Dutchess County accepted free advertising from Newsweek Media Group

Amy Wu
Poughkeepsie Journal

Dutchess County accepted free advertising from Newsweek Media Group, but county officials say there were no promises of favorable treatment in Olivet University's plans to develop a satellite campus in the town of Dover.

County officials confirmed Wednesday that several free advertisements ran for the Think Dutchess Alliance for Business, the county’s and Dutchess County Tourism’s marketing campaigns in spring 2017. Newsweek Media Group has a close partnership with the Christian college. 

A Newsweek article published on Tuesday said Olivet offered free advertising to the county as the group was seeking tax breaks and construction permits for the construction of the Dover campus. Newsweek Media Group owns a variety of publications and websites, including Newsweek and the International Business Times.

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In an email, Dover Greens said: "Dover Greens has always been open and honest with Dutchess County in all our interactions. This also includes a visit to Regional Chamber of Commerce breakfast, which included an introduction of the 'Think Dutchess Alliance for Business,' a business networking initiative.

"Following the breakfast, Dover Greens decided to help Dutchess County through our acquaintance with Newsweek owners. Matters of development permits are really quite irrelevant here, as Dutchess County did not issue permits that Dover Greens received. Any insinuations otherwise have no basis in fact, and are extraneous to the quality of Dover Greens’ operations," the company said in the email.

In May 2016, Ron Hicks, the assistant county executive and the county’s liaison with Think Dutchess Alliance for Business, was contacted by Olivet’s Marian Rebro who offered the county free advertising.

Hicks said the county accepted the offer because it was good timing for the offer. He passed along the offer to DCI the marketing firm contracted by the Think Dutchess Alliance for Business to work it into the ongoing marketing campaigns. Hicks confirmed DCI signed a contract with Newsweek in February 2017 for the free advertising.

“Think Dutchess Alliance for Business had just launched a marketing campaign and this was an opportunity to reach an expanded national audience and bolster the marketing campaign,” he said.

He said the county didn’t offer anything in return for the free ads.

“There were no commitments made and it was clarified that the ads were being offered without any expectations or commitment,” Hicks said.      

Hicks said the advertisements promoted tourism and economic development and ran in the magazine in spring 2017. Two were focused on the aviation industry and another was a glossy one-page color advertisement that reads, “You Only Live Once,” against a backdrop of photos of the Culinary Institute of America and the Franklin D. Roosevelt House.

“We submitted the ad based on (Hicks') offer,” said Mary Kay Vrba, executive director of Dutchess County Tourism, a nonprofit agency that primarily runs marketing and advertising campaigns for the county. “We advertise in many different magazines and occasionally magazines will come back to us and offer a low cost or a no-cost ad.”

Offers for a no-cost advertisement is more unusual, she said.

“I wouldn’t say it’s common. It happens occasionally,” she said.

Town of Dover Supervisor Linda French said she was not made aware of the Newsweek article until a reporter from the Journal showed it to her. She said she was “very surprised by the tie to Newsweek.”

French confirmed the campus project continues and said it is significant for Dover.

In 2013, Olivet purchased what was once the Harlem Valley Psychiatric Center to build out its campus.

In 2016, Dover Greens reached a settlement with the U.S. Department of Labor over lead and asbestos exposure in the renovations. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Dover Greens couldn't oppose compensation claims and it was required to ramp up safety and pay $700,000 in fines.

The property includes some 86 buildings on more than 800 acres of land.

The project is in its first phase out of a total of six phases and is expected to be completed anywhere from 12 to 15 years. French said she took a tour of a completed dormitory about a year ago. 

Dover Greens said in an email statement to the Journal the company has "made significant progress on our objective of transforming an un-kept site to beautiful University campus. We’ve accomplished this by investing millions of dollars into extensive clean-up and landscaping of the grounds and buildings exteriors; renovating for use numerous buildings and approximately 100,000 square feet of buildings space; restoring and modernizing infrastructure and utilities; and securing multiple approvals the Town of Dover’s Planning Board. We’re currently going through architectural and engineering designs for additional buildings included in Phase 1 of the project."

French said Olivet did not receive any tax exemptions or sweeteners, such as expedited permits for the project.

“They had to follow the rules just like any other applicant,” said French. She said the project is important for economic development for Dover.

“Since they have been here it looks 100 percent better. They keep it clean — the buildings have been cleaned up. The reservoir is beautiful at the top, and they replaced housing that was extremely old,” French said.

“Hopefully, more people will bring their businesses here so we can have more business. I hope it’s like a chain reaction,” she said of the campus.

Amy Wu: 845-451-4529, awu@poughkeepsiejournal.com, Twitter: @wu_PoJo