Preservationworks: Hudson

08/21/2026

Sharing this event that is coming up at the Poughkeepsie Public Library. Registration opens Monday, August 24 at 10AM.

This program will be about the history of the site and not the redevelopment.
https://facebook.com/events/s/hudson-river-state-hospital-an/2932585430439863/

08/20/2026

Update on what's happening now.

The site's security has been ramped up big-time. They are installing double layers of fence, have security guards and a drone, and are working with the Town Police. That's great and all, but it is TOO LATE. We've lost almost everything but the shell of the Main building and its wings.

Note: the library, Amusement Hall, and Avery Chapel were spared from the fire and are still to be saved and reused. Additionally, the Firehouse and Laboratory building reamin untouched by the fire, but their future remains uncertain.

These security measures have been something we have consistently requested and suggested since 2015. The developers said the measures wouldn't work, but they seem to work now. I speculate the Town Hall, Police, and Fire depts finally demanded something from the developers. The Town said they will not issue demolition permits without a plan to secure the site and a real plan submitted by the developers for the future of the site.

Since 2013, when the developers bought the site, there have been at least four major fires that have occured at the site. The taxpayers paid to put each of those fires out through the tremendously hard work of our firefighters. In a recent news article one of the developers said that they want a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) deal, and not getting one has prevented them from proceeding with the project. A PILOT would also put the burden on taxpayers for an extended period of time.

Now that the Main building is just an empty shell, are the developers saving money on remediation compared to pre-fire conditions?

At the present, the Town is discussing with the developers plans for moving forward for new residential units. At the last proposal the developers presented, approximately 546 units are to run along Hudson Heritage Drive (formerly Hudson View Drive) on the Shoprite side of the road. That is 546 of the previously approved 750! What we are not seeing is what will happen to the north campus.

If the bulk of the housing in the original approved plans were to be located in the north campus, you can bet the developers (and the Town?) are gonna want to pack it full with more residential. So now instead of 750 units, I would guess AT LEAST 1000 total for the whole site. The Town is very pro-housing right now. They just passed a new zoning law that for every 100 units of residential built, 10% have to be affordable. I don't know what is being considered affordable or how that will be managed.

And what of the Administration Building and the North Tower? They were supposed to be saved and reused (prior to the fire). At my suggestion, the Town has asked for a 3rd party engineering study be done on the structures to see if the shells can still be reused and new construction built inside them. The developers have agreed to a study BUT they are using their own engineers AND THEN the Town can hire a 3rd party engineer (paid out of the developers escrow) to review their study! I asked what would happen if the two studies do not agree and was told we'll have to wait and see.

There have been a lot of talks recently between the developers, the Town Planner and Supervisor's office about the future of the site. Public hearings haven't been on the agenda, and I'm not sure there will be any. We will have to wait and see what the developers present next and can only react then.

That's where we are now. A lot of questions I cannot answer.

- Yvonne Laube

06/30/2026

Another short article from News12.

https://hudsonvalley.news12.com/developer-surveys-fire-damage-at-former-hudson-river-psych-center-seeks-tax-relief-to-keep-renovation-project-alive?fbclid=Iwb21leASxIhFjbGNrBLEiCGV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHkc1GB2Mpjp7nBgPemio4ehicJwNzIwqdZNGOXfaJSA-nXEbHmF9WS5aTNQr_aem_PfgFs0tVj2izOJ9ImtDs4A

Before the fires, Ed Elanjian and his partners asked for a property tax break and permission to build more homes than originally planned to help cover asbestos removal, increasing construction costs and any demolition.

06/30/2026

The Poughkeepsie Journal released a new article this morning and it includes comments from the developer/owner, Ed Langian of EFG, as well as comments from Robert Kirkbride and the Nurse's Alumni, all of which seem encouraging.

For those who don't subscribe to the Journal, see comments.

After a fire tore through the historic Hudson River Psychiatric Center, preservationists, former staff and developers are fighting to save the landmark.

06/12/2026

A new article from Times Union:

Psych Center fire raises questions about redevelopment plans, cause https://share.google/DlKulX3RYxGz5hWoI

If you cant read it, try: https://removepaywalls.com/https://share.google/CJBKLuLEggXOT8mH1?fbclid=IwT01FWASY2tFleHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAwzNTA2ODU1MzE3MjgAAR6H8jfuj6w0mBnz7thY8lACp6YjQ8GFdS-aQG6_W8g_NSBhbFG4DUxah5sX6w_aem_fYAPXr3g8uR9qNyj7sYr5Q

As investigators search for the cause of the blaze, preservationists and developers hold out hope the landmark campus isn’t a total loss.

06/10/2026

The Town Historic Preservation Commission has issued the below letter to the Town Board and Planning Board:

To the Town of Poughkeepsie Town Board and Planning Board,

The Town of Poughkeepsie Preservation Commission writes with a profound sense of concern regarding the devastating fire at the Hudson River State Hospital site. We extend our sincere gratitude to the first responders and Town departments whose extraordinary efforts helped contain the fire under extremely challenging circumstances.

As a Commission whose members collectively possess decades of experience in historic preservation, architectural history, and the history of the Town of Poughkeepsie, we feel compelled to state unequivocally that the Administration Building should not be deemed a total loss until it has been evaluated through a comprehensive, independent third-party engineering study. In August 2023, John G. Waite Associates provided an independent structural analysis of the North Tower and North Wing at HRSH: with that benchmark and their familiarity with the site, they should be able to provide an accurate and reliable comparison to their previous and fairly recent report.

Historic masonry structures of this scale and significance have repeatedly been restored following catastrophic damage. Across the country, preservation and redevelopment projects have demonstrated that substantial portions of historic buildings can be retained and rehabilitated, even when their interiors have been severely compromised.

