Waterfront Watch

A Gossips reader and observer of the waterfront sent this picture and the accompanying comment, which Gossips shares with permission.

Plotting Hudson's new waterfront.

Approximately 74k trucks running across 9 and 9G every year (not counting the supporting tug boats, excavators, conveyor belts and bulldozers). All so Hudson can get a small percentage of trucks off of Columbia Street, for the benefit of a Greenport company that I've heard outsources some of their drivers to contractors who live over an hour away. Who is this good for? Not for Hudson.

Welcome to the future of Hudson's waterfront.

Hudson's Midcentury School Building

Last week, the Hudson City School District (HCSD) signed a contract for Hudson Development Corporation (HDC) to purchase John L. Edwards, the elementary school building HCSD vacated in 2018. Last week too, the Common Council passed two resolutions in support of grant applications being submitted by HDC for the adaptive reuse of the building. The first resolution was in support of an application for a $675,000 matching grant from the Environmental Protection Fund; the second resolution was in support of an application for a $300,000 grant from Homes and Community Renewal in the category Downtown Anchor Project. 

This morning, the Historic Preservation Commission agreed to submit a letter of support for HDC's application for a third grant: $100,000 from Empire State Development in the category Strategic Planning and Feasibility Studies. A paragraph from that letter defends the architectural significance of the building.

Completed in 1963, this 80,000 SF school building was designed by the architectural firm of Sargent, Webster, Crenshaw & Folley, a firm noted for their expertise in the design of scholastic buildings. The JLE School, executed in the Mid-Century style, is a standout in a city noted for its expansive Historic District consisting mainly of 18th- and 19th-century architecture. The city's architectural heritage would be further broadened by having this impressive 20th-century building continue to be of purpose.

Photo: Jonathan Simons

During the discussion of the letter, HPC member Miranda Barry suggested that the building be designated a local landmark. Victoria Polidoro, legal counsel to the HPC, commented that since the building is more than fifty years old it could be given historic designation provided it met the criteria set forth in the city code, Chapter 169-4 A. Those criteria are as follows:

1. Possesses special character or historic or aesthetic interest or value as part of the architectural, cultural, political, economic, or social history of the locality, region, state, or nation; or
2. Is identified with historic personages; or
3. Is the work of a builder, architect, or designer whose work has significantly influenced an age.

A property only has to meet one of these criteria to merit historic designation. It could be argued that this midcentury school building, named for local notable Dr. John Lounsbery Edwards, meets all three requirements.

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News from the Public Hearing

The public hearing yesterday was for the purpose of gathering public comment on the housing rehabilitation project financed with CDGB (Community Development Block Grant) funding received by the City in 2022. The rehabilitation project involved owner-occupied single family and two- or three-family houses. To qualify, recipients needed to have a household income of less than 80 percent of the area median income (AMI), which is approximately $54,000 for a family of three. Owners of rental housing whose tenants had incomes below 80 percent of the AMI could also qualify for rehabilitation support.     

Michelle Tullo, Housing Justice Director, reported that eight projects had been completed, those participating in the program were mostly elderly, and the work had been completed before the grant deadline. Prior to the hearing, Gossips requested and received more specific information about the projects. 

Site 1: Single-Family

• Lead-based paint remediation
• New energy efficient windows and doors
• Stabilize and repair damaged walls and ceilings
• New bathroom plumbing
• Replace deteriorated exterior stairs
• Replace and upgrade electrical panel
• Replace roof

Site 2: Single-Family

• Lead-based paint remediation inside house + exterior
• Exterior wall and wood repair

Site 3: Two-Family

• Lead-based paint remediation inside house + exterior
• Replace asbestos roof & siding with new roof & siding
• New energy efficient windows and doors
• Repair damaged walls, ceilings, and floors
• Stabilize structural joists
• Replace plumbing

Site 4: Two-Family

• Lead-based paint remediation inside house + exterior
• New energy efficient windows and doors
• Repair bathrooms (walls, ceilings, subfloor) from water damage and plumbing fixtures
• Repair damaged walls
• Add electrical outlets
• Replace asbestos roof
• Replace boiler 
• Electrical panel and wires replacement and upgrade

 Site 5: Two-Family

• Lead-based paint remediation 
• Replacement of asbestos roof with new roof
• Stabilize walls, stairways, doors
• Repair damaged ceilings, walls, floors
• Removal and installation of new rear steps

Although it was a public hearing, there was no public comment. Council president Tom DePietro asked what wards the projects were in. Tullo responded by saying they were in the Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth wards, adding they were all on the north side of town.

