News from HHA

Last night's meeting of the Hudson Housing Authority Board of Commissioners yielded a preview of what some of the new buildings being proposed in the redevelopment project may look like. The image below was identified as an "updated rendering" of the four townhouses to be constructed at the corner of Second and Columbia streets, on the site of what remains of the former community garden.

Of the four townhouses, all of which appear in the rendering to be the same size, two will have five bedrooms, one will have three bedrooms, and one will have two bedrooms. 

In his report to the board, John Madeo from Mountco, HHA's development partner, told the board that the Common Council had passed a resolution in support of HHA's application for $3 million in funding from the Homes and Community Renewal Pro Housing program. He noted that the resolution had passed unanimously, something that had not happened before. (Madeo may have been referring to the failed resolution to support HHA's application for Restore New York funds in April 2024.) He noted that "Margaret and Jennifer" (referring to councilmembers Margaret Morris and Jennifer Belton) supported the application, adding, "They were pleased to see we've been responsive to some of the concerns."

Madeo went on to say that originally they had proposed buildings as high as seven stories and a total of 330 units in Phase 1 and Phase 2. Now all the buildings being proposed are four stories and the total number of units is 260 to 270. Madeo characterized the changes as a response to councilmembers' concerns about density. To this observer, however, the changes seem to be more the consequence of value engineering, attempting to bring down the cost of the project.

Photo: Hudson Common Sense

The findings of the borings done in May were also part of Madeo's report. The borings were done to determine both contamination and the condition of the soil. To address the contamination, HHA has applied for funding from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation's Brownfield Cleanup Program. Regarding the condition of the soil, Madeo reported there is extensive clay on the site, in some spots going down as far as 80 feet. Madeo assured the board, "There is no question that we can build on the site, there is no question that we can build, particularly the four-story wood frame buildings that we're proposing, but the issue is you have to have a subsurface design--foundation--that will work with the clay." Mountco engineers are now working on the design for the subsurface.

Madeo also reported on a conversation he and HHA executive director Jeffrey Dodson had with Mayor Kamal Johnson "maybe three weeks ago." In that conversation, according to Madeo, Johnson said he would try to get the State to allocate DRI funds to the HHA project. What DRI funds did he have in mind? The $150,000 designated for repurposing the "historic fishing village" as a city park? The $1 million meant for the Dunn Warehouse? Everything else has been spent. 

In March, Dunn & Done LLC, the leaseholders for the Dunn Warehouse, who are taking on the restoration and adaptive reuse of the iconic building, submitted a letter to the Planning Board regarding Colarusso's application for a conditional use permit for its dock operations. That letter makes this statement--twice: "If the C.U.P. is granted without limitations, it is likely Dunn & Done LLC will not be able to move forward with the redevelopment due to the serious negative environmental, health, recreational, and economic impacts it presents to Hudson's residents and the waterfront." Can it be that Johnson thinks this might happen, hence freeing up $1 million which he thinks he can convince the State to redirect to the HHA project? 

Toward the end of the meeting, Sara Black, who was recently appointed to the HHA Board of Commissioners, asked how tenants of the new buildings will be chosen. Phase 1 of the project will create 166 units, 110 of which would be occupied by current tenants. Tenants for the additional 56 units will be chosen in a lottery. Apparently, people now on the waiting list for Bliss Towers will be included in that lottery. Black expressed interest in having people "from here" be given priority.  

The discussion provided clarification of the "mixed income" breakdown of the HHA redevelopment: 

• 82 percent for incomes up to 50 percent of the area median income (AMI); 
• 15 percent for incomes up to 60 percent of the AMI; 
• 3 percent for incomes up to 80 percent of the AMI. 

The video of the meeting can be viewed on YouTube by clicking here.

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