State Issues RFP for 320-Acre Site in Dutchess County
The campus is currently used for administrative functions of the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities, which occupies four buildings on the site as well as the on-site power plant. In March 2017, ESD issued a Request for Expressions of Interest for the site.
ALBANY—Empire State Development Corp. issued a Request for Proposals for the redevelopment of a portion of the former Wassaic Development Center in Dutchess County.
The RFP released on Monday calls for development proposals for the approximately 320-acre remaining portion of the Wassaic Development Center in Amenia, NY. The residential portion of the campus was closed in 2014 that at its peak housed 5,500 residents with development disabilities.
The campus is currently used for administrative functions of the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities, which occupies four buildings on the site as well as the on-site power plant. In March 2017, ESD issued a Request for Expressions of Interest for the site.
The property that is the subject of this RFP is located at 26 Center Circle and consists of approximately 320 acres, including nine acres of ground floor area constituting approximately 740,000 built square feet. The buildings were constructed between 1927 to 1950. The Tenmile River Metro North station is located at the entrance to the property.
RFP responses are due Sept. 28 and an optional site visit is scheduled for July 30.
State officials say that respondents are invited to propose mixed-use development plans that may include, but are not limited to, lodging and event space; residential, commercial and cultural uses; and agricultural or other seasonal land uses.
“The Wassaic Campus presents a tremendous development opportunity in the Harlem Valley,” says ESD president, CEO and commissioner Howard Zemsky. “The site’s proximity to thriving tech and cultural resources, strong transit networks, and the Harlem Valley’s natural scenic beauty present exciting potential. We encourage respondents to submit creative responses that stimulate vibrant community and economic growth in the region.”
The ESD has divided the site into five parcels. Parcel 1, located at the northern part of the site totals 34 acres and is mostly wetlands. It includes four well houses and a pump house that supply water to the entire site.
Parcel 2, located at the eastern part of the site, houses a recreational/lodge building. The parcel is approximately 10 acres and is accessed via a gravel road that begins on Parcel 1 and traverses private property courtesy of an easement. Webatuck Creek runs at the southern portion of Parcel 2.
Parcel 3 contains a residential home that was once the home of the center director and totals approximately four acres and is situated at the end of a secluded cul-de-sac. Parcel 4 contains the majority of the site’s buildings and is anticipated to be the primary area for redevelopment on the site and totals approximately 188 acres. Parcel 5, separated from Parcel 4 by the Metro-North tracks contains a wastewater treatment plant and two closed landfills. A cemetery is also on this 86-acre parcel.