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Checking the Progress at Depot Lofts

It's been a couple of weeks since Gossips paid a visit to Hudson Depot Lofts, the new Galvan building going up on North Seventh Street, in the part of the city Galvan has dubbed the "Depot District." On this morning's visit, it was discovered that the structure has grown another floor.

Just one more floor to go.

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LGBTQ+ History in Hudson

In June 2024 the Hudson Area Library and OutHudson began the development of a new archive, the LGBTQ+ Hudson Area History Collection. This community-sourced archive will include oral histories of LGBTQ+ individuals and their allies as well as donations from the community of video, photographs, memorabilia, art, documents, and ephemera related to Hudson’s vital queer history. The collection will focus on LGBTQ+ history in Hudson, Greenport, and Stockport (the library service area) but will extend to all of Columbia County.

Anyone with materials related to Hudson’s annual Pride Parade and other events, the participation of individuals who identify as LGBTQ+ in our civic, social, religious, governmental, and family life, or any other items related to queer history are encouraged to email history@hudsonarealibrary.org to donate or lend these materials. We are happy to answer questions about how the archive is being developed and how items donated or offered on loan will be handled.

This archive project is funded in part by the Spark of Hudson, in partnership with the Eutopia Foundation, and through the proceeds of this year’s Poke the Bear fundraiser in honor of Trixie Starr, founder of Hudson’s Pride Celebration.

News from HCSD

At tonight's meeting of the Hudson City School District Board of Education, Superintendent Juliette Pennyman shared the news that Hudson had been chosen to be part of a pilot program in New York State that allows graduating students in the top 10 percent academically to attend the SUNY school of their choice free. Pennyman explained it was an initiative by Governor Kathy Hochul to encourage the best and the brightest to stay in New York. Pennyman's statement to the board can be viewed here, beginning at 18:30.   

Pennyman said more information about this program would be forthcoming.

On July 15, HCSD issued a press release which made this announcement:

The Hudson City School District is expanding access to college by participating in New York State’s Direct Admission Program, which will enable Hudson High School seniors in the top 10% of their class to be offered acceptance, without application, to State University of New York and City University of New York campuses. 

High school seniors during 2024-2025 who will enter college in Fall 2025 are eligible for the program’s inaugural year. The Hudson City School District is one of a handful of school districts statewide asked to participate in this initial grouping. 

The entire press release can be found here.

All Politics Is Local

Late yesterday, the Associated Press reported that Vice President Kamala Harris had secured the support of more than the 1,976 delegates needed to secure the nomination in the first round of voting at the Democratic National Convention. One of those delegates is Sam Hodge, chair of the Columbia County Democrats, who released this statement yesterday, shortly after noon.

I'm a delegate, and I'm supporting Kamala Harris.

Joe Biden has been the most consequential, effective, and transformative President in my lifetime. Not since Lyndon Johnson has a president achieved so much in such a short time. President Biden has served our country with dignity for over fifty years, and as our president, he's been a steady hand in turbulent times.

President Biden offered a progressive, optimistic vision for America's future and has delivered real results for our families: the largest investment in infrastructure in American history, the largest investment in combating climate change in history, expanded loan forgiveness programs, lowered prescription drug costs, repaired and created new alliances abroad, and has been the most pro-labor President in history, and much, much more.

Simply put, I want to thank President Biden for his lifetime of work as a public servant.

With President Biden's decision to pass the torch to a new generation of leaders, Vice President Kamala Harris is the leader we need. As a delegate at the Democratic National Convention, I intend to cast my vote for Kamala Harris. During the last campaign, she had this to say:

I prosecuted sex predators. Trump is one. I shut down for-profit scam colleges. He ran one. I held big banks accountable. He's owned by them. I'm not just prepared to take on Trump, I'm prepared to beat him.

Kamala Harris is ready for the fight and is going to win.