One notable example is the former Kirkbride-plan hospital in Danvers, Massachusetts [image shown]. Following extensive deterioration and partial demolition, the exterior masonry shell was preserved and incorporated into a successful redevelopment project. Today, the property—known as the Bradlee Danvers—has been transformed into residential housing, including reconstructed wings, while retaining its historic character. The project was completed through the strategic use of historic preservation incentives and tax credits.

Closer to home, Wyndclyffe [Image shown] in Rhinebeck, New York, offers another compelling example. After standing as a ruin for decades, the historic brick shell of the mansion is now serving as the foundation for an extensive restoration effort and reconstruction of the interior.

These examples demonstrate an important principle: catastrophic damage does not automatically preclude preservation.

The Administration Building is not simply another structure. It is the architectural and historic centerpiece of one of the most significant sites in the Town of Poughkeepsie. Its importance to the Town's identity, history, and cultural landscape demands that every reasonable preservation option be thoroughly explored before irreversible decisions are made.

Further, it is often overlooked in local news coverage that Hudson River State Hospital is a National Historic Landmark and not merely “a historic site.” Only 3% (about 2500) of the 90,000 sites listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places are recognized as National Historic Landmarks, and Hudson River State Hospital is one of five Kirkbride Plan Hospitals on that list, now at risk of erasure.

Opportunities may still exist to utilize federal and state historic preservation incentives, including National Historic Tax Credits. Additional preservation funding opportunities may become available through the State and future grant programs. Such possibilities cannot be properly evaluated without first determining the building's structural viability through professional analysis.

For these reasons, the Preservation Commission strongly urges the Town Board and Planning Board to require an independent third-party engineering assessment of the Administration Building before any determination is made regarding its future.

The Commission stands ready to assist in any way possible. We owe it to future generations to ensure that decisions regarding this irreplaceable landmark are guided by expert analysis, not assumptions made in the immediate aftermath of a tragedy.

A PDF copy of this letter has been attached for your records.

Respectfully, Town of Poughkeepsie Historic Preservation Commission.

John R. Pinna, Chair, and Town Historian
Commissioners:
Yvonne Laube
Christopher Sterbenz
Chuck Agro
Dan Fannon
Coleen McCarthy
David Dengel

06/09/2026

We often get asked how to gain access to patient files because their relative was patient at the Hudson River State Hospital (Psych Center). Currently, NYS has any Office of Mental Health records sealed in perpetuity (forever) citing HIPPA laws which make impossible to gain any knowledge about a loved one or distant relative.

There is a new law in the works and it is close to being passed. It would allow access to patient records who have been deceased for 50 years or more.

Dr. Ryan Thibodeau has been championing this bill and invites New Yorkers to help support it:

"The bill now goes to the Governor’s Office for a signature (we hope!). Would you be willing to write a letter, send an email, or make a call in support of the bill? If you are, please reference: “S4713A(Fahy)/A3733A(Bronson), which designates records and information relating to a patient who has been deceased for a period of fifty years or longer as historic records no longer subject to privacy protections.”


Governor’s Office Contacts:

Mailing address:
The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of New York State, NYS State Capitol Building, Albany, NY 12224

Email: see contact form at https://www.governor.ny.gov/content/governor-contact-form

Phone: (518) 474-8390

Thanks, all! Feel free to invite others in your circle to send messages in support, as well."

Ryan Thibodeau, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology
Licensed (Clinical) Psychologist, New York State
Board Vice President, NAMI Rochester

The official website of the 57th Governor of New York State, Kathy Hochul. Find information about the administration, issues, & news that affects you.

06/08/2026

An interview with Yvonne Laube, Town of Poughkeepsie Historic Preservation Commission (and PreservationWorks volunteer), and Town Supervisor, Rebecca Edwards.

A National Historic Landmark in Poughkeepsie, the former Hudson River Psychiatric Center, went up in flames again Monday morning, after an initial fire last week tore through much of the 200-acre p…

06/08/2026

A statement from the developer, Ed Elanjian:

THE DEVELOPER OF HUDSON RIVER PSYCH HOSPITAL JUST ISSUED A STATEMENT about the fires that have gutted several buildings at the 150-yr-old historic landmark in the Town of Poughkeepsie.

He wasn’t immediately able to answer my questions about site security and the future of his redevelopment/restoration project.

He said they were “all legitimate questions that will be addressed in due course but now is not the time to take attention and resources away from events at the site.”

I got the email just after our 5pm story ran.

Here is the full statement from Ed Elanjian of Enviro Finance Group:

“The fire that began last Wednesday at the former Hudson River Psychiatric Center property is a tragic event that has deeply affected all those who care about this historic site and the surrounding community. While substantial progress has been made, firefighting and investigative efforts remain ongoing, and portions of the property continue to experience periodic flare-ups.
There are understandably many questions regarding the affected buildings, the extent of the damage, the cause of the fire, and the path forward. At this time, however, our foremost concern is on the safety of the firefighters, emergency personnel, investigators, and members of the surrounding community.

We are cooperating fully with all responding agencies and investigative authorities and remain committed to supporting their efforts in every way possible. It is important that these professionals be given the time and space necessary to complete their work thoroughly and safely.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, and it would be inappropriate to speculate while the investigation remains active. We are grateful for the extraordinary dedication of the firefighters and emergency responders who have worked tirelessly under extremely challenging conditions to protect lives and property.

As the investigation and response efforts continue, we will remain engaged with the responding agencies and investigative authorities as they complete their work. We encourage the public to rely on information released by the appropriate authorities regarding the status of the investigation.”

06/08/2026

Fairview Fire Department official statement:

For Immediate Release: SECOND MAJOR STRUCTURE FIRE AT HRPC MAIN ADMINISTRATION BUILDING BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL