Out with the Old, in with the New

In its New Year's Eve edition, the Register-Star devoted most of its front page to the end of Kamal Johnson's six-year tenure as mayor of Hudson--"Kamal Johnson has no regrets as he leaves Hudson City Hall"--and Joe Ferris's imminent assumption of the office--"Mayor-elect Joseph Ferris is ready to lead the city."

Of interest in the article about Johnson is, after taking credit for a number of antidisplacement initiatives--the Hudson UP universal basic income program, the Hudson Roots rent subsidy program, the good cause eviction law--and for getting more people involved in local politics, Johnson attributed his loss to the fact that many of the voters who supported him in 2019 (the only time he didn't run unopposed) no longer live in Hudson. The following is quoted from the article:

In his opinion, however, the biggest reason he lost November's election was the loss of votes from people who have left the city since he took office.

"With the population decline, a lot of people who were on my team back in 2019 no longer live in the city anymore," Johnson said. "That's particularly why you saw my signs in Greenport, Claverack and everywhere else, because those people used to live in Hudson, they know what I was fighting for and still stood by me, even though they got priced out or were forced to move."

Anyone who was hoping to get a better sense of our future mayor's plans for Hudson will be disappointed by the article about Ferris. Apparently that information will be revealed in his inauguration address on Saturday, of which he is quoted in the article as saying:

"It's really just gonna be about my vision, about how we, the city, can work together," Ferris said. "It's an opportunity to lay out a vision and a road map to find ways to bring the community together, to collaborate and work together as one."

According to the article, however, Saturday's event will not provide the information of interest to many Hudsonians: Who will be appointed to the Planning Board? (There are three vacancies, and the mayor also names the Planning Board chair.) Who will be Ferris's mayoral aide? Who will be the city attorney and how many attorneys will there be? 

An interesting bit of history about the mayoral aide: The position was created back in 2000, when the office of mayor was a part-time position that paid $11,000 a year. Ken Cranna was the mayor then. Cranna's full-time job was being a lawyer, but he wanted to ensure that when people called City Hall seeking to speak with the mayor, they got someone who represented the mayor and could make them feel their voice had been heard by the mayor. What scandalized many at the time was that the mayoral aide, who kept regular office hours at City Hall, was paid more than the mayor.

Ferris's ceremonial swearing-in takes place at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 3, at Hudson Hall.

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PSA: What Happened to the Water?

For the residents of the Third Ward who are without water: There was a water main break on Green Street. It is expected that it will be repaired, and your water will restored, by 2:00 p.m. today. For more information, click here.

Thanks to Jason Foster for bringing this to Gossips' attention.

Snow Removal: Day 2

The snow removal continues tonight, beginning at midnight and continuing into Wednesday morning. Below is the schedule. (Click on the image to enlarge.) For many streets, it's a matter of parking on the side you didn't park on last night.

When in doubt, look for the orange "No Parking" signs. Cars must be on the appropriate side of the street by 11:00 p.m. or risk being ticketed AND towed. 

Remembering and Reflecting

It was six years ago, almost to the day, that Gossips published a post about the Galvan Foundation's plans for an overlooked area of the city. For a little trip down memory lane, as we approach the beginning of a new year and the beginning of a new administration in City Hall, rereading this post is recommended: "About the Depot District.".

A lot has happened with the Depot District in the past six years, and a lot hasn't. The plans grew from one building on the east side of North Seventh Street to two buildings--one on the east side and another on the west side. 

The design for the two buildings evolved. Eventually, the plans for the building on the west side of the street were abandoned because Galvan disqualified itself for state funding by demolishing prematurely the three habitable houses that stood on the site. 

Fortunately, the restoration of the historic train station, which began in 2019, was completed in 2022, and Upper Depot Brewing Company opened there in early 2023. Today, the corner of State and North Seventh, envisioned in the rendering that appeared at the beginning of this post, looks like this--with only one of the proposed buildings completed: Hudson Depot Lofts.

The marketing of the apartments at Hudson Depot Lofts began in May 2025. In August 2025, it was reported that 55 of the 64 units in the building were available. Today, according to Zillow, there are still 47 units available, with rents ranging from $2,275 for a one-bedroom unit to $3,600 for a three-bedroom unit. The rents for a one-bedroom unit (there are 32 still available) range from $2,275 to $2,600; the rents for a two-bedroom unit (12 are still available) range from $2,775 to $3,100; the rents for a three-bedroom unit (3 are available) range from $3,400 to $3,600. There is even a special incentive being offered: sign a thirteen-month lease and receive one month of complimentary rent--a real estate baker's dozen.

The building was presented to the Hudson IDA (Industrial Development Agency) as "workforce housing," for households with incomes between 80 and 130 percent of the area median income (AMI). The 12 units reserved for the lower income cap (80 percent of AMI) went first. It appears only 5 of the 52 units intended for the higher income cap (130 percent of AMI) are now leased: 4 two-bedroom and 1 three-bedroom. From the information on Zillow, it appears that none of the one-bedroom apartments in the higher income tier has been leased.

It is not clear why so many apartments in this building remain available. Is it that there are too few people with qualifying incomes looking for an apartment in Hudson? Is it because the apartments are considered overpriced for what they are? They are described in the marketing materials are "spacious," but people who have viewed them firsthand have described them as "cramped."    

The future of this building is not clear. According to reports, it is one of the properties that Galvan has given to Bard College. What is clear is that the "Depot District" envisioned by Galvan back in February 2022--the vision that was going to provide an appropriate context for Hudson Depot Lofts--is not going to happen.

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Snow News

The rain and warmer temperatures have done a lot to diminish the snowbanks along the streets, and tonight and tomorrow morning, the Department of Public Works will finish the job.

Snow removal will begin tonight at midnight and continue until noon on Tuesday. DPW is setting out "No Parking" signs to indicate which side of the street will be cleared. By 11:00 p.m. tonight, Monday, December 29, cars must be moved to the opposite side of the street. Cars that remain on the side with the "No Parking" signs will be ticketed AND towed by the Hudson Police Department.

'Tis the Season for Giving (and Receiving)

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that more than $463 million has been awarded to projects statewide through the State's Regional Economic Development Council initiative. Among the hundreds of projects receiving funding there are four of particular interest to us here in Hudson.

• $180,000 to the City of Hudson to update its zoning

The City of Hudson will develop a comprehensive update to their zoning regulations based on the community vision articulated in the recently adopted smart growth comprehensive plan. This zoning update will aim to boost economic development, housing equity, inclusion, energy efficiency, and environmental protection through innovative concepts and smart growth practices that will lead this historic city into a brighter future.

• $3 million to the Hudson Housing Authority for its redevelopment project

Hudson Housing Authority will complete infrastructure upgrades and sitework to enable a two-phase redevelopment plan to replace obsolete buildings with high-quality, energy-efficient affordable housing. HHA currently manages aging units at Bliss Towers and Columbia Apartments that were built in 1973 and [are] now outdated with infrastructure issues. Phase 1 of the planned redevelopment includes new construction of 166 affordable and workforce units across two buildings on underutilized parcels.

• $675,000 to the Columbia Land Conservancy for Charles Williams Park

The Columbia Land Conservancy proposes a full renovation of Charles Williams Park. Plans include a destination playground with a nature play area, new basketball and pickleball courts, adult fitness equipment, pedestrian paths, seating, and native plantings and trees. The project will establish the park as a vibrant community hub for outdoor recreation, connecting residents and visitors to nature in the park and beyond.

• $360,000 to The Olana Partnership to rehabilitate the North Road entrance

The Olana Partnership will rehabilitate Olana's North Road entrance to serve as the pedestrian access point for the Hudson River Skywalk and to enable public tours to access this important historic landscape feature.

The surprise here is that the Columbia Land Conservancy is going to be renovating Charles Williams Park, a city park. It's been two years since any information about the park has been shared. When and how the renovation of the park became a project of the Columbia Land Conservancy is not known.

The full list of REDC awardees can be found here. 

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It Isn't Over Until It's Over

This could have been predicted. Kitty's Restaurant LLC, Montgomery Street Projects LLC, Hudson Steel House LLC, Basilica Industries LLC, Basilica Arts LLC, South Bay Railyard LLC, and Our Hudson Waterfront have filed an Article 78 petition "for a judgment to annul, vacate, and in all respects void the City of Hudson Planning Board resolution to grant site plan and conditional use permit approval" for Colarusso's dock operations. The petition, which was filed on December 19, can be found here.  

It's Official

The announcement went out today. Mayor-elect Joe Ferris's "Ceremonial Inauguration" will take place at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 3, at Hudson Hall, 327 Warren Street. Those planning to attend are asked to RSVP here. 

