Thursday, March 28, 2013

They Called It "Progress"

Paul Barrett shared these photographs with Gossips, which he discovered in his research. They appeared in the Register-Star for May 28, 1971, accompanied by the caption reproduced below.


SOWING SEEDS OF PROGRESS: The familiar frame homes that lined North and South Front St., are now piles of rubble that will be cleared to make way for a $3,263,783 moderate income housing project. The Hudson Urban Renewal Agency, through the developer Montrose Construction Corp. of White Plains, hopes to begin construction of 168 housing units overlooking the river on Nov. 9. Within 12 to 14 months, the agency said, a landscaped development of 38 one-bedroom, 91 two-bedroom, and 35 three-bedroom units, parking areas, and an expanded Promenade Hill Park will replace what had been considered one of the most deteriorated sections of the city. (Register-Star photos by Joe Traver)
It's remarkable how differently this action, seen as "progress" forty years ago, is viewed today.
COPYRIGHT 2013 CAROLE OSTERINK

3 comments:

  1. Can anyone identify the buildings, either by business or residents, of the top pic that is N. Front?
    The bottom pic is of S. Front w/ Moxie's/Maxie's at the center.
    Pic taken from Parade Hill area.
    Time & money changes everything.

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  2. I believe that from that angle, and to your right out of view is the firehouse and your looking northeast at the corner of Columbia St. and Front St. At that time front street went straight and didn't make the swooping curve going north as you got to State St. Also the Stack in background was part of a Bldg on corner of State St and Front where part of foundation still exist. I'll have to ask a couple of people who could clarify with certainty.

    Steve

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  3. As a very young teenager my parents would drive me to Albany to witness the demolition of the architectural wonders i grew up admiring.

    Hudsons demo was one of the last in this experiment to take place in the HRV.

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