Abandoned on Warren Street

Built between 1867 and 1869 as the Universalist Church and housing the United Methodist Church for much of the 20th century, the church building at 448 Warren Street was the subject today of a Facebook post by The Hudson Valley Explorer, who speculates of the building, "It might just be one big birdhouse at this point."

The building is owned by a limited liability corporation called Otera. Many of us know the human behind that LLC is the artist David Hammons. The building was purchased in March 2014, and, in September 2014, what was described as a "complete and accurate restoration" of the building commenced. The brick was repointed by an award-winning masonry contractor who had also done work at Olana. Brownstone needed for repairs was imported from England because it was most like the brownstone available in this country in the 1860s. The restoration was promised to be "absolutely in kind."

The last work done on the building happened in 2016, when the missing steeple, which had been purposely removed in 1971 out of concern about liability should the steeple topple in a storm, as others in the city had, was replaced with a simple cap.

For the past ten years, the building was been abandoned and neglected. Currently, $359,763.89 is owed in back taxes and penalties. The building is on the delinquent tax list and scheduled for foreclosure.

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Moving On From Disaster

We all remember the devastating fire at Wunderbar that happened last year on the morning of Saturday, August 23. 

Photo: Peter Meyer

In February, Wunderbar reopened in Rhinebeck. Earlier this week, a "For Sale" sign appeared on the building at 744 Warren Street.

Photo: Virginia Martin

The current state of the building, constructed circa 1908 and known as the Bellwether Building, is described in this way: "Structurally sound and now at a complete reset, the building stands ready for its next chapter: historic facade intact, original staircase preserved, and every square foot open to whatever its next owner envisions. . . . Following a fire in 2025 and subsequent gut renovation, the ground floor is an open canvas."

Photo: This Old Hudson Real Estate

Photo: This Old Hudson Real Estate

Photo: This Old Hudson Real Estate

The building is listed with This Old Hudson Real Estate. The asking price is $675,000. According to This Old Hudson's website today, there is currently an accepted offer.

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This Evening in Kinderhook

Today, Friday, June 26, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., there is an opening reception for Rolling Hills and Gracious Fields: Columbia County Painters of the Hudson River School at the Columbia County Historical Society Museum and Library, 5 Albany Avenue, Kinderhook.

John Bunyan Bristol (1826-1909), The Range, c. 1860, CCHS Collection

The exhibition presents a collection of 19th-century artists from Columbia County, including John Bunyan Bristol, George Augustus McKinstry, Cuyler Williams, Calvin Van Deusen, the Parton brothers, and Robert Fulton Ludlow, and explores the relationship between artistic identity and regional transformation at a pivotal moment in American history. The artists in the exhibition contributed to the Hudson River School movement, painting the landscapes they knew intimately.

The exhibition will be on view from June 27 through January 8, 2027. For more information, click here.

Job Opening at CEDC

Two months ago, Chris Brown left his job as housing development coordinator for Columbia Economic Development Corporation (CEDC) to become senior research planner for Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress and program manager for Hudson Valley Alliance for Housing & Conservation. CEDC is now looking for a new housing development coordinator. The information about the job and its requirements and information about applying can be found here.

This Weekend in Kinderhook

On Saturday, June 27, OK Pride celebrates its fifth annual Pride event in the Village Green in Kinderhook.

The Pride March departs at 3:00 p.m. from Kinderhook Memorial Library, after Drag Queen Story Hour, and proceeds to the Village Green for speeches, dancing, and celebrating. Addressing the crowd will be Grand Marshal Camille Massey, Sheriff Jackie Salvatore, State Senator Michelle Hinchey, Assemblymember Didi Barrett, and Junior Grand Marshal Asher Holland.

In the evening, The Aviary hosts the "Birds of a Feather" dance party from 8:30 p.m. to midnight. DJ Michael V will be spinning favorite pride party anthems. For added fun, there will be a free photobooth and drag performances. Tickets can be purchased here.

Before the Mayor Weighed In

On Tuesday, Gossips published a statement from Mayor Joseph Ferris which was received before there was time to report on the Common Council meeting that provoked the mayor's response. Today, we catch up and report on the meeting. But first, some history.

In January 2023, the Common Council passed a resolution approving the sale of two parcels owned by the City of Hudson to Kearney Realty & Development. The two parcels were the vacant lot at State and North Fourth streets, currently being used as a parking lot by Columbia County, and the land on Mill Street that had been and still is a playing field and was generally considered to be part of Charles Williams Park. The resolution was accompanied by an agreement of sale, but the actual agreement of sale was not executed until May 2023.