Happening in the New Year

Next year, 2026, marks the Semiquincentennial, or the Quarter Millenium, of the United States. Although, to my knowledge, there are no Semiquincentennial Minutes on TV, like the Bicentennial Minutes of fifty years ago, there are events being planned locally to commemorate the country's anniversary. The first of those happening in Columbia County begins two weeks from today.

A series of public events commemorating the historic 1776 passage of the Knox Expedition through northern Columbia County during the Revolutionary War will be held from January 4 to 10 at various locations in Kinderhook and Hillsdale.

The Knox Expedition was one of the war's more heroic achievements and gave the Continental Army one of its earliest victories. Sixty tons of cannon and munitions were transported 300 miles from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston, secretly and in the dead of winter, to drive out British forces who had been pinned down by local militias since the Battle of Bunker Hill the prior June. Leading the expedition was Colonel Henry Knox, a self-educated, 25-year-old Boston bookseller who had impressed General George Washington with his knowledge of military strategy and engineering.

January 4, 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. at the James Vanderpoel House, 16 Broad Street, Kinderhook Columbia County Historians and the Columbia County Historical Society will be commemorating the Knox Noble Train of Artillery, which entered the Kinderhook District on January 4, 1776. This event will be an opportunity to speak with local historians and CCHS staff about the Noble Train's impact on the Revolutionary War.

January 9, 10:00 a.m. at the James Vanderpoel House Knox Train re-enactors will be in the Village of Kinderhook to discuss the passage of the Noble Train through Kinderhook. The presentation will begin at 10:00 a.m., followed at 11:00 a.m. by refreshments and remarks under a heated tent.

January 10, 11:30 a.m. at Hillsdale Firehouse, 9387 State Route 22, Hillsdale Hillsdale will host costumed re-enactors from Fort Ticonderoga in an entertaining, educational program about the Knox Train of Artillery, which passed through North Hillsdale (then called Nobletown) before crossing into Massachusetts on January 10. Free food and beverages will be served.

"The Revolutionary War's early battles took place at Lexington, Concord, and Bunker Hill, but the conflict spread rapidly to other colonies; nearly one-third of the war's engagements actually occurred in New York, many in the Hudson Valley," said Hillsdale's Co-Town Historian Lauren Letellier. "While Columbia County did not see any battles, it was strategically important to both American and British forces as a corridor for troop and supply movement. The Knox Expedition was one of the most stupendous logical feats of the war, and Knox and his crew completed it over challenging terrain in only 56 days. Bringing this piece of Revolutionary War history to life at the local level will be exciting and fun for everyone involved."

Happening This Week

In the days leading up to Christmas, very little is happening on the meetings front, but what is happening is of interest. 

• On Monday, December 22, at 6:00 p.m., the Common Council holds a public hearing on the assessment roll and the budget for the Sidewalk Improvement District. The hearing is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the hearing remotely.
• At 6:30 p.m. on Monday, December 22, the Common Council holds a special meeting to vote on a resolution approving the 2026 budget for the Sidewalk Improvement District and establishing a schedule for SID fees. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely. 

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A Message Befitting the Season

In 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic, Carole Clark, formerly the chef/owner of The Charleston at 517 Warren Street, organized Columbia County Recovery Kitchen, today known simply as Columbia Kitchen. In 2022, her work in founding CCRK brought her national recognition as one of a hundred "Super Amazing (Supportive, Surprising, Creative, Compassionate, Never-Not-There-When-You-Need-Them) Neighbors." Today Clark, who is stepping down from her role with the organization she created five years, shares these thoughts with Columbia Kitchen's allies and supporters.

A Reflection and Thanks

As the end of 2025 is approaching and this is the season of reflection and thanks, I want to share my profound gratitude for the Columbia County community and its commitment to the people whom Columbia Kitchen has had the opportunity to serve.

When the COVID pandemic began in 2020, there was tremendous concern for the families and individuals who would be severely impacted. This compelled me into immediate action, using my knowledge, experience, contacts, and energy to create an organization that supported people experiencing food insecurity, those underserved communities lacking reliable access to healthy food during the pandemic.

My idea deeply resonated with friends, family, former colleagues, farmers, and strangers looking to make an impact during this trying time. In just weeks, our group, then named Columbia County Recovery Kitchen, had a small kitchen in Hudson and a cadre of volunteers ready to do whatever was needed to make this happen.

