August 11^th 2010 -- Today, the Journal is 225 years old.
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225 years special coverage

FREEDOM PLAINS -- In a move to expand its services in a location more convenient for its patients, DRA Imaging, a radiology practice with locations in Poughkeepsie and Fishkill, celebrated its new LaGrange location with a well-attended ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday.

Dr. Victor Gaines, president of the practice, said he was pleased to lead a resurgence in LaGrange, given the state of the economy.

The new office, which opened in March, offers digital mammography and X-ray, as well as bone densitometry and ultrasound, among other things.

"Instead of bringing the patients in to us (in Poughkeepsie or Fishkill), we go out where the patients are," Gaines said, referring to the new location in the Taconic Crossing building on Route 55.

Also newly operating alongside DRA Imaging is New Image, a medical spa run by radiologists and staffed by physicians and nurses at all times.

Dr. Phillip Amatulle, who runs the spa, said the office offers traditional spa treatments, such as massage, but brings the added bonus of minimally invasive medical procedures such as Smartlipo, a form of laser-assisted liposuction, as well as laser treatments for unsightly vein removal and Botox and dermal filler injections.

LaGrange Supervisor Jon Wagner said the practice comes to LaGrange during increased activity, referring to the planned development of the town center.

Charles North, president and CEO of the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce, said it is especially nice to have DRA and the spa come to town despite the economy, "to not only come to LaGrange, but open up a new facility," he said, "to provide and create jobs."

Poughkeepsie, N.Y. -- A mid-Hudson Valley health- care company is consolidating its administrative offices to LaGrange.

Health Quest recently signed a deal to lease about 35,000 square feet of office space in the Taconic Crossing medical and office building on Route 55 owned by Page Park Associates, a real estate development company.

Starting in February, Health Quest's business office, finance, legal services, compliance and other management functions will move to Taconic Crossing from locations throughout Dutchess County. About 300 Health Quest positions are associated with this move, Page Park Associates said.

In a press release, LaGrange Supervisor Jon Wagner said that the job relocation would mean "increased revenue for local restaurants, shops and services, further supporting our Think Local First — Shop LaGrange efforts."

David Ping, Health Quest vice president of business development, said the consolidation is in anticipation of the proposed ambulatory surgery center and medical offices at Vassar Brothers Medical Center.

The move will "relieve traffic congestion and enhance patient access" at the City of Poughkeepsie campus and create new doctors' offices at the Westage Medical Mall in Fishkill, he said.

Health Quest will join DRA Imaging and Paragon Aquatic as a tenant at Taconic Crossing.

The Dutchess County Department of Public Works offices in Taconic Crossing are moving into the county's highway and engineering facility, which is under construction in the Town of Poughkeepsie, said Jason Page, a Page Park Associates partner.

Health Quest will lease more space as it becomes available, Page said.

"We'll be adding a 6,000-square-foot addition to (Taconic Crossing), and DRA (Imaging) will also be taking more space," he said.

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. -- The Poughkeepsie Journal and its owner, Gannett Co., Inc., have agreed to sell and lease back a major portion of the landmark Journal building in downtown Poughkeepsie. The new owner will be Page Park Associates, a local real-estate development firm with Jason and Darin Page as managing partners.

Steve Salomone, director of the Prudential Serls Prime Properties Commercial Group, represented the Poughkeepsie Journal and Gannett in the transaction.

Terms were not disclosed, and a late August closing is planned.

The Journal will occupy more than half of the second floor and the entire third floor of the office section of the building, at 85 Civic Center Plaza. In addition, the Journal will maintain a presence off the lobby for walk-in customers. The production facility will be converted to other uses. The Journal’s printing will continue to be handled off-site.

The Journal’s lease is for five years, with two five-year renewal options as part of the deal.

"For the Journal, our employees, the Pages and the city," said President and Publisher Barry Rothfeld, "this maintains the Journal's presence in its long-time home and the Pages’ investment plans should add new tenants and vibrancy to downtown. This means the building will become an even more valuable component of the City of Poughkeepsie's future."

“As the Journal moves forward, this allows us to concentrate on our core mission as the community’s premier news and advertising information provider -- whether in print or online,” Rothfeld said.

The Pages are excited about developing the property into a desirable office address while retaining its historic character.

“With the improvements planned,” Jason Page said, “we are confident the building will generate a significant amount of interest from prospective tenants.” The structure will continue to be known as the Poughkeepsie Journal building.

“The City of Poughkeepsie is excited about the new direction for the beautiful, historic Poughkeepsie Journal building,” said Mayor John C. Tkazyik. “Jason and Darin Page have brought incredible success to other parts of Dutchess County and we are delighted that they are bringing their talents to further showcase in the City of Poughkeepsie. And, we are all pleased that the Journal will continue not only as a neighbor but for the service it provides to our residents.”

