A Port Jervis committee tasked with recommending projects to the state for consideration of the $10 million downtown revival grant heard selling pitches from 10 applicants on Aug. 31.
Transforming Port Jervis
Brett Gartner, the developer behind the project proposal with the largest price tag, presented his plan for a new five-story apartment building next to a retail hub on 103 Jersey Ave.“We have called this project ‘The Tunnel,’ a nod to the geography where the train meets the mountains,” Mr. Gartner said, noting that he seeks $2 million grant funding for the $9.2 million development.
The 26-unit building would also have vertical and rooftop gardens, greenery landscaping, bike racks, a parking lot, and commercial space.
Mr. Gartner and his wife have invested in Port Jervis for nearly a decade.
Committee member and local developer Jim Blanton commented that the project would beautify and transform Jersey Avenue, a relatively underdeveloped area in the city.
The other new development project is a proposed mixed-use residential building on 29 Front St.
Cory Puopolo, a teacher in the local school district and developer behind the project, said that he and his business partner plan to tear down the existing structure and build a new seven-story, 32-unit apartment building with storefronts. The construction would cost about $5 million, and he seeks $2 million in grant funding.
“It is currently a vacant building, and it is an eyesore for downtown,” Mr. Puopolo said. “We already talked to architects and engineers who can easily replicate it ... and make it look like an old building.”
“We are willing to make 10 to 12 units as affordable housing—affordable housing is very important for a diverse downtown.”
He said that some of the units might be co-ops.
Mr. Puopolo is also currently developing a seven-story downtown hotel.
Mr. Blanton said that he liked the idea of having co-ops on Front Street because having homeowners living in the downtown area would help transform the entire city.
Most other private projects proposed were for the redevelopment of upper levels of existing buildings into residential units, including 43 Front St., 11 Sussex St., and 13 Flower St.
Sean Donnelly, owner of Fox N Hare at 46 Front St., also proposed to renovate the upper levels of the building into commercial space and residential units.
Fox N Hare is one of the first businesses that moved into the largely boarded-up downtown less than 10 years ago and helped to foster the downtown revival momentum in Port Jervis.
Local developer Anne Rogers is working on turning the building at 22 Jersey Ave. into a multiuse space for retail shops, artist studios, art classes, coworking, and events. She hopes to receive about $400,000 in grant funding.
Johny Little, another local developer, and his wife, Roselle Little, presented their plan to renovate the building at 32 Ball St. and relocate a primary care clinic there.
A spokesperson for Switzerland-based IWG Partnership, the only presenting developer outside Port Jervis, proposed building a coworking space on the third level at 123 Pike St. The company seeks a $300,000 grant funding for the $400,000 development.
City Projects
At the committee meeting, Port Jervis Mayor Kelly Decker presented four city-sponsored projects totaling nearly $8 million in grant funding requests.The largest project proposed was for the improvement of Riverside Park with the addition of a new 100-car parking lot, a new pavilion, and new recreational facilities, such as a playground, a basketball court, a skate park, a mini-golf course, an adult fitness area, and new walking trails.
“This isn’t just any pavilion. This is a pavilion where people can have weddings,” Mr. Decker said. “It would have a full-fledged commercial kitchen as well as bathrooms that provide for events both at the pavilion and the nearby amphitheater.”
The park improvements are estimated to cost $5 million; the city plans to chip in $250,000, with the rest to come from the downtown revival grant funding.
Another big-ticket city project proposal was for the enhancement of the streetscape along Jersey Avenue, including the replacement of the sidewalks between Fowler and East Main streets, which would cost about $3 million.
The other two projects proposed were for the construction of public restrooms at the Ball Street parking lot and the installation of an at-grade crossing over the railroad at Fowler and Fourth streets.
DRI Process
In the next two months, the local planning committee will settle on a list of projects recommended to the state to be considered for the $10 million downtown revitalization grant.Committee members include the following: former Port Jervis Councilman Carl Hendrick; human resources professional Gwendolyn Glinton; health care professional Sophie Crawford-Russo; small-business owners Dejay Birch and Robert Bloomer; local developer Jim Blanton; Port Jervis Outdoor Club President Mike Ward; parish secretary Gina Torres; Salvation Army Port Jervis Corps Commanding Officer Scott Swires; engineer Joe Butto; lifelong Port Jervis resident Penny Jones; and Orange County Partnership Senior Development Officer Conor Eckert.
Mr. Decker and Orange County Community College President Kristine Young are co-chairs.
Three more committee meetings are scheduled for Sept. 28, Oct. 26, and Nov. 2 at the Youth Community Center on Pike Street.
A third and last public workshop is set for Oct. 19.
In the Mid-Hudson region, Middletown was the inaugural recipient of the DRI grant in 2016, followed by Kingston, New Rochelle, Peekskill, Haverstraw, Ossining, and this year, Port Jervis.
