EPA $5 Million Brownfields Cleanup Grant to Revitalize Historic Family Services Building in Poughkeepsie
Poughkeepsie, N.Y. – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency celebrated a nearly $5 million Brownfields cleanup grant to clean up asbestos and perform other critical renovations at the Family Partnership Center in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. EPA Deputy Administrator Alyssa Arcaya, standing with state and local leaders, emphasized the significance of this grant, made possible by the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which allocates $1.5 billion to the Brownfields Program nation-wide.
“This EPA grant will help clean up asbestos, preserve this historic Poughkeepsie site, and ensure that the critical services provided by Family Services, Inc. continue to benefit the surrounding communities,” said EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. “The Brownfields Program grants, bolstered by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, is a powerful tool for revitalizing communities and promoting economic growth and job creation while supporting environmental health.”
"I am proud to have helped to secure this critical funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to clean up hazardous substances and inorganic contaminants at the historic Family Partnership Center in Poughkeepsie," said Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. "This $5 million grant from the EPA’s Brownfields Program will help ensure that residents can continue to access the essential medical, educational, and social services and programs offered by Family Services and its partners. I will continue fighting for more federal funding to safeguard the health and well-being of our communities and promote sustainable economic development across our state.”
“Family Services has forged a critical support system that uplifts Poughkeepsie families at the Center, and its impact is undeniable,” said U.S. Representative Pat Ryan (NY-18). “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. I’m grateful to have worked alongside community partners and officials at every level of government to secure these funds. I will keep fighting for the resources needed to complete this restoration and allow Family Services to continue expanding its invaluable work in our community.”
Family Services, Inc. will use the grant funds to clean up the Family Partnership Center located at 29 North Hamilton Street in Poughkeepsie. The 110-year-old cleanup site was formerly a Catholic and a public high school. Grant funds will support asbestos removal, building renovations, and the preparation of a public involvement plan and community engagement activities.
Family Services, Inc. bought the building in 1997. The building currently houses Family Services, Inc. and 20 public and private service organizations that provide food and housing support, medical and dental care, mental health services, crisis intervention, education, recreation and enrichment programs to the community. The important cleanup project will ensure environmental justice and the continuation of critical services for residents in Poughkeepsie and surrounding communities.
“The Family Partnership Center has been a beacon of hope and support in Poughkeepsie for decades. This EPA Brownfields grant represents a critical investment in our community, enabling the building to remain a safe and welcoming space for the vital services that over 20 partner organizations provide to our neighbors,” said Leah Feldman, CEO of Family Services. “We are deeply grateful for this support, which will strengthen our ability to meet the critical needs of residents and support everyone’s right to thrive.”
This grant is part of the EPA’s ongoing efforts to support economically stressed communities in New York and across the nation. EPA’s Brownfields Program provides essential resources to help communities clean up and redevelop contaminated properties, attracting jobs, promoting economic revitalization, and creating sustainable, environmentally just neighborhoods.
Thanks to the historic $1.5 billion boost from the Biden-Harris Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA’s Brownfields Program is helping more communities than ever before transform sites and address the economic, social and environmental challenges caused by brownfields and stimulate economic opportunity and environmental revitalization in historically overburdened communities.
EPA’s Brownfields Program advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to ensure that 40% of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. The Brownfields Program is committed to meeting this goal and advancing environmental justice and equity in all its work.
For more information on EPA’s Brownfields Program visit EPA’s Brownfields webpage.
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