Friday, November 1, 2019

More Plans for the Upper Depot

It was just last Sunday that Gossips mentioned the Galvan Foundation's plans for the corner of State and Seventh streets in the post that explored what mayor presumptive Kamal Johnson might have meant when he talked about developers who owned property and were ready to build affordable housing but were frustrated by Hudson's zoning code. Yesterday, the Galvan Foundation made this announcement about the project, in a part of the city they have dubbed "the Depot District":
Galvan Foundation announces winning a $1 million Buildings of Excellence Award from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) for a planned 75-unit mixed-income and commercial development in the Depot District in the City of Hudson, NY. The award facilitates the project’s design, development, and completion. River Architects, design professionals specializing in urban planning and sustainable design, is Project Architect.
“We believe that environmentalism and community development go hand-in-hand,” said Dan Kent, Galvan’s Vice President of Initiatives. “That’s why we strive to provide housing in Hudson that raises the bar for sustainability and green building, and we are delighted that the State of New York recognized our commitment with this award. NYSERDA’s support, along with the great work of River Architects, will make a positive impact in Hudson for generations to come.”
The “smart, inspiring, sustainable” winning projects were selected by an advisory panel made up of top academics, architects, and advocates for green building. Only building designs with very low or zero carbon emissions were eligible.  
The site of the proposed building is in a locally designated historic district. At the Historic Preservation Committee meeting on October 11, Jason O'Toole presented Galvan's plans for the meticulous restoration of the Hudson Upper Depot, to become the Upper Depot Brewery, but no mention was made of a plan to construct a new building adjacent to the depot nor was there any talk of naming the area "the Depot District." The final design for the building will require a certificate of appropriateness.

If the name River Architects seems familiar, it is because this was the firm that did the design renderings for Hudson's DRI application back in 2017. The picture below shows the firm's managing and founding partner, Juhee Lee-Hartford (second from left), celebrating the success of  the application with Sheena Salvino, Mayor Tiffany Martin, and Kathleen Foley, the woman credited with writing the application.

COPYRIGHT 2019 CAROLE OSTERINK

10 comments:

  1. Affordable, rent controlled...I Dont think so.

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  2. Galvan -- believe little or nothing they say or promise. Or go to the corner of 5th and Columbia and walk the sidewalk on Columbia along the side of the new printing/copy business -- it's a Galvan building. The deep and wide chasm in the sidewalk has been there for years and they have been aware of it and they are responsible for it. And they care about us? It's laughable and absurd.

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  3. The coining of new districts is overtly presumptuous, telegraphing Galvan's long-term intentions for Hudson.

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  4. A few thoughts- 1.) The rendering as shown is at least more attractive than a dilapidated warehouse, which is a low bar, I know, but let's find our reference; 2.) Hopefully this will put some property on the tax rolls; 3.) I wouldn't mind seeing some non-retail commercial space that might encourage employers to open offices in Hudson.

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  5. Stay tuned for another drama filled season of ... Hate the Developer. An unending soap opera pitting the townies against a single man with a vision, a lot of money and a micro brewery.

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    1. Because everyone in the flyover wards has a vision problem?

      How grand it must be to soar above the blurry soap operas.

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    2. he might be a single man of vision but it's his own vision and it's a pretty bad one, not in keeping with Hudson's core, supporting his own business needs to balance his portfolio.

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  6. I do commend the attempt to design a 75 unit mixed income and commercial building. Hudson definitely needs more mixed income buildings. But how about fixing up the one on 5th and Union? And what is "The Depot District', we don't need another coined term. The building in the picture is decidedly ugly and modern and to my mind doesn't fit in at all, at least Craig Thorn's building on 7th St Park between Columbia and Warren was a good fit. Take a clue from that. I shall look forward to seeing what shows up at the Preservation Commission. Trouble is, things change between drawings and application so hard to trust.

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  7. Instead of carping about 5th and Union, which has been stabilized, why not direct your ire at 4th and Warren. A large derelict project going no where for almost 20 years.

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    1. That's definitely another issue. Probably the worst looking building on Warren St now, never mind the tearing down of buildings on either side. I think I've been on that one before.

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