Running on the Sun: Scenic Hudson’s Northside Hub Transforms a Piece of Abandoned History into a Promising Future

CONTACT:
Melissa Attias, Media Relations Coordinator, Scenic Hudson
mattias@scenichudson.org, 845-473-4440 x289

For Immediate Release

The organization’s latest project at 58 Parker Ave. in Poughkeepsie shows what can be accomplished when we work together to revive forgotten, polluted spaces.

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. — After five years of transformation, Scenic Hudson officially opened the doors of its new Northside Hub in what can be a model for bringing new life to forgotten industrial sites in the cities of the Hudson Valley and across the country. With the right vision and committed partners, contaminated and discarded properties can be restored and welcoming again.

Just steps from the popular Walkway Over the Hudson, the Northside Hub at 58 Parker Ave. is a place to bring people together. Scenic Hudson combined a historic renovation of the abandoned Standard Gage factory — once a center of innovation and jobs in Poughkeepsie that counted President Franklin D. Roosevelt among its visitors — with a brownfield cleanup of contaminated soil and groundwater. The restored buildings and landscape produce more energy than they consume and are powered entirely by the sun.

Now on the National Register of Historic Places, the Northside Hub is home to Scenic Hudson staff offices and light-filled spaces for the local community and visitors to learn, grow, play, create, and celebrate. The factory floors that turned out precision measurement tools during World War II are once again buzzing with innovation: Every detail is grounded in sustainable design, aligned with Scenic Hudson’s mission of protecting the health and beauty of the Hudson Valley for future generations. This includes:

• a state-of-the-art fresh air system that — for the first time in the United States — uniquely integrates “trickle vents” to heat and cool the building, providing up to double the amount of fresh air than a traditional system;
• a terraced park with native plants on what used to be a paved brownfield area, featuring arcing pathways that follow the former rail lines into the factory site;
• stunning angled solar panel and timber canopies that provide shaded parking and, together with rooftop solar, produce more than enough energy to power the entire site;
• a three-story atrium that works as an “air chimney” to help pull fresh air through the building and unifies the two main factory structures;
• features that keep all rainwater on site to reduce the downstream impacts of storms, including trenches with vegetation called bioswales, underground retention, and a green roof; and
• versatile community resources including an auditorium, an open-air pavilion, open green spaces, and exhibition space that will be available for events beginning in January 2026, as well as office space for local organizations and businesses to grow.
   

Scenic Hudson’s Northside Hub is an innovation-driven collaboration between the environmental organization and dozens of dedicated partners, led by the nonprofit architectural firm MASS Design Group and Consigli Construction Co., Inc. It was made possible by New York state agencies that provided vital funding, including New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and Empire State Development (ESD), as well as Foss & Company’s investment with state and federal historic tax credit programs. 

For Poughkeepsie, the Northside Hub is the latest in a series of projects to harness the potential of underused areas for the local community. Scenic Hudson was a major supporter of turning the city’s out-of-service 1889 railroad bridge into the Walkway Over the Hudson, now the world’s longest elevated pedestrian bridge. Just down the road, the organization protected a former rail corridor that now, as Dutchess County’s Northside Line, offers a safe path to bike and walk across the city. And since 2022, the nonprofit has harvested 5,000 pounds of fresh produce at the new Pershing Community Farm next to Pershing Avenue Park, which were supplied free of charge to the local community. 

Running behind the Northside Hub, the Fall Kill Creek holds immense potential to connect people with nature and make the area more resilient to flooding and heat. Scenic Hudson is working with partners to increase public access to the urban waterway, including around the Hub, and has already helped make much-needed improvements to the creekside Malcolm X and Pershing Avenue parks.

At its core, the Northside Hub embodies what Scenic Hudson stands for as an organization credited with kickstarting the modern grassroots environmental movement 60 years ago. The nonprofit is regarded for rehabilitating polluted industrial sites to meet community needs for safe, welcoming spaces that respect the air, water, and land around us. The Northside Hub represents Scenic Hudson’s continued investment in Poughkeepsie, the city and community that the nonprofit has called home for decades. Learn more about the Northside Hub. 

QUOTES:

Scenic Hudson President Ned Sullivan said, “When Scenic Hudson was first introduced to this property, its shattered windows and polluted grounds were the picture of neglect, but we also saw a special place with a promising future. On the factory floors where the Standard Gage Company once manufactured cutting-edge instruments during much of the 20th century, we’ve started a new chapter of innovation. The Northside Hub is not only a stunning, sustainable home for Scenic Hudson, but also a vibrant community resource for our home city of Poughkeepsie and its visitors. Thank you to everyone who joined us on this journey — I couldn’t be more excited to see what lies ahead.”

