DEVELOPER EYES ‘SUPERGARAGE’
Plans for multiuse complex at Rondout waterfront to be discussed on Monday
KINGSTON, N.Y. >> Developer Robert Iannucci, who started buying up acres of waterfront 16 years ago, says he is now ready to begin significant redevelopment along the Rondout Creek.
In an interview last week, Iannucci said the first phase of his ambitious plan would be construction of a 60-unit apartment complex, complete with commercial space, public and private parking, a boat restoration facility and museum inside, as well as a rooftop swimming pool.
Dubbed “Supergarage,” the three-story complex is to be built on four acres at 181-207 East Strand, according to Iannucci. The property was once the site of junkyards and oil tanks, all removed by the developer to clear way for redevelopment.
The Kingston Planning Board is set to discuss the plans at its scheduled meeting 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 19, 2018, at City Hall, 420 Broadway.
Iannucci says he expects to attend with his architect and representatives of an engineering firm.
Years ago, Iannucci predicted he would turn Kingston’s waterfront into a “Mystic Seaport.”
Iannucci owns a large swath of Round Creek waterfront property, including the 18-acre Island Dock in the middle of the creek and the former Cornell Steamboat building, across from the city’s wastewater treatment plant on the East Strand.
Iannucci says positive progress has been made on his properties though it might not be totally obvious to some people.
“I have been in this project for 16 years,” Iannucci said. “When I came here, (there were) junkyards and oil tanks farms and there was low-level pollution and there was no significant activity of any kind,” said Iannucci, who added all of that
has been removed, creating panoramic waterfront views.
“I have been working non-stop on this project since then and it has been a long road,” Iannucci said. “Now, I am ready.”
“What I can say is that I promise the people to continue to work to the ... best of my ability,” said Iannucci, a Brooklyn native who says he now lives in Kingston.
After approvals are secured, Iannucci said, it would take “several years” to complete the Supergarage construction.
He declined to say how much of an investment he is making but said “it is more than I ever imagined.”
The complex, he said, will include 60 one- and two-bedroom rental apartments, 300 parking spaces, an 18,000-square-foot museum, viewing areas, boat pads, overhead walkway, retail space, and a community room.
Iannucci, who owns four WWII-era PT boats, said he hopes to team with colleges to offer classes at the boat restoration facility.
At the Supergarage, there
may even be a spot for an ice skating rink in the winter and roller skating one in the summer, Iannucci said.
Additionally, Iannucci says there are nine other parcels he owns along the Rondout Creek that are ripe for development, including commercial, residential, museum, or water-dependent uses.
During the course of redevelopment, Iannucci said, he expects a ¾-mile promenade will be built along the Rondout Creek, creating better public access to the waterfront.