Now, with a new large kitchen, even more volunteers plus a staff, over 2,400 healthy meals are cooked and delivered each week. A new culture emerged from this, friends and neighbors with shared values and great generosity wanting to make a difference, continue to volunteer their time and expertise.

I want to thank everyone, numbering over 200 volunteers and farmers, who through the years have enabled CK to help put food on the table for those in need.

After five years I am stepping back, confident that new leadership guided by the executive director, Joan Koweek, will provide a bulwark against suffering due to food insecurity. It has been an honor to have had the privilege of receiving the ongoing support of people dedicated to the achievement of my vision. What began as a response to a specific crisis has morphed into recognition that widespread food insecurity preceded the COVID pandemic and it still continues to be a threat to the health and well-being of vulnerable residents. Fueled by compassion and dedication, CK has had a transformative effect on both volunteers as well as recipients. May the spirit and shared values of Columbia Kitchen prevail!

Carole Clark

Wondering About the Swearing-In

In yesterday's Register-Star article, it was revealed that Mayor-elect Joe Ferris is planning a ceremonial swearing-in at Hudson Hall on Saturday, January 3. The time of that event was not disclosed, and an email to Ferris inquiring about his plans for the swearing-in has not yet been answered.

Photo: Times Union

The first mayor in this century to be sworn in at Hudson Hall was Rick Rector in 2018. The ceremony took place at noon on January 1.

Two years later, Kamal Johnson was sworn in at Hudson Hall on January 1, in a ceremony that fairly closely replicated what had been done in 2018. 

In 2018 and 2020, the swearing-in ceremony was open to all, and each time the auditorium at Hudson Hall was filled.

 

In 2022, during the height of the pandemic, the swearing-in ceremony was moved to the Central Fire Station, and attendance was limited to invited guests of those being sworn in. Breaking with what had been tradition, the swearing-in took place not on January 1 but on January 2.

In 2024, although the pandemic was over, the swearing-in once again took place at the Central Fire Stati0n on January 2, and attendance was again limited to guests of those being sworn in. 

In 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024, it was not only the mayor who was sworn in but also the Common Council president and all the members of the Common Council, as well as some mayoral appointees. It is not clear if Ferris plans to follow this practice, but it doesn't seem so. All the members of the Council that Gossips has asked know nothing of any plans for them to be part of the swearing-in ceremony on January 3.

Update: An hour and a half after this post was published, Joe Ferris responded to my email inquiry. The ceremonial swearing-in will take at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 3, 2026, at Hudson Hall.

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Transition in the Eleventh Hour

The Register-Star reports today that Mayor Kamal Johnson has finally set a date to meet with his successor, Joe Ferris: "Mayor Kamal Johnson sets transitional meeting with Mayor-elect Joseph Ferris." The meeting, which according to Johnson will answer "anything he needs to know before January 1," is scheduled to take place on Monday, December 22.

The article also reveals the plans for Ferris's swearing in. There will be a ceremonial swearing-in at Hudson Hall on Saturday, January 3. The time of this event was not disclosed. His official swearing-in will take place on Friday, January 2. At his ceremonial swearing-in, Ferris is expected to outline his agenda for his first hundred days in office.

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Of Interest

Roger Hannigan Gilson had an article yesterday in the Times Union about the roundtable that took place last week with representatives of Bard College regarding the Galvan Foundation's gift of Hudson property: "Gift to Bard includes city library, homeless shelter, apartment building." The article does not provide much new information and appears to be based solely on information provided by Linda Mussmann (whose last name is consistently misspelled) and a bit from Margaret Morris. Nonetheless, it makes a mildly interesting read, if you're not blocked by the paywall.

PSA for Dog Lovers

I have lived with a dog in Hudson for more than thirty years, and for more than thirty years, I have walked a dog on Hudson's streets. For the first two decades, it was the rare walk that didn't include a struggle to wrest a chicken bone from my dog's mouth. (Pictured at right is my beloved William, who, residing in Hudson from 1999 until his death in 2014, holds the record--at least in my life--for number of chicken bones extracted from his mouth.)

Things improved, chicken bone-wise, when Kennedy Fried Chicken closed in 2012, but today there is new hazard that everyone with a dog in Hudson should be alert to: marijuana.

