County Executive Provides Update on YOU Project
In his State of the County Address Wednesday, Dutchess County Executive William F.X. O’Neil provided an update and unveiled new design plans for the Youth Opportunity Union to be built in the City of Poughkeepsie.
The YOU will be a multi-use facility focusing on recreational, educational and healthy opportunities for youth and will serve as the physical hub for Dutchess County’s innovative Path to Promise initiative.
Following Dutchess County’s purchase of the former YMCA building in the city, and the subsequent demolition of the dilapidated structure, the County is on the verge of the next step in bringing its transformative countywide YOU to reality.
County Executive O’Neil said, “We have assembled an amazing team – including world-renowned architecture firm MASS Design— who extensively surveyed the community, asking children, and families what they’d like the YOU to be.”
The County Executive said despite escalating construction costs and supply chain issues that have made design challenging, MASS has created a vision for the YOU that has been extensively analyzed, scrutinized, and value-engineered.
“This welcoming and playful facade will invite you to an amazing facility. More than a rec center, the YOU will be a place of learning, where County residents, young and old, can exercise their bodies and minds. Make no mistake: We’re not building a palace. This is a design we’re confident is attainable, buildable, and phase-able; and in the near future, we’ll be ready to unveil more details.”
County Executive O’Neil said the county is working with the Dyson Foundation to establish the fundraising effort needed to complete the project, as the County cannot solicit donations on its own.
“Meanwhile, our collaboration, in conjunction with the Poughkeepsie Children’s Cabinet, with the acclaimed Harlem Children’s Zone continues, focusing on a comprehensive and holistic approach to youth development and eliminating intergenerational poverty while concentrating on children, their families, and the greater community.”