Here in New York, we must be laser-focused on our congressional races. Josh Riley is running in one of the country's five most competitive districts. We must do everything we can to elect him and ensure Democratic control of the House so we can continue to deliver results for our families. Josh Riley will win if WE do the work.

The last month has been a whirlwind. I woke up today energized, enthusiastic, and with a renewed belief that we'll win in November.

Let's do it!

News from Tonight's HHA Meeting

In his report to the Board of Commissioners, Jeffrey Dodson, executive director of the Hudson Housing Authority, said HHA had issued an RFQ (request for qualifications) for an affordable housing consultant to assist in "managing and maximizing financial returns while pursuing redevelopment." Later on in the meeting, the board approved writing off $8,107 in uncollectable debt from tenants who had either been evicted or voluntarily terminated their lease.

Dodson also told the board they had gotten initial feedback on the redevelopment plans from "the state," which I expect is NYS Homes and Community Renewal. It will be remembered what HHA is proposing is expected to cost $220 million. Dodson reported the state was urging them to look for additional funding. According to the Q&A on the HHA website, "The primary source of funding for the project is anticipated to be through the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program, a federal program to generate private investment into affordable housing along with a first mortgage loan leveraging tax exempt bond proceeds, and loans through various State and Federal Programs set aside for public housing, affordable housing, and community revitalization." The state also suggested that HHA look for cost savings, citing in particular the plan for underground parking.

In the public comment period, Councilmember Margaret Morris (First Ward) asked what the plan for parking might be if underground parking was determined not to be feasible. The response was there was no plan at this time.  

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HHA Redevelopment Update

Later today, the Hudson Housing Authority Board of Commissioners holds its monthly meeting. In advance of that, Eu Ting-Zambuto of Mountco, the development partner for HHA's ambitious redevelopment plan, announced that the Q&A section about the project on the HHA website had been updated. This means of informing the public is a little annoying because it is not clear what is the new information. It is also not possible to know if any information previously posted has been amended in any way. Nevertheless, it probably meets the minimum standard for informing the public, which seems to be the goal of this group.

One thing of interest in the current Q&A is a section on the development process. The following information is provided in response to the question: "Can you please explain the real estate development process and where we are in the process?"

As in every real estate development project, there are a series of milestones—each requiring the review and approval of various parties. These parties include the developer, investors, architects, engineers, legal counsel, environmental consultants, and various government agencies. In an affordable housing project, complexities are layered on as construction financing availability often dictates the timeline. Below is a recap of milestones along with a proposed completion schedule. The processes set forth below overlap—a process does not require the completion of one process for the next to begin, but all processes will be completed before construction.

Each milestone in the predevelopment process is critical to ensure that the project is feasible, financially viable, compliant with all regulations, and supported by the community and investors.

• Financial Feasibility Studies—1 to 12 months—25% completion
• Approvals Needed: development team, construction lender, investor, and financing agency 

• Site Due Diligence/Sit Feasibility Studies—1 to 12 months—25% completion
• Approvals Needed: development team, construction lender, investor, and financing agency, architects, engineers, legal counsel, environmental consultants

• First Conceptual Design and Planning—3 months—100% completion
• Approvals Needed: development team, financing agency, municipality
• Tenant input considered
• Community input considered
• State input considered 

• Second Conceptual Design and Planning—3 months—0% completion
• Approvals Needed: development team, financing agency, municipality

• Site Plan Approvals—6 to 12 months—0% completion

• Zoning/Land Use—Demap Street—separate feasibility studies 6 to 12 months—0% completion

• Environmental Reviews—12 to 18 months—25% completion
• Approvals Needed: construction lender, investor, architects, engineers, legal counsel, environmental consultants, City Planning Board, City/State SEQRA 

• Financing—protracted and ongoing—10% completed
• Approvals Needed: development team, construction lender, investor, and financing agency; HUD
• PILOT/IDA—6 months—0% 

• Design Development (plans and specs)—6 to 8 months—0% completed
• Approvals Needed: development team, construction lender, investor, and financing agency, engineers, architects, general contractor, Buildings Department

• Permitting and Entitlements—4 months—0% completed
• Approvals Needed: Various local government departments (Buildings, fire, public works)

• Additional processes include legal processes of formalizing representations and agreements, securing insurance, securing access agreements as necessary, etc.