Recently, a 10-month-old terrier mix who spends time in Hudson started displaying odd behavior: head bobbing, awkward gait, moaning and crying, and occasional zoomies. Fearing that something neurological was going on, her humans rushed her to the emergency veterinary clinic in Kingston. There she tested positive for marijuana! The vet said it happens all the time now, and if a dog gets a large enough dose, it can be fatal. This pup's humans do not use cannabis in any form, so the pup must have picked up something in some public space--the street, a park, a parking lot.

Fortunately, after twelve hours of sleeping it off and getting the weed out of her system, the dog is fine, but it was a frightening (and costly) experience for her humans. So, the message to everyone who lives with a dog is this: Be vigilant. Pay attention to what your dog may be picking up and eating. It could be a gummy or some other cannabis edible or a discarded joint.

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Two Plans for the Dunn Warehouse

On Tuesday night, the Common Council heard presentations of two of the three proposals received for the Dunn Warehouse. 

Photo: Matt McGhee

The first presentation was made by Caitlin Baiada and Ben Fain. Their plan for the building is essentially the same plan proposed by CGS Group (later known as Dunn & Done LLC) in 2023. That plan, in which the City of Hudson retained ownership of the building, was abandoned earlier this year because of difficulty securing financing for the project. Baiada said Dunn & Done was unable to secure financing because they were not the owners of the building. Councilmember Margaret Morris (First Ward) explained that lenders wanted, not unreasonably, the owner of the building--i.e., the City of Hudson--to cosign on loan agreements, but the City declined to do so. When the Dunn & Done LLC plan failed, and the City issued a revised RFP for the redevelopment of the building, Baiada found a new partner in Ben Fain, who told the Council he "fell in love with Caitlin's vision for the Dunn" and described himself as a "spoiled nice guy who can fund something like this."

The Baiada/Fain plan involves two commercial spaces for lease to waterfront-related local businesses; a food and beverage space for lease to a casual restaurant or concession; an event space available to rent for private events and offered at little to no cost for community programming; outdoor recreational amenities. 

Baiada told the Council, "Our vision is for a healthy, vibrant, and diverse waterfront for all, with Dunn serving as a welcoming community hub. . . . We believe the success of the waterfront's future depends on a fair and equitable access and use of Dunn Warehouse." She pointed out that the work already done by Dunn & Done could be transferred to this project and a team had already been assembled to do the work. She also presented a timeline for the project, which would see it completed in 24 months.

The second presentation was made by Kaitlin Armocida and Will Thibeault of Hudson Brewing Company. Their plan is to move and expand their operation from its current location at The Warehouse.  

Armocida said their goal was to create a space that "positively impacts the community, a space that is welcoming to everyone." She spoke of the Dunn building as "the front porch to waterfront park."

The brewery's plans for the building include creating an ADA compliant second story area, totally private and separate from the taproom, to be used for community and private events. Armocida stressed Hudson Brewing Company's commitment to the community, saying, "We consider our community work at the core of what we do." She said the brewery has been in business for ten years, and in those ten years they have "built long-standing relationships with just about every nonprofit in and around the town and host events with the purpose of uplifting and supporting their work." She mentioned as examples Hudson Family Reunion, Operation Unite NY, and the Hudson Rotary Club. (It should acknowledged that Hudson Brewing Company's community commitment includes advertising on The Gossips of Rivertown.) 

Hudson Brewing Company currently employs ten people but with the expansion hopes to increase the number of employees. Armocida said that all but one of the employees live within ten minutes of Hudson, and half of them, including the owner, were born and raised on Hudson. She concluded, "It's hard to get a more local local business."

Armocida spoke of "creating a physical connection between the waterfront space as it exists now and the other commerce in the area." She explained, "Our hope is that one of the benefits of the project will be to connect those two spaces in a way that feels really cohesive and organic." 

Concluding her presentation, Armocida stated, "We are not asking for a PILOT with this project," and assured the Council, "We feel confident in our ability to execute this project."

The two presentations can be heard here, beginning at 8:06 and ending at 30:50.

The committee that reviewed the proposals has recommended that the Dunn Warehouse be sold to Hudson Brewing Company. The Common Council--with a new Council president and three new members--will vote on the sale of the building in January. Two of the three new councilmembers--Henry Haddad (First Ward) and Jason Foster (Third Ward)--were present at the meeting on Tuesday. The Council is not bound by the committee's recommendation, but Council president Tom DePietro advised, "When one proposal has a higher price than the other, we have to have very good reason for coming up and accepting the lower proposal." The Register-Star revealed last week, rather inappropriately, that the price offered by Hudson Brewing Company was $500,000.

