Tuesday, January 19, 2021

Galvan Presents to the IDA

The Galvan Foundation, in the person of Dan Kent, brought the proposed Depot District to the Hudson Industrial Development Agency (IDA) today, seeking a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes). The terms of the PILOT being sought were not revealed--at least not to the public. Only an overview of the project was presented. Kent did say they were seeking a deviation from the standard PILOT.

The presentation to the IDA included much of the same information presented to the Planning Board, along with some new information. The building proposed for 75 North Seventh Street will have a total of 75 apartments 34 units for households earning between $23,000 and $42,000 a year; 20 units for households earning between $45,000 and $65,000 a year; and 21 market rate units.

In the presentation to the IDA today, it was revealed that of the 75 apartments, 39 would be one bedroom, 28 would be two bedroom, and 8 would be three bedroom. This building would also contain four 1,000-square-foot commercial spaces. Priority for these four spaces would be given to minority- and woman-owned businesses. 

The presentation also provided more detailed information about the rent structure of the "permanently affordable" units in the building:

One Bedroom
9 units at $533 
9 units at $686
10 units at $1,140
 
Two Bedrooms
7 units at $640 
7 units at $823 
7 units at $1,370 

Three Bedrooms 
1 unit at $740
1 unit at $951
1 unit at $1,580
 
The building proposed for 708 State Street would have 63 market rate units and five 1,000-square-foot commercial spaces. 

The presentation to the IDA focused on demonstrating how the project, which Kent asserted is in keeping with Hudson's Strategic Housing Action Plan, meets the criteria of the IDA.

On the topic of creating the retaining jobs, 347 direct and indirect jobs during construction and 65 direct or indirect jobs after construction are projected. Regarding investment of private capital, the figure $38.5 million was cited, $3 million of which is coming from the "development team." In the category of positive fiscal impact, $10.3 million in additional city and school tax revenue and IDA fees was cited. In terms of strengthening existing industries, $25 million invested in the county's construction industry was projected, along with mention of the affordable rents for minority- and women-owned businesses and the creation of new commercial spaces for restaurants and retail.

This picture was offered to demonstrate how the project would revitalize a distressed area.

As evidence of how the project would serve the needs of residents, the following benefits were named:
  • Creating high quality, urgently needed housing
  • Providing small businesses with affordable spaces in a vibrant district
  • Increasing public green spaces
  • Ensuring all spaces are handicap accessible
Alderman Rebecca Wolff (First Ward), who is on the IDA because she is minority leader, questioned the choice of making one of the buildings all market rate. Kent told her that one building (75 North Seventh State) will be publicly financed and one (708 State Street) privately financed. Alderman Tiffany Garriga (Second Ward), who is on the IDA because she is majority leader, expressed the opinion that both should be mixed income. Wolff went on to say she was concerned about a "strange dynamic" if one building "is subject only to the market." Dan Hubbell, who is the attorney for the project, explained that making a building mixed income required a more complicated financing structure. When Wolff suggested affordable units in 708 State Street could be subsidized by higher rents, Kent said that the market rate in Hudson is not high enough to subsidize low-income units.

As she did when the original proposal for 75 North Seventh Street was made, Garriga complained that the plan did not include enough three-bedroom apartments in the affordable categories. (There are only three.)

There were questions from Garriga and Wolff about job numbers, hiring practices, and workforce development, and Hubbell reminded them that this was mainly a residential project. Mayor Kamal Johnson asked about the Community Advisory Board that is being proposed for the project and was told it would provide guidance in planning the project and would have an ongoing role in seeing that the project "has a strong relationship with the rest of the community."

It is expected that the IDA will be considering this project and its PILOT request over the next two or three months.
COPYRIGHT 2021 CAROLE OSTERINK

12 comments:

  1. The streetscape depiction doesn't show the same 2 blocks in the before and after renderings. Why can't Galvan be honest? Is it a personality flaw that flows down to those who work for him (or suckle on his multiple teats, like the mayor)? Or is it simply contempt for the taxpayers and decision makers who aren't on the pad? How goddam hard is it to be honest?

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    1. It seems he never has been honest.. Why start when his greed has so much support

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  2. who gives the final green light to these types of project? IDA, the Mayor, the Planning Board? All the above?

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  3. To clarify for Gossips readers, the discussion about workforce and hiring practices will be significant to answering the question of whether the project will provide enough benefit to the city to earn a PILOT, which is what the IDA is charged with determining. The claim that is being made by the Camoin analyis is that the project will produce a certain number of jobs in the county and the city. These jobs are construction and other trades jobs, and they engage the raging question of how Hudson might better prepare its residents to directly benefit economically from the development of the City. REBECCA WOLFF

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    1. the post says 65 permanent jobs will be created after the project is completed One wonders how 65 permanent jobs will be created and of course what these jobs could be --- lots of part time property maintainers making minimum wage ?

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    2. Galvan has said there will be three permanent jobs directly connected with the buildings--for operation and maintenance. The other jobs anticipated will be in the businesses that occupy the new commercial spaces being created.

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    3. Thank you for that information. So 62 jobs from the commercial space---I would say that is extremely optimistic.

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  4. However, Ms. Wolff, those construction jobs created would be temporary, correct? Moreover, I do not see many of our local tradespeople working on Galvan jobs around town presently -- not even Mr. Kent lives here, as I understand. Who is to say that Galvan would not just continue an unsavory tradition of bringing in workers from out of town, including for the retail that would supposedly be created with this project? (A tradition not limited to Galvan; at least a couple of the new high-end eateries in town have brought in at least some of their bakers and chefs from the city and elsewhere.)

    -Jerome Riviere

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  5. I thought warehousing people in massive structures was debunked years ago. Projects have been torn down from the 70's when this was tried before. Bliss Towers is still controversial with on and off considerations to remove it for a better solution. BUT GALVIN GETS WHAT GALVIN WANTS in HUDSON

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  6. I am trying to imagine the details of this PILOT request....already I am expecting an outrageous tax discount over the maximum allowable time period for the least value provided. It is really terrible to have such cynical and negative expectations. Galvan could alter its image if the developer offered something generous. Perhaps Goodwill just doesn't "pay"

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  7. There are "givers" and "takers" in this world.

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