According to this information, the only phase of the development process that has been completed is "First Conceptual Design and Planning." One wonders who representing the "municipality" gave approval to the conceptual design. Interestingly, it indicates "Community input considered" although no community input was ever sought. 

There are two more bits of information that seem to have been added in the most recent update. These two bullet points appear on page 3:

• A Request for Public Comment can be accessed by the public under the Doing Business Tab on hudsonhousingauthority.com
• Redevelopment Open House with Work Session on Green Space, Date To Be Confirmed, Proposed, Tuesday, September 17, 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at HHA Bliss Towers Community Room.

It seems community members must complete the Request for Public Comment form on the HHA website before they can bring up questions and concerns about this project, about which so little is being made public. It also seems likely the "Redevelopment Open House" proposed for September 17 may be mostly the charrette about the courtyard or "park" promised by Quncie Williams of Alexander Gorlin Architects at the May meeting of the HHA Board. It is hoped, however, that at some point the architects will provide information about the design they are proposing for the buildings that goes beyond the orange boxes they've produced thus far. 

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Meetings and Events in the Week Ahead

It's the fourth week of July, and there are meetings every day. Here is what's happening. 

• On Monday, July 22, the Hudson Housing Authority Board of Commissioners meets at 6:00 p.m. This meeting was originally scheduled for last Monday, but there was not a quorum, so the meeting had to be rescheduled. It's always possible the meeting will yield new information about the authority's ambitious redevelopment plans. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person in the Community Room at Bliss Towers, 41 North Second Street, and on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely.

• Also on Monday, July 22, the Stuyvesant Planning Board holds a public hearing on the proposal for Sharptown Ridge, 384-404 Sharptown Road, in the Town of Stuyvesant. The proposal to create an agritourism resort on 58.47 acres of prime agricultural land now involves a family residence with an attached guest house, a distillery, a horse arena, a greenhouse, garden beds, ten short-term farm stay units, and 134 parking spaces. The public hearing takes place in person only at 7:00 p.m. at Stuyvesant Town Hall, 5 Sunset Drive, in Stuyvesant.
• On Tuesday, July 23, the Common Council ad hoc Parking Study Committee meets at 6:00 p.m. to continue its pursuit of updating the city's parking meter system. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.

Update: Tonight's Parking Study Committee meeting has been canceled.

• Also on Tuesday, July 23, at 6:00 p.m., the Hudson City School District Board of Education holds its monthly meeting. The meeting takes place in person in the library at Hudson High School and is livestreamed on YouTube.
• On Wednesday, July 24, at 5:30 p.m., there is a public hearing on the City's 2024 application for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding. It seems this year, as last year, the City is seeking $500,000 to fund a Housing Rehabilitation Program for local homeowners. The public hearing takes in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.

Correction: Gossips has been advised that the public hearing is not a new CDBG application, but rather it is a requirement for closing out last year's CDBG, which funded the Housing Rehabilitation Program.

• Also on Wednesday, July 24, the Common Council ad hoc Truck Route Committee meets at 6:00 p.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.

Update: The Truck Route Committee meeting for this month has also been canceled.

• On Thursday, July 25, Hudson Community Development and Planning Agency (HCDPA) meets at 4:30 p.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here to join the meeting remotely.
• Also on Thursday, July 25, the Public Works Board meets at 6:00 p.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here to join the meeting remotely.

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

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Also Today

The Bangladeshi cultural festival, Hudson Bangladesh 2024, is happening at Henry Hudson Riverfront Park. 

The festival, which began at 11:00 a.m. and will continue until sunset, features food, games and sports, cultural performances, stalls, songs by musicians, dances, raffles, prizes, gift, and other activites.

Happening Today

At noon today, Sunday, July 21, a historic marker will be unveiled and dedicated at the Conyn Homestead, 644 Spook Rock Road, a site that has remained a working farm since the 17th century. The house is an example of Dutch style architecture in the Hudson Valley. The primary brick structure bears the date 1766 in its gable. An earlier structure is estimated to have been built around 1650.

From noon until 3:00 p.m., the current owners of the historic home, Nancy Fuller and David Ginsberg, will be offering tours of their authentically restored home, including the kitchen which is the setting for Fuller's lifestyle and cooking show, Farm House Rules, on the Food Network. 

