Maybrook Traditional Downtown Design

Maybrook Downtown Revitalization Initiative

The Village of Maybrook was once a thriving railroad industry, known as Orange Junction, starting in 1888 until a fire destroyed the Poughkeepsie Bridge in 1974. Since that time the Village has effectively floundered in terms of economic development. Mayor Dennis Leahy and the Village Council have developed a plan to address this economic stagnation by rebranding the Village as an outdoor recreational destination and re-developing the Downtown area into a vibrant Village center for both residents, employees of the several new local businesses, and visitors to the region. The Village leadership started by doing a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis which revealed, that though the Village has lost its industry, it’s bordered by several thousand acres of currently vacant land (both privately owned parcels as well as Stewart State Forest (SPARC) land), and is a major thoroughfare for several thousand travelers per year to parts unknown. If the Village could offer those travelers a reason to stop, and a place for local workers and residents to remain in the area, a community revitalization would be possible. The financial and expert assistance provided through the DRI would serve as a catalyst that would significantly advance our current efforts and vision into a reality.

Vision for Downtown: The Village of Maybrook leadership has a clear vision of a Downtown district that includes mixed-use buildings with wide, well-lit, walkable sidewalk, with specialty shops, restaurants, and services on the ground floors and apartments above. The Village has already purchased several defunct properties to use as municipal parking. Plans are also underway to build a Performing Arts Center and Amphitheater at the southern end of Main Street, which is directly adjacent to the beginning of the new road through, the soon to be developed corporate/light industrial complex, and several hundreds of acres of outdoor recreational property. This new road will also include bike and walking paths.