BEACON, NY—New York State's Empire State Development Corp. has issued a Request for Expressions of Interest to developers and investors to formulate plans for the reuse and redevelopment of the shuttered Beacon Correctional Facility here.
The 39-acre site at 50 Camp Beacon Road contains 22 buildings totaling approximately 108,000 square feet. Located one mile from downtown Beacon and 70 miles from New York City, the Beacon Correctional Facility was vacated in 2013 as part of the state's initiative to decommission and consolidate a number of underutilized correctional facilities across New York State.
The property was originally operated as the Matteawan State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. The site began operations as a correctional facility in 1981 and was decommissioned in the fourth quarter of 2013 by the Department of Correctional Services and Community Supervision.
According to the RFEI the state is prepared to allocate up to $6 million in grants from the State and Municipal Facilities Program in connection with the redevelopment of the property.
“With a central location, strong transit access and abundant cultural resources, this site presents a unique opportunity for development in the Hudson Valley region,” states ESD president, CEO, and commissioner Howard Zemsky. “We look forward to reviewing proposals that create new jobs, stimulate local economic growth and bolster the community.”
The majority of the 39-acre site is within the City of Beacon's R1-40 zoning district that sanctions the permitted principal uses in that zone as detached single-family residences or municipal uses. A portion of the site that falls within the Town of Fishkill is part of that municipality's Planned Industry zone and has permitted uses that include executive and administrative offices, scientific research, engineering or design laboratories, industrial, warehousing or manufacturing use, recreation and cultural activities, outdoor storage, and resource extraction, removal and processing.
State officials note in the solicitation that the City of Beacon and possibly the Town of Fishkill are expecting to rezone the site in connection with the proposals received in the RFEI. The respondents to the RFEI therefore are not required in their proposals to adhere to the current zoning limitations that now exist for the site.
“Respondents, instead, are encouraged to optimize existing zoning and propose zoning solutions that will support maximum economic impact and community benefits and the generation of new jobs for the surrounding area,” ESD stated in the RFEI.
ESD will use responses and recommendations generated by the RFEI to later issue a Request for Proposals. Responses to the RFEI are due by 12 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 15th.
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John Jordan
John Jordan is a veteran journalist with 36 years of print and digital media experience.
