Poughkeepsie families.

The EPA’s Brownfields Program recently announced that 178 communities are selected to receive their funding through the competitive Multipurpose, Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund (RLF), and Cleanup Grant Programs. In total, 13 communities across New York are expected to receive over $18 million in funding to combat brownfields. The Agency also announced non-competitive supplemental funding to several existing RLF grant recipients who already achieved success in their work to clean up and redevelop brownfield sites. RLF grants provide funding for recipients to offer loans and subgrants to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites.

Schumer’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act included billions of dollars in funding to remediate contamination of sites throughout Upstate New York. This funding includes $1.2 billion for the Brownfields competitive grants and $300 million for Brownfields categorical grants to support the development of and progress being made under state-led Brownfields efforts. This investment in EPA’s Brownfields Program aims to spur revitalization in communities large and small, urban and rural to keep their areas healthy and sustainable.

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