$100,000 to rid Poughkeepsie community center of asbestos
A $100,000 grant will be used to rid a local community center of asbestos, said Family Services officials via news release.
The grant money, secured by Assemblyman Frank Skartados, will fix the "considerable damage" still remaining at the City of Poughkeepsie-based Family Partnership Center, damage caused by tropical storms Irene and Lee in 2011, said Brian Doyle, CEO of Family Services.
Family Services, a nonprofit social services agency, runs the 100,000 square-foot center, which houses a number of community-based agencies and programs.
The center's boiler room and lower level flooded when the adjacent Fall Kill Creek overflowed during the storms.
A flooded building "can expose asbestos through damaged flooring, drywall and ceilings," according to asbestos.com.
The center's heat, water, sprinkler, electrical and telephone systems were impacted by the asbestos contamination, which hasn't been removed yet, though much of the other damage was fixed right away, Doyle said.
Skartados, D-Milton, is running against challenger Sakima Green-Brown, a Republican from the City of Poughkeepsie, for the 104th Assembly District seat.
The center is a critical one to keep open since the organizations are "doing essential work for the community by helping thousands of people to overcome adversity and improve their lives," said Skartados, who presented Family Services with the award this afternoon.
Nina Schutzman: nschutzman@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-451-4518 Twitter: @pojonschutzman