The actual agreement of sale, which is essentially the same as the one attached to the resolution presented to the Common Council, was signed by Mayor Kamal Johnson for the City of Hudson and Sean Kearney for Kearney Realty & Development and dated May 3, 2023. That agreement, like the agreement attached to the resolution, set the closing "on or before the date which is two years after the full execution of this Agreement." The agreement stipulated that the purchaser could postpone the closing for up to two six-month periods. The two years and the two six-month extensions were over on May 3, 2026.

At the informal Common Council meeting on Monday, June 15, residents of Mill Street urged the Council to act on the contract, which they believed had expired on May 3. What was not known at the time was that, unbeknownst to the Common Council, the agreement of sale had been amended by Mayor Joseph Ferris on May 20, 2026, to alter the closing date. Between the informal Council meeting on June 15 and the regular meeting on June 23, Council president Margaret Morris researched the issue, and at the regular meeting read aloud the amendment to the agreement, which had been signed by Ferris and Kenneth Kearney. The amendment changed the date of closing from a fixed date to an open-ended one: "thirty (30) days after the Seller has discontinued all pending actions/proceedings relating to the ability of the Seller to convey title to the Property." In other words, thirty days after there has been a determination favorable to the City in the current Article 78 proceeding.

The question was raised but not answered if the mayor had the authority to amend the agreement without the knowledge and the approval of the Common Council.

Councilmember Henry Haddad (First Ward) brought up another issue: the selling price. Haddad cited $450,000 as the price; it is actually $420,000 for both parcels--Mill Street and State Street. Haddad called the deal "bad for us and bad for Mill Street" and asserted "to continue this is a slap in the face to taxpayers." Councilmember Jennifer Belton (Fourth Ward) mused, making reference to the three projects the City had chosen Kearney to pursue, "If two of them aren't happening, and the worst one might happen. . . ."

It was in response to this that Ferris issued this statement:

The contract closing date was not extended. The amendment simply clarified the current state of the contract and provided the closing will occur pending the Court's Article 78 determination.

The City of Hudson cannot unilaterally cancel the contract. If we were to do so, Kearney Group would have a breach of contract claim against the City and could seek damages for the City's termination.

Corporation Counsel [City Attorney] advised me that since the City was already in contract with Kearney Group, is a named party in the Article 78 proceeding, and has a legal obligation to perform under the contract until such time as a Court rules otherwise, it was necessary to execute the amendment to maintain the status quo.

Much of this was discussed at a March 6 meeting attended by myself, Council President Morris, Mill Street petitioners, and the respective legal representatives.

The Council can debate prior resolutions of support but as this city's mayor, my responsibility is to protect the city and at this point in the Article 78 process, that means doing everything in my power to avoid unnecessary and expensive legal actions whose cost will be borne by the taxpayers.

It will be recalled that last year, before he was elected, Ferris called on the Planning Board to deny approval to the Mill Street Lofts project. Ferris said at that time, "There is no such thing as a good project in a floodplain. Let's build a future that's safe, equitable, and forward-thinking. Approve the Bliss Towers redevelopment and reject the Mill Street Lofts as it stands." Despite significant opposition from elected officials, neighborhood residents, and the public in general, the Planning Board granted site plan approval to the project in May 2025.

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Happening on Thursday

Tomorrow, Thursday, June 25, at 6:00 p.m., as part of the 2026 OutHudson observance of Pride Month, the Hudson Area Library celebrates the library's oral histories of local people who identify as LGBTQ+. The event is part of the 2026 OurHudson observance of Pride Month. The celebration, curated by oral history interviewer and History Room volunteer Jasper Francis, features clips from new oral histories and commentary from community members on the featured clips. LGBTQ+ themed items from the library's collection will also be on view. A reception will follow the program.

  

The evening celebrates the progress of the LGBTQ+ theme in this archive and also informs people of next steps to build the collection. The library is looking for donations (or loans to digitize) of photographs, video, art, documents, ephemera, and memorabilia on Hudson’s vital queer history. Staff will be on hand to answer questions about how the archive will be developed and how items donated or loaned will be handled. All are welcome to attend, learn more, and engage as a community.

Interviews for the library's LGBTQ+ portion of the Hudson Area Library Oral History Project (oralhistory.hudsonarealibrary.org) were recorded in collaboration with OutHudson and with support from John Schobel and the Poke the Bear Foundation in honor of Rich "Trixie" Volo.