Scenic Hudson Chief Finance and Operations Officer Jason Camporese said, “Innovation and partnership describe the Northside Hub perfectly — innovative in every way, and only possible through partnerships. I am so grateful to all of our partners, across so many different fields, from the private to the public sector, who played a part in making our ambitious vision come true. Together we’ve taken an abandoned, dilapidated property and turned it into a sustainable, community-oriented hub that is an inspiring example for other cities in the Hudson Valley.”

Scenic Hudson Director of Northside Properties and Projects Caroline Alsup said, “Cleaning up and rehabilitating a 120+ year-old historic building and brownfield — in the middle of a pandemic, no less — came with serious challenges. On top of that, we faced the complexity of preserving a piece of history while making it completely carbon neutral using a novel fresh-air system, which is incredibly difficult to achieve. I joined Scenic Hudson because I was so inspired by this project’s potential and it has been incredibly rewarding to help make the dream a reality.”

Poughkeepsie Mayor Yvonne Flowers said, “Today is not just an exciting day for Scenic Hudson, but it’s also an extremely exciting day for the City of Poughkeepsie. It means so much to the local community to have this vibrant building and safe space open for anyone to gather, network, and dream up inventive ways to create that thriving city that we’re all longing for. I would like to thank Scenic Hudson for their investment in the City of Poughkeepsie and for their commitment to helping us along with many other communities throughout the Hudson Valley.”

Commissioner Pro Tempore of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Randy Simons said, “The Northside Hub is a shining example of public-private partnerships in action! Scenic Hudson took a once abandoned and contaminated, but historic, factory and turned it into a green gathering place for its staff, the community, Walkway Over the Hudson visitors, and leaders from all parts. The renovation qualified for the State and Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credit programs and is now on the National Register of Historic Places. The Northside Hub represents the spirit of innovation and collaboration that is critical to the next chapter of the environmental and conservation movement and propels our communities forward in new and transformational ways.”

Empire State Development President, CEO, and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “The Northside Hub is a powerful example of how we can reclaim abandoned and contaminated spaces and transform them into centers of innovation, sustainability, and community. Empire State Development is proud to have supported Scenic Hudson in bringing new life to this historic site, which now stands as a model for how economic development and environmental stewardship go hand in hand to strengthen the Hudson Valley.”

Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council Co-Chairs Dr. Marsha Gordon and Dr. Kristine Young said, “The transformation of the former Standard Gage factory into the Northside Hub is a testament to what is possible when vision, partnership, and community come together. By combining historic preservation, cutting-edge sustainable design, and spaces for learning, gathering, and growth, this project reflects the very best of the Mid-Hudson Region. The Northside Hub will not only honor the City of Poughkeepsie’s history but also serve as a vibrant resource that powers its future.”

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, “The Northside Hub is just one of many examples of how we’re reimagining buildings in New York, making them more affordable, modern, and community focused. This development delivers clean, energy-efficient multi-use space that supports the growth and vibrancy of the Poughkeepsie community.”

MASS Design Group Principal and the project’s lead architect Justin Brown said, “Scenic Hudson’s Northside Hub represents MASS’s commitment to adaptive re-use as the lowest carbon approach to development. It exemplifies the practice of ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle,’ at the building and urban scale. By leveraging the embodied carbon costs that have already been paid by past generations, we can begin to think about buildings as carbon sinks, like plants with generative environmental benefits, rather than as carbon emitters whose harm we must mitigate.”

Consigli Construction Co., Inc. Project Executive Scott Cruikshank said, “The Northside Hub presented a unique challenge: honoring the historical significance of the Standard Gage factory while integrating innovative, cutting-edge sustainable design. As Hudson Valley residents and neighbors who benefit daily from Scenic Hudson’s important work, our team is honored to have played a key role in the historic restoration and cleanup of this site, creating a space that respects the past while building a greener, more resilient future.”

Foss & Company Acquisitions Agent John Sorel said, “Scenic Hudson is a shining example of how historic preservation and sustainable innovation can come together to benefit both communities and the environment. At Foss & Company, we are proud to support this transformative project through our historic tax credit investment, helping to turn an abandoned site into a place where Scenic Hudson will be able to expand its important work and be a vibrant resource for Poughkeepsie.”

SunCommon President Mike McCarthy said, “The Northside Hub’s positive impact on our community and the environment aligns perfectly with SunCommon’s mission to accelerate the transition to solar power in the Hudson Valley. It’s been such a pleasure to work with Scenic Hudson on this innovative solar installation! We’re proud to see this beautiful solar canopy made from engineered timber producing power right here in our backyard with even more solar generation on the roof of the restored building across the street. SunCommon is so proud to support Scenic Hudson’s mission and values.”

PHOTOS:

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