With its recognizable fieldstone exterior and Dutch colonial influences, the building reflects the vision that President Franklin D. Roosevelt of Hyde Park had for downtown Poughkeepsie – a vision that started in the 1930s with the construction of the Poughkeepsie Post Office across the street from where the Journal would open in 1943. The Journal moved into the 85 Civic Center Plaza location after the newspaper and its predecessors had offices in several City of Poughkeepsie locations.

The Journal’s lobby features a distinctive two-story mural depicting mid-Hudson Valley landmarks and the history of printing. It is believed to be one of only a handful of murals in newspaper buildings in the nation. The mural was created as a Works Progress Administration project under Roosevelt’s leadership.

“This transaction represents significant value to all parties and to the City of Poughkeepsie,” said Salomone, of Prudential Serls. “The Journal can now be operationally stronger. The Pages are acquiring a very valuable asset that will provide great returns to them as they reposition this landmark property into a Class A multi-tenanted building.”

Salomone notes that the City of Poughkeepsie and Dutchess County maintain jobs and a valuable employer, and will benefit from the capital investments made into the building. “This is solid evidence that even in a depressed real estate market, there is value to be derived for those willing to rethink the market and look for unique opportunities,” Salomone said.

The Poughkeepsie Journal is the oldest newspaper in New York state and is the second-oldest in the nation, behind the Hartford Courant, which started in 1764. The Journal began as a weekly publication on Aug. 11, 1785 and started publishing daily in 1860, inspired by demand for news about the Civil War.

Gannett Co., Inc. is an international news and information company operating on multiple platforms including the Internet, mobile, newspapers, magazines and TV stations. Gannett is an Internet leader with hundreds of newspaper and TV Web sites; CareerBuilder.com, the nation’s top employment site; USATODAY.com; and more than 80 local MomsLikeMe.com sites. Gannett publishes 84 daily U.S. newspapers, includinng USA TODAY, the nation’s largest-selling daily newspaper, and more than 700 magazines and other non-dailies including USA WEEKEND. Gannett also operates 23 television stations in 19 U.S. markets. Gannett subsidiary Newsquest is the United Kingdom’s second-largest regional newspaper company with 17 daily paid-for titles, more than 200 weekly newspapers, magazines and trade publications, and a network of Web sites.

Page Park Associates is a highly regarded and experienced property development company specializing in commercial leasing, with many properties in Dutchess County. Page recently completed Taconic Crossings, the future home of DRA Imaging’s Women’s Health Center, and the historic restoration of a 1790s farmhouse designed exclusively for a regional office of the real estate firm Houlihan Lawrence. For more information on Page Park Associates, visit them online at www.pageparkassociates.com

Prudential Serls Prime Properties Commercial Group is a division of Prudential Serls Prime Properties, Dutchess County's leading real estate company for 17 consecutive years, operating six offices in Brewster, East Fishkill, Fishkill, LaGrange, Pawling and Rhinebeck, as well as a new homes and land division. The full-service commercial group is one of the top real estate firms in the region, 222 having earned national recognition with the 2008 Power Broker Award for overall sales transaction volume as reported by CoStar, the leading national provider of commercial information and marketing services. For more information on Prudential Serls Prime Properties Commercial Group, visit www.pruserlscommercial.com.

Poughkeepsie, NY-September 21, 2008 — Page Park Associates, a Hudson Valley Real Estate Developer, has purchased the town of Poughkeepsie building that formerly housed Schott Lithotec, a now defunct local manufacturer of photomask plates. The plant shut down in April 2007, leaving over seventy people jobless.

The Town of Poughkeepsie Planning Board has approved Page Park’s proposal to convert the 36-thousand square foot building across from Casperkill Country Club into high-end office space.

“This is good news for the Town of Poughkeepsie,” says Town of Poughkeepsie Councilman Stephan Krakower. “The project will attract high-paying, life-long jobs, will expand the tax base and should have little or no impact on traffic in that area of Route 9.” The new building will be marketed for either a single user or as a multi-tenanted medical or office building.

Page Park’s plan for the building will include an expansion of the facility's parking lot as well as streetscape improvements, that will include a new facade, plantings, sidewalks, pedestrian crosswalks and updated lighting.

“We are thrilled that Page Park Associates is looking to reposition the building for office use, which supports the Town's planning goals,” says Anne Conroy, President and CEO of the Dutchess County Economic Development Corporation. “We're hopeful that the development of this site will provide a strong boost to the economy. The renovation of the building itself will help support the construction industry and, once offices move in, it could create as many as 80 jobs.”

Jason and Darin Page of Page Park Associates say renovations will begin in early December and are expected to be completed by April of 2009.

Page Park is also in the process of developing Taconic Crossings, a medical/office building on Route 55 in Lagrange where DRA Imaging will have an additional location.