Bear Sighting in Hudson

The following information was just received:

HPD wants to advise residents that a bear has recently been sighted in the area of the rear of JLE/Mill Street. While bear encounters are uncommon, residents are encouraged to remain alert and take precautions.

IF YOU SEE A BEAR:

• remain calm and keep a safe distance
• do not approach, feed, or attempt to photograph the bear at a close range
• secure garbage, pet food, bird feeders and other potential food sources
• keep pets on a leash and supervise children when outdoors

DO NOT

• approach the bear
• leave food or trash outside
• attempt to scare the bear if it is moving away

Most bears will avoid people if given space. If a bear appears aggressive or poses an immediate threat to public safety, contact 911 immediately. You may also contact the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Region 4 Wildlife Office at 518 367-2355 during business hours or 1 844 DEC-ECOS (1 844 332-3267) after hours.

Council Appoints Daskaloudi to IDA

Last night, the Common Council appointed former Fifth Ward councilmember Vicky Daskaloudi as the community member on the Industrial Development Agency (IDA). The vote was 9 to 2, with Jason Foster (Third Ward) and Claire Cousin (Fifth Ward) being the only councilmembers to vote against the appointment. 

Although Mayor Joseph Ferris announced last Thursday, June 18, that Michael Chameides was withdrawing his name from consideration and hence he, Ferris, was withdrawing his recommendation, Foster asked before the vote what happened to Chameides. Council president Margaret Morris had to explain that Chaimeides had withdrawn from consideration.

It will be remembered that in March 2025, at the public hearing held by the IDA on the tax abatements sought by the Galvan Foundation for the building proposed for 75 North Seventh Street, a 75-unit building that would have been primarily market rate, Daskaloudi spoke out against granting a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes), citing longtime homeowners struggling to pay their property taxes and warning that granting a PILOT to a project that was primarily market rate would set a bad precedent. 

The IDA, of course, never got a chance to make a decision about the PILOT for 75 North Seventh Street. A few weeks later, in early May 2025, Galvan withdrew its application and announced the project had been put on pause "due to macroeconomic uncertainties." Two months after that, in early July 2025, Galvan announced it was giving most of its real estate holdings in Hudson to Bard College.

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Election Results: Last Update for Now

The Times Union has declared Didi Barrett the winner, with 73.0 percent of the vote to Sam Hodge's 26.9 percent.

In Columbia County, the unofficial results are:

• Didi Barrett     2,881     75.62%
• Sam Hodge     925     24.28%
• Write-ins     4     .11%

The results for Third Ward Supervisor are:

• Sonya Okun     138     94.52%
• Lloyd Koedding     8     5.48% 

More Election Results

The Times Union is reporting that Didi Barrett is leading Sam Hodge by a significant margin:

Election Results So Far

Twenty minutes after the polls closed, here are the unofficial and partial election results:

Assemblymember for District 106

• Didi Barrett    1,104
• Sam Hodge   307 

Third Ward Supervisor

• Sonya Okun   58
• Lloyd Koedding   1

At this point, it appears the only vote Koedding received was his own. 

The Issue with Mill Street

The extension of the terms of the contract to sell two City-owned parcels to Kearney Realty & Development was a topic of discussion at tonight's Common Council meeting. Council president Margaret Morris read the amendment to the contract, which alters the deadline for closing on the sale from a fixed date to an open-ended one: thirty days after pending litigation is settled in a manner that would allow the sale to go forward. 

There was significant discussion about whether or not the mayor could amend the contract without the authorization of the Common Council. Before I could write a post about what happened, I received the following statement from Mayor Joseph Ferris:

In response to discussion about Kearney Group's contract with the City of Hudson at this evening's formal Common Council meeting, Mayor Ferris released the following statement:

The contract closing date was not extended. The amendment simply clarified the current state of the contract and provided the closing will occur pending the Court's Article 78 determination.

The City of Hudson cannot unilaterally cancel the contract. If we were to do so, Kearney Group would have a breach of contract claim against the City and could seek damages for the City's termination.

Corporation Counsel [City Attorney] advised me that since the City was already in contract with Kearney Group, is a named party in the Article 78 proceeding, and has a legal obligation to perform under the contract until such time as a Court rules otherwise, it was necessary to execute the amendment to maintain the status quo.

Much of this was discussed at a March 6 meeting attended by myself, Council President Morris, Mill Street petitioners, and the respective legal representatives.

