Tomorrow, Sunday, June 27, the new owners of the Pocketbook Factory are hosting a meet and greet at the building "to introduce ourselves as neighbors, share more details about the project, and answer any questions about the future development plans." (The image below provides the details. Click on the image to enlarge.)
At 3:00 p.m. and at 4:00 p.m., members of the project team will provide tours of the grounds and answer questions about the project. Accessibility to the site is currently limited, but it can be entered from 549 Washington Street, through the alley, and 544 Prospect Street, up the driveway. Those planning to attend are asked to RSVP at info@pocketbookhudson.com or "just drop by."
Do they have anywhere special to park for those showing up by auto? B Huston
ReplyDeleteThey didn't mention that little detail on the flyer I got. If it's a problem to find parking for their little Meet & Greet, imagine how much of a problem it'll be when 60+ staff and guests are looking for parking. Yikes.
ReplyDeleteBravo! Really glad to see someone tackle that project.
ReplyDeleteTackle what project? Repurposing a relic in a residential area and having no parking lot for all the customers coming by car that it will create? How does that sove a problem? Doesn't it just create more problems (parking, water use, noise, character of the neighborhood... am I forgetting anything?)? B Huston
Deleteyou've forgotten you live in a city Bill.
DeleteGlad to see this beautiful old building being repurposed and useful. Cars use too much fossil fuel, walk. Hudson is a walkable city, part of it's charm. I see plenty of people walking with wheely bags from the station up to Rivertown Lodge, etc.
ReplyDeleteI'm excited for the investment in the city and to see an empty building put back to productive use.
ReplyDeleteThe number of weekend visitors arriving with luggage by train these days is really quite extraordinary and not one of them consumes a single parking space. Perhaps a shuttle could be added as a shared expense by the hotels in town to make this an even more attractive option for the already popular train trip.
I've also recently watched an organized bike tour riding the empire trail that now runs through town pedal by. I think they stayed at the Wick, but adding bike racks to any new hotel also seems like a worthwhile idea, given the investment the city and state have made into bike tourism through Hudson.
Those ideas for car reduction aside it does sounds like the developers are taking the concern about potential visitors by car into consideration and are planning to lease spaces for their guests in various lots nearby. This is above and beyond what the city zoning rules require, but is also sensible and neighborly if they are able to work something out.
The city of Hudson has opted for zoning that prioritizes dense walkability for people over empty lots and storage space for cars. If folks want to change that, the common council seems like the appropriate forum rather than becoming exasperated with developers who are simply following the parking rules set forth by the city.
All of that said: the city will continue to change one way or another. If we are lucky, vacant historic buildings will be put to use rather than crumbling and becoming derelict. Let's figure out how to do it well, pass new zoning laws if they are required and find a way forward without ruining what is great about Hudson.
Agreed, a nuanced and thoughtful answer. Before I moved here and when I was a visitor to Hudson in my city slicker days, we always came via train and schlepped our bags all the way to Rivertown Lodge. I think people far removed from big city life find it hard to grasp (and I mean that respectfully) that many people from the city do not own cars and don’t bat an eye making a 1 mile walk from public transit. Many do it daily in their normal commutes. Those long walks from the Amtrak station took us through the other streets and alleys besides just touristy Warren, and became part of why we fell in love with Hudson and decided to move here. Sure, they should also look into leasing lots for guests that do drive as would be expected as an add-on ameneity and not left to find street parking. But I don’t think it’s a deal breaker. We should be encouraging smart and enthusiastic development that will restore our historic buildings, bring in jobs and, you know, contribute to the tax base rather than putting a hand out for PILOTS.
DeleteIf anything, repurposing our older buildings into viable living and working spaces is #1. This project looks great. What some of you are forgetting is that a lot of visitors to Hudson are driving from surrounding communities. It's not unusual to see people coming from Rhinebeck, Millerton, Catskill and miles beyond. That's just a tiny sampling. Really the only way to travel is by the handy little car. You are concentrating on NYC visitors who obviously have their particular needs and objectives. I would say that the main vehicular visits are for dining, shopping and special events. And that is an overwhelming rush of visitors. The Pocket Book Factory may include dining. Which then again will attract anyone outside the city. Older people, those with kids and others with physical limits are unlikely to walk from Front Street to 7th. Or, cycle. Hudson is a walkable city for those who can walk comfortably and arrive by train or live in town. For the rest of us, it's an unpredictable gamble arriving by car - dilemma, it's the only option for hundreds.
Delete2/10 of a mile - 352 yards - from a block long municipal parking lot to the pocketbook factory.
DeleteThanks but no thanks for your advice ....
DeleteIt would be interesting if someone were to take a survey of how many unused garages there are in Hudson.
ReplyDeleteIt would be very interesting. Both my neighbors on either side of my home have garages, yet both park on the street, usually in front of their homes. I keep hearing about hard it is to find parking here, and I’m still waiting to see that.
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