Volunteers with the Claverack Historical Society will provide assistance for the occasion. The public is invited to attend free of charge. The historic marker was provided by the Pomeroy Foundation as part of its community history program.

Why Not Here?

Yesterday, it was announced that two upstate New York prisons would be closing, effective November 6: Great Meadow Correctional Facility in Washington County and Sullivan Correctional Facility in Fallsburg. You can learn about it in this report on WAMC: "New York closing two upstate prisons." As the report points out, "The state budget signed by Governor Kathy Hochul in April allowed for the closure of up to five state correctional facilities." Why, oh why, wasn't the Hudson Correctional Facility designated for closure?

According to the 2023 PREA (Prison Rape Elimination Audit) Report, submitted in November 2023, there were 92 inmates at the Hudson Correctional Facility at the time the audit has done and an average daily population of 106 during the twelve months prior to the audit. (The facility capacity is 261.) The audit also revealed that, during 2023, there were 234 staff members at the facility who had contact with the inmates. That's more than two staff members for every inmate. There is no indication of the number of staff members who did not have contact with the inmates. 

Again we ask: Why, oh why, wasn't the Hudson Correctional Facility designated for closure?

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"A Painful Chapter in Our History"

Years ago, in the early days of Historic Hudson's advocacy for the Dr. Oliver Bronson House, the deputy superintendent at the time of the Hudson Correctional Facility took Timothy Dunleavy and me on a tour of the wooded area west of the historic house, once part of the Bronson estate but now the grounds of the correctional facility--an area usually off limits to us. That excursion brought us to a small graveyard, which dated back to the days when what is now the Hudson Correctional Facility was the Women's House of Refuge (1887-1904).

Cottages at the Women's House of Refuge

As we explored the little graveyard, the deputy superintendent commented that records showed the offense of many of the women consigned to the House of Refuge was bigamy. Not surprising, really. In an era when women were rarely able to fend for themselves and could not legally sue for divorce, a woman abandoned by her husband or escaping an abusive marriage might enter into a bigamous marriage just to survive. 

On Monday morning, July 22, there is to be a private memorial ceremony at that little graveyard on the grounds of the Hudson Correctional Facility to honor the women and infants buried there. The event, which is not open to the public, is the initiative of Incorrigibles, a transmedia project that documents the stories of girls incarcerated during the period from 1900 to the present day. ("Incorrigible" was routinely recorded as the offense that sent girls between the ages 12 to 15 to the New York State Training School for Girls, the institution that occupied the site from 1904 to 1975.)

Fire drill at the Girls' Training School

The following is quoted from the press release announcing the event:

The private ceremony will take place at the small cemetery, discovered on the grounds of the Hudson Correctional Facility, which previously housed the New York House of Refuge (1887 to 1904) and the New York State Training School for Girls (1904 to 1975). The House of Refuge was the second reformatory for women [in the United States]. The NYS Training School was the largest prison for girls in the country, incarcerating an estimated 15,000 young women during its 71-year history, Ella Fitzgerald being the most well-known. 

The cemetery contains the graves of young women and infants who died while at the institutions. Many of the weathered stones bear only girls' names, with no dates or epitaphs. "This ceremony is a crucial step in acknowledging a painful chapter in our history and working towards healing. It aims to restore dignity to those buried in the cemetery and raise awareness about the historical treatment of incarcerated girls and women,” said Alison Cornyn, director of the Incorrigibles project.

The one-hour ceremony will include formerly incarcerated women and family members, local officials, and others. Mayor Kamal Johnson, Reverend Kim Singletary of Overcomers Ministries in Hudson, author and former New York Times writer Nina Bernstein, and dancer Amanda Krische are among those who will contribute.

"By uncovering this difficult history, we hope to spark important conversations about how society can better support young women today," said Cynthia Boykin, a former Newburgh resident who was sent to the Training School at age 15 in the 1970s. 

The event . . . follows a series of free public events and an exhibition, Incorrigibles: Bearing Witness to the Incarcerated Girls of New York, hosted at The Church–Staatsburg, July 18-21, as part of Upstate Arts Weekend. These events are generously supported by Humanities New York and The Mellon Foundation through a Post Incarceration Humanities Project grant. The memorial ceremony is not open to the public, however an offsite memorial in Hudson is planned as part of this initiative.