The Council can debate prior resolutions of support but as this city's mayor, my responsibility is to protect the city and at this point in the Article 78 process, that means doing everything in my power to avoid unnecessary and expensive legal actions whose cost will be borne by the taxpayers.

Gossips' coverage of the discussion of this issue at the Common Council meeting will follow, although reporting on the outcome of today's primary election may take precedence. 

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Interesting Revelation

The Register-Star just published a kind of midday check on today's primary election, visiting various polling places around the region. At St. Mary's Academy here in Hudson, where at 1:20 p.m. only 65 people had voted, the reporter, Spenser Walsh, ran into Lloyd Koedding, who is challenging Sonya Okun to be the Democratic candidate for Third Ward supervisor. Walsh reports the following about Koedding's reason for entering the race: 

Koedding said he chose this path to run for the supervisor role as a way of getting back at Michael Chameides, who was 3rd Ward Supervisor until the end of 2025. Koedding holds a grudge against Michael Chameides because his wife, Hudson Area Library director Emily Chameides, threw Koedding out of the library for failing to wear a mask during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, Koedding has begun to regret the revenge-focused nature of his candidacy.

Gossips will publish the results of the election as soon as they are available later tonight.

The Townhouses of HHA

Part of the Hudson Housing Authority's redevelopment plan is the construction of townhouses at the corner of Columbia and North Second streets, on a parcel of land they plan to acquire from Hudson Community Development and Planning Agency (HCDPA). The project--four attached three-story townhouses containing six dwelling units--requires multiple area variances, all of which are identified in the chart below.

HHA presented its application for variances to the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) on Wednesday, June 17. At that meeting, new elevation drawings of the block of buildings were presented. 

South elevation--Columbia Street

North elevation--Long Alley

West elevation--North Second Street

East elevation--adjacent to existing houses

This is the corner on which the proposed building will be situated.

HHA has not provided any renderings of what the proposed townhouses will look like in context, but for those able to visualize, immediately to the east of the proposed new building is this pair of two-story passive homes constructed by Habitat for Humanity in 2014, with side yard and front yard setbacks and some amount of usable open space.

The ZBA has scheduled a public hearing on the project for its July meeting, which is slated to take place on Wednesday, July 15.

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Lining the Streets

At the Common Council Legal Committee meeting last Thursday, Councilmember Jason Foster (Third Ward) shared these photographs of accidents that have happened on Green Street--accidents involving drivers rear-ending parked cars. Foster presented the photographs as evidence that Green Street needed more striping. 

Green Street currently has yellow lines at the approaches to the intersection with Fairview Avenue, but for most of its length, Green Street was no center line or other lane markings.

Foster pointed out that federal regulations specify that streets with daily traffic of 6,000 vehicles or more must have center lines. The traffic on Green Street meets that threshold. In addition to center lines, Foster argued that Green Street needed white lines to demarcate the parking lane and prevent drivers from rear-ending parked cars. 

Somehow it doesn't seem likely a driver who fails to recognize that the car in front is not moving would notice a white line, but maybe it would help. Newer cars would likely beep to warn drivers they had strayed out of their lane.

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News of Greenport

In 2018, ShopRite left its location on Healy Boulevard and moved mile farther north on Fairview Avenue to what had been the location of competing supermarket chain PriceChopper. Since then, the old ShopRite building and its vast parking lot have been vacant and fairly untended. 

Today Gossips learned from a post on Facebook that the former ShopRite location is to be auctioned next month, July 27-29. The starting bid is set at $750,000. To learn more about the auction, click here and here.

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Update on Mill Street

At the informal Common Council meeting last Monday, Mill Street resident Jack Hornickel raised the issue of the sale of the Mill Street property to Kearney Realty & Development. He pointed out that according of the agreement of sale, which was approved by the Common Council in January 2023, the closing should have taken place by May 3, 2026, a date now past. Because the closing had not yet happened, the developer was now in default. 

Hornickel spoke of the two other properties the City had agreed to sell to Kearney in January 2023: a parcel on Rossman Avenue and the lot at the corner of State and Fourth streets. The plan for Rossman Avenue was abandoned early on because of problems with the site; there has been no progress on the project proposed for State and Fourth streets since March 2025. Hornickel told the Council, "If the developer is asking for an extension to pursue a closing on the Mill Street property, you should be aware that they are not fulfilling their other obligations under that contract." 

It is within the powers of the Common Council to deny an extension of the sale agreement, but Gossips has heard that Kearney may have already gotten an extension on the closing without the knowledge or authorization of the Common Council. How that came about is not known, nor is it known what may happen going forward.

