The Mental Health Association of Columbia-Greene Counties operates a group home in this building. In February 2011, it became know that MHA intended to build a new facility behind this house. When the new building was completed and the residents had moved in, the historic house would be demolished to create off-street parking for the new facility. Repeated efforts at the local level and efforts at the state level to get MHA to change its mind and spare the historic house failed. Jeff Rovitz, executive director of MHA, did, however, offer to give the house to anyone willing to move it off the site.
In May 2012, the Galvan Foundation announced its intention to take possession of the house and move it to the 200 block of Union Street. They applied for a certificate of appropriateness to relocate the house to a locally designated historic district, which was granted by the Historic Preservation Commission on May 25, 2012.
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Call me a pessimist...the notion of moving that building is not realistic nor would the expense to move it make much sense. Re-purposing the building would have been the right thing to do with it. Obviously the new owners/developers are allowed to think otherwise....pity.
ReplyDeleteIf Hudson can't save this building, at this time in our appreciation of our town's amazing heritage, we are lost. Why it needs to be "moved" is beyond comprehension. (This is not midtown Manhattan!) Save this building.
ReplyDeleteIt strikes me that in the context of historic preservation, moving a building like this is tantamount to vandalism. These days, its easy to find architects that will do a good job preserving building facades while providing their clients with the facilities they need. That should be done here.
ReplyDeleteThe building needs to be repurposed on its present location.
ReplyDeleteHow does one get this tantamount point across to a clinic that allegedly promotes mental stable?