DRI Watch: Leverage Is All

The DRI (Downtown Revitalization Initiative) Local Planning Committee (LPC) met last Tuesday, and the word that seemed to be used most often during the two-hour session was leverage. It was stressed that no project can be fully funded by DRI money, and a project's potential to leverage other money, from private or public sources, will be a significant factor in deciding which projects will be pursued. Another significant is factor is that projects chosen should be those that can be completed within two years.

One of the goals of last Tuesday's meeting was to confirm the boundaries of the DRI target area--the BRIDGE District. There had been a suggestion that the eastern boundary should be moved from Second Street to Third Street.

Although there was considerable discussion of the possibility, no decision was made to alter the boundaries.

Another goal of the meeting was to confirm the vision statement. This was the original vision statement:

Increased development of mixed-use projects that incorporate affordable and market-rate housing and transportation oriented design; workforce development; and re-imagining the waterfront for expanded public use and enjoyment. While tourism is a seasonal surge economy for the Hudson, the DRI application proposes to create an environment for high-quality, year-round, living-wage jobs.

Based on input received at the public engagement workshop on October 26 and from stakeholder interviews, the vision statement has been revised to read:

Increased development of sustainable mixed-use projects that incorporate affordable and market-rate housing and transportation oriented design; workforce development; access to healthy, affordable food; and re-imagining the waterfront for expanded public use and enjoyment. Preserve and enhance diversity in the district by prioritizing current residents. While tourism is an engine for the Hudson economy, leverage the DRI to create an environment for high-quality, year-round, living-wage jobs for local residents.

When asked about the weight the vision statement carried, Steve Kearney, from the Stantec Urban Places Group, stressed that "every DRI initiative must fall within the vision." Jeff Hunt, from the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce, wanted the word commercial added after mixed-use, although mixed-use does seem to imply a mix of residential and commercial uses. Sara Kendall, assistant director of Kite's Nest, worried about the way tourism was presented in the statement and wanted to be certain the statement conveyed an understanding that economic development went beyond tourism.

Another thing to be accomplished at the meeting--what was identified as the most important thing--was to establish the goals of the DRI. Almost an hour into the meeting, Kearney presented these draft goals for consideration by the LPC:

• Connect to--and improve--the waterfront
• Prioritize mixed-income residential development
• Increase access to high quality, affordable, and (when possible) local food
• Create lower-cost spaces for entrepreneurs, creative workforce
• Help train for, and help create, jobs

The conversation soon got mired in a discussion of leverage, with John Reilly, chair of the Economic Development Committee of the Columbia County Board of Supervisors, pointing out that infrastructure--sidewalks, etc.--was a "dollar for dollar" investment, because "no one will want to invest in sidewalks unless you're giving them a toll road."

Ultimately, it was decided that transportation connectivity and green spaces should be included in the goals. It was also decided that the LPC needed to have another working meeting before the next public engagement workshop, which is set to take place on Thursday, December 7. That additional meeting for the LPC will take place on Thursday, November 30, at 6 p.m. at John L. Edwards Primary School.

Early on in the meeting, it was emphasized that the Hudson DRI website is the central repository of all information about the DRI. People with "prominent websites" were urged to provide a link to the DRI. Gossips has done this. The link now appears at the top of the right column.

For those for whom this synopsis of the meeting is insufficient, Dan Udell's video of the meeting can be viewed here.

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