The DoubleTree in the foreground, and MJN in the background, in the dark.

POUGHKEEPSIE — The at the MJN Convention Center and the adjacent DoubleTree Hotel were forced to close Monday night after Gas & Electric Corp. shut off power to both facilities at 7 p.m. The utility suspended electricity to repair damaged wires under the complex’s driveway, an issue Central Hudson first discovered in 2022. As a result, the ice at the arena began to melt, and both the arena and hotel ceased operations for the evening.

Verizon Wireless reported late Monday that its cell towers atop the MJN were knocked offline by the outage, likely causing cell phone service disruptions in parts of Poughkeepsie overnight.

Franco Giangrasso, facility manager for the MJN, said he asked Central Hudson to delay the work until June 1, when the rink typically shuts down for the summer and electricity is no longer needed for the chillers that keep the ice frozen. Emily Reis, Central Hudson’s district manager, declined, instead instructing the MJN and DoubleTree to choose a Monday or Tuesday during the first three weeks of May for the shutdown.

Giangrasso estimated it will cost the MJN about $15,000 in staff time and materials to remake the ice, paint hockey lines and complete other tasks needed to reopen the arena.

The DoubleTree closed for the night and relocated its guests to other hotels at its own expense.

Giangrasso and DoubleTree general manager George Sidaros requested Central Hudson provide a generator to keep the fa

cilities running during the outage, but the utility said it was the property owner’s responsibility. The MJN, a nonprofit, said it could not afford to rent a generator. The hotel’s generator only supplies emergency lighting to the lobby and hallways, not elevators, guest rooms, walk-in coolers or the kitchen. “A one-night shutdown would have a significant impact beyond just that evening, specifically affecting our long-stay guests,” Sidaros said.

Central Hudson reiterated that it was up to the facilities to provide a generator, with Reis saying, “It is surprising that a permanent generator is not already in place for the ice rink.”

Central Hudson expected repairs to the damaged wires to be completed by 7 a.m. Tuesday.



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