Shahreen Saifi Assistant News Editor

The construction of two the roundabouts on Raymond Avenue, completed last fall, was Phase I of a proposed multi-part overhaul to the Arlington business area that includes the creation of new paths and storefronts, as well as the addition of more roundabouts and landscaped medians extending from Raymond Avenue up to the Route 55 West intersection. Additional projects might also include converting the Garden Art Space on Raymond Avenue into a parking lot and reducing the number of traffic lanes on that street.

Looking ahead to improving options for patrons

The College currently owns a number of plots on Raymond Avenue, including the spaces along Raymond Avenue currently occupied by the Juliet Café, Zorona restaurant, as well as the adjoining empty plot known as the Garden Art Space. Despite a controversy over the space next to Zorona that centered on the restaurant owners’ claims that the space was promised to them for outside seating and a hookah bar, College administrators are talking about temporarily converting it into a parking area to alleviate parking problems during the construction.

There is also talk of making offers to expand some of the more popular businesses, such as Babycakes.

The proposed changes to the area come at a time when the Vassar administration hopes to stimulate more student and local resident activity in the area immediately outside campus. “We want the district to succeed as a commercial district, not as a college district—not just for us...Students and faculty are people with some money to spend there,” said Vice President for Finance and Administration Elizabeth Eismeier. “We want to be part of helping to make it work.”

In a survey sent to Vassar students, the administration asked them which establishments were most popular. Since Vassar owns many of the lots along Raymond Avenue and Collegeview Avenue, it hopes to renovate some of that existing real estate. Vassar bought the Juliet Café, which was previously a movie theater, in 2001. There is talk of relocating the café, which is also a pool hall, and converting the space into a theater again.

“We really have no influence over what businesses come into the Arlington area,” said Associate Executive Director of Vassar’s Building and Grounds Office Jeff Horst.

A historical look at construction in Arlington

Reconstruction of Raymond Avenue and the surrounding Arlington business district was planned in two phases. Phase I, which was completed last fall and included the installation of the two roundabouts on Raymond Avenue, cost about $3 million. Construction was delayed when the newly elected Poughkeepsie town board forestalled the completion of Phase II due to a dispute over a roundabout at the intersection of Raymond and Collegeview Avenues. Despite the clash, last month the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) has announced that they are going forward with Phase II—which includes reconstruction to Raymond Avenue north of the current roundabouts, and extending as far up as the western arterial.

Some complain that the existing roundabouts have caused problems with parking, particularly at the intersection of Raymond Avenue and College Avenue. According to the Poughkeepsie Journal, this particular location is inefficient, inconvenient and a “parking nightmare.” The College and the DOT have plans to improve the parking situation there. Also, New York state officials have decided to turn certain empty lots on Raymond Avenue into public parking lots.

Horst, who acted as a liaison between the Vassar administration and the DOT, believes that the reconstruction will make the area “quieter, safer and more of a town road instead of a highway.”

Sidewalks, lights, and an expanded North Lot

Along with the road reconstruction and the addition of a parallel parking area on Collegeview Avenue, a sidewalk is going to be added at the north end of campus and the wire fence will be removed. There will also be additional lighting, which, Horst believes, will be “very important for the Vassar community, especially students who may be traveling to the Arlington business district.”

Another change will be the expansion of Vassar’s North Lot to create more parking spaces. The campus pathways on the north side will be redirected to correspond to the crosswalks on Collegeview, after a discussion with Joe Hibbard of Sasaki, Inc., Vassar’s landscape and architecture consultant. The walking path that runs parallel to the campus edge will be reconfigured to become more scenic and to achieve a more natural transition from the Arlington district to the campus, and the Juliet Café gate will be pushed back to make room for the new roundabout.

Phase II also includes construction along the south end of Raymond Avenue. A sidewalk will be added from Raymond to Hooker Avenue, forming a safe route for students to Vassar Farm.

These plans will begin in the spring of 2008. Due to the large number of changes and the effort required, they will most likely continue until November 2008.

Additional reporting by John Palmer, Contributing Editor, and Anita Varma, Contributing Editor