News of HHA's Development Plans

On Monday, the Hudson Housing Authority (HHA) Board of Commissioners met at precisely the same time as the Common Council held its informal meeting. Having to choose between them, I opted to attend the Common Council meeting. Today, I watched the HHA meeting on YouTube. During the meeting, John Madeo, from Mountco Construction, HHA's development partner, appeared on Zoom to update the board. His report provides some interesting information.

Citing the board's interest in adding more units on the site, Madeo explained they were anticipating a two-phase plan. Phase 1 involves constructing a two-level building across State Street from Bliss Towers, where a playground, the basketball court, a parking lot, and the little park with the gazebo are now located. Part of this two-level building will be seven stories, the other part five stories, and the building will contain 138 units. This, as Madeo explained, will be the primary relocation site for current HHA tenants. (The last time around, in 2019, it was determined that the land at this site was not stable enough to support the 120 units then being proposed for it.)

Also part of Phase 1 are ten to twelve townhouses to be constructed on the three parcels HHA has an option to buy from Hudson Community Development and Planning Agency (HCDPA). Those three parcels are 202-206 Columbia Street, what remains of the community garden at the corner of Columbia and Second;

2-4 Warren Street, now an Urban Renewal Era park known fondly to some as "Promenade Prospect";

and 2 to 14 State Street, the land on the north side of State Street from Front Street east to what HHA is now calling "Site B."

Madeo said the primary source of funding for the project would be New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) not HUD. He warned that HHA would be competing for funding with developers all over the state, but he said that housing authorities were a priority for HCR, and he assured them that Mountco has never had a project that was not funded. It should be noted that the project Galvan has proposed for 75 North Seventh Street has twice been passed over for HCR funding, and if Galvan continues to pursue HCR funding the "Depot District" project will be in competition for funding with the HHA project.

Regarding next steps, Mountco will be making a technical assistance submission to HCR within the next week. A more detailed report on the project will be provided at the March meeting of the HHA Board of Commissioners, which is expected to take place on March 18.

To view the meeting on YouTube, click here. Madeo's presentation begins at 24:40.

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