News of the Other Side of the River . . . and More

Yesterday, Governor Kathy Hochul announced the Capital Region winners in the Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) and NY Forward programs. 

The Village of Catskill will receive $10 million in the Round 8 of DRI funding. The Village of Athens will receive $4.5 million in Round 3 of NY Forward funding.

The announcement, which can be found here, has this to say about Catskill and its plans for the $10 million:

The Village of Catskill offers a singular experience with a combination of striking historical architecture, a pedestrian-scale Main Street and waterfront accessibility with the spectacular Catskill Creek at the center of the community. The walkable one by one-half mile Downtown Creek District encompasses the Village’s central downtown. With a mix of stores, restaurants, businesses, cultural venues and residences, it is the heartbeat for the Village and the broader region. The Village plans to continue expanding downtown offerings and create an even more vibrant and active community. Potential DRI projects being planned include a mix of public and private, from infrastructure improvements to new housing to historic renovations, in order to create new cultural and commercial spaces which together will help further the creative and economic revitalization along this corridor. This will advance the Village’s, and the region’s, broader economic development goals, and breathe new life and energy into Catskill and the region to support a sustainable and enhanced quality of life for residents and visitors.

The following statement is made about Athens and its plans for the NY Forward funding:

Athens is a quintessentially charming village with a unique laid-back vibe that sits on the west bank of the Hudson River. It is connected to world class art, culture, recreation and choice of housing that attracts visitors, boaters and artists. The Village has already worked to make downtown more walkable, welcoming, resilient and climate adaptive – making it primed for the NY Forward program. The community’s vision is to remain a welcoming village that celebrates family and community. They plan to do this by upgrading Second Street at the heart of downtown by improving ADA compliance, increasing foot traffic to local businesses and supporting arts and culture; increasing river access; and increasing choice of residences, homes and apartments that are accessible and affordable.

The City of Hudson was awarded $10 million in 2017, in Round 2 of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative. 

Eight years later, Hudson has yet to complete four of the five projects funded by the DRI. As a reminder of what the projects were, the following list of projects and their descriptions is quoted from a press release issued in 2017:

Implement Complete Streets Improvements: Design and construct a phased Complete Streets initiative throughout the DRI area to provide safe access, aesthetic improvements, and separation of truck traffic from pedestrians and bicyclists. Examples of improvements include safe and functional at-grade railroad crossing, streetscape improvements, bike lanes, extension of the North Bay trail, sidewalk and crosswalk improvements, pedestrian stairs, and signage. ($3,982,550)

Renovate Promenade Hill Park and Provide ADA Access: Renovate Promenade Hill Park, an important public space in the heart of the DRI area, to preserve its historic features while providing access to park amenities and extraordinary views of the Hudson and the Catskills for people of all abilities. ($1,100,000)

Improve the Safety and Aesthetics of Cross Street and the Second Street Stairs: Improve the safety and aesthetics of Cross Street and the Second Street Stairs by designing and implementing streetscape improvements along Cross Street. This will include grading and repaving, new sidewalks, and lighting and replacement of the Second Street stairs leading from Allen Street to Cross Street. ($250,000)

Stabilize the Dunn Warehouse for Future Re-Use: Stabilize the historic Dunn Warehouse, the City's last remaining central waterfront building, and conduct a feasibility study for its reuse. The City of Hudson will issue an RFP for a public/private partnership to adaptively reuse Dunn Warehouse based on recommendations in that study. Critical structural improvements will be made to exterior walls and masonry, the roof, and perimeter drainage, and a new concrete slab will be added. Remaining funds will be used for other interior renovations. ($1,000,000)

Repurpose Historic Fishing Village as a City Park: Convert city-owned land containing a historic collection of fishing shacks into a waterfront park with access to the Hudson River. The project at the city's northern boundary will include the demolition of some of the shacks to open the space, as well as basic repairs to preserve the more historically significant and visually interesting structures. DRI funds will be used for site cleanup, remediation, design services and site preparation. ($150,000)

Work on the "Complete Streets" improvements is expected to resume in April. Presumably this will include the installation of railings on the new Second Street stairs. Last year, the City entered into an agreement with CGS Group, a.k.a. Dunn and Done LLC, to carry out the stabilization and redevelopment of the Dunn Warehouse. Earlier this week, the Common Council agreed to hire Dan's Hauling & Demolition of Wynantskill, NY, to demolish and remove buildings as a first step in the process of repurposing the historic fishing village as a city park. 

The DRI program reimburses municipalities for money spent on DRI projects, hence the City has had to borrow money to do the projects, for which it is then reimbursed. At the informal Common Council meeting on Monday, City Treasurer Heather Campbell projected that, when this is all over, the borrowing will have cost the City between $750,000 and $1 million. 

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