Regarding the lawsuit filed last year, an interim decision was made on June 15 denying motions to dismiss brought by the City of Hudson, Kearney Realty & Development, and Hudson City School District. The legal action is moving forward. The respondents have until July 30 to submit "responsive papers."

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Barges at the Dock

Yesterday's post about the barge extending beyond the dock and blocking the view from Rick's Point inspired a reader who kayaks on the river to submit this recent photograph of the barge that partially sank at the Colarusso dock last October. 

Eight months after the incident occurred, the partially sunken barge is still there, tied up to a tree on the shore.

To be reminded what T. J. Ruane, attorney for Colarusso, and JR Heffner, Colarusso's vice president for operations, had to say about the barge incident when questioned by Randall Martin at a Planning Board meeting last year, see this post: "About That Barge." 

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Meetings and Events in the Week Ahead

Today marks the summer solstice--the first day of summer and the longest day of the year. As we move on into the lazy days of summer, here is what's happening.

• On Monday, June 22, the Public Works Board meets at 5:30 p.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click here to join the meeting remotely.
• Tuesday, June 23, is the Primary Election. The polls are open from 6:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. The polling places in Hudson are (note that the polling place for the Fourth Ward is different from what it has been in the past):
• Wards 1, 2, and 3--St. Mary's Academy, 301 Allen Street
• Wards 4 and 5--Central Fire Station, 77 North Seventh Street

• On Tuesday, June 23, the Common Council Finance Committee meets at 5:15 p.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click here to join the meeting remotely.
• At 5:45 p.m. on Tuesday, June 23, there is a public hearing on the resolution relating to the use of videoconferencing for public hearings. The hearing takes place in person and on Teams. Click here for the link to join the hearing remotely. 
• Also on Tuesday, June 23, the Common Council holds its regular monthly meeting at 6:oo p.m. An addition to the agenda since the informal meeting last week is a resolution authorizing a budget amendment to hire a second full-time code enforcement officer. It will be remembered that last September, when the Board of Estimate and Apportionment was crafting the 2026 budget, former code enforcement officer Craig Haigh requested a 40 percent increase in his department's budget. One of the reasons for the increase was to hire a second full-time code enforcement officer. The BEA denied the request, and Haigh resigned in January. Now the Council is being asked to approve a budget amendment to add a second code enforcement officer. The Council meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.

• On Thursday, June 25, Hudson Community Development and Planning Agency (HCDPA) meets at 6:00 p.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.

Update: The HCDPA meeting has been canceled.

• On Friday, June 26, the Historic Preservation Commission meets at 10:00 a.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person and on Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely. 

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Sunday on the Waterfront: A Barge Too Far

During the interminable review of Colarusso's dock operations by the Planning Board, there was much talk about number of trucks and number of barges, but it seems the Planning Board never anticipated this.

Photo: Richard Wallace

A barge parked in such a way that it extends completely beyond the dock, encroaching on the park, blocking access to the slips, and obscuring the view of the river and the mountains from Rick's Point. 

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News for R. B. Schlather Fans

Two years ago, at around this same time, Hudson Hall announced the second opera in its "Handel on the Hudson" series--Giulio Cesare, Handel's most popular opera. The opera, to be produced and directed by R. B. Schlather, would be performed at Hudson Hall in April 2025. The announcement was exciting news for those of us who had experienced Schlather's production of Handel's Rodelinda in 2023 and his production of Virgil Thomson and Gertrude Stein's opera about Susan B. Anthony, The Mother of Us All, in 2017. 

This past week, Hudson Hall announced that 2027 will bring R. B. Schlather productions of two works by Handel: Deidamia, Handel's final Italian opera, in the spring, and a staged production of the beloved oratorio Messiah in December. Both productions feature the early music ensemble Ruckus.

The following is quoted from the Hudson Hall announcement:

Composed in the same year, Messiah and Deidamia reveal the full range of Handel's legacy. Messiah is a cultural touchstone. Deidamia is one of Handel's best-kept secrets, rarely staged and hiding in plain sight. Presented together in the same year at Hudson Hall, they offer a rare opportunity to move beyond a composer's greatest hits and discover the deep cuts. With R. B. Schlather and Ruckus as expert guides, it promises to be an unforgettable adventure.

Tickets for Deidamia go on sale to Hudson Hall members in Fall 2026 and to the public in January 2027. Tickets for Messiah go on sale in Spring 2027.