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Of Interest

Four months after squelching a citizens' initiative to get a referendum on the ballot to create an elected county executive, Matt Murell is looking to create the role of county administrator. Spenser Walsh reports on Murell's plan in today's Register-Star: "Columbia County Board Chairman plans committee to consider creating county administrator role." The following is quoted from the article:

Columbia County Board of Supervisors Chairman Matt Murell, R-Stockport, is planning to form a committee to consider the creation of a county administrator.

The county administrator role would be the county's chief operating officer, Murell said, differing greatly from the county executive role that was discussed earlier this year. The key difference being the county administrator role would report to and work under the direction of the board, whereas a county executive would outrank board members, Murell said.

Another difference is that a county administrator would be hired by the Board of Supervisors whereas a county executive would be elected by the people.

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A Decision on Hudson Mansion

This morning, the Hudson Industrial Development Agency (IDA) narrowly approved a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) and other benefits for Hudson Mansion, the boutique hotel proposed by the Casetta Group for 601 Union Street, the Terry-Gillette mansion which was for decades the Hudson Elks Lodge. 

In the vote on the resolution granting the PILOT, there were four yes votes, from Heather Campbell, city treasurer; Randall Martin, who represents the Planning Board on the IDA; Dominic Merante, Common Council minority leader; and Charles Millar, the community representative on the IDA. Those opposed were Mayor Kamal Johnson and Margaret Morris, Common Council majority leader. Cheryl Kaszluga, the city assessor, was absent from the meeting.

The agreement the IDA approved was not the agreement originally sought. The original proposal from the developer was for a twenty-year PILOT, which would have exempted the hotel from property taxes for the first ten years and given a 50 percent exemption for the next ten years. Needless to say, that proposal has not well received. At a public hearing on December 3, Colin Stair, of Stair Galleries, called it "preposterous" and declared, "I will do everything I can to fight this." Nick Haddad, vice president of Hudson Development Corporation (HDC), said it was "unseemly that they are asking a giveback from a stressed-out city." Real estate broker Nicole Vidor called the proposal both "obscene" and "grotesque."

After the public hearing, the Hudson Mansion came back with a new proposal. This time, the request was more reasonable. The PILOT would last for only ten years, and the hotel would be paying a percentage of the property taxes each year, a percentage that would increase over the period of ten years until in the eleventh year it would be paying 100 percent of the property tax. 

At this morning's meeting, the IDA considered three possible PILOT agreements: the one proposed by Hudson Mansion Partners; the "HIDA Hotel Model," based on previously approved PILOT agreements for hotels in Hudson; and a third plan, which provides a tax abatement to the applicant that is greater than the HIDA Hotel Model but less than what was sought. In the end, the IDA opted for the third plan. Below is the payment schedule in the resolution that was passed. 

At this morning's meeting, Jerry Gallo, representing the owners, said they had their commercial lending in place, and their revised proposal was based on that. Josh Wein, also speaking for the owners, said, "There is no more room here," implying that the PILOT agreement they were proposing was essential if the project was to move forward. 

Campbell noted that Casetta has never requested a PILOT in other places where they have developed hotels. (Casetta has five hotels in California and one in Taos, New Mexico.) Gallo told her that in all the other projects they purchased existing hotels and redeveloped them. This was the first time they were adapting a historic building. He told the IDA they were facing "unprecedented increases in construction costs" and suggested the construction costs would not have been so high "if the Planning Board hadn't taken two years to approve this." Martin, who serves on the Planning Board, took issue with that statement, denying that the review had taken two years. In fact, the application for site plan review was presented to the Planning Board in December 2022, and site plan approval was granted in June 2024.

During the discussion that preceded the vote, Morris, who voted no on granting a PILOT, spoke of "the assumption that no other developer will come in and do anything with the building." (The building has been vacant or underutilized for close to twenty years.) Campbell spoke of the highest and best use of the building, asking, "What is that property going to become?" She opined that, if it were redeveloped for housing, it would be "very high-end housing that wouldn't help with our housing issue." Campbell also said the increase in lodging tax from the hotel would be "a significant boost to the city." Millar concluded the benefit to the city greatly outweighs the cost.

Mike Tucker commented, "The IDA has seen developers that don't have the wherewithal to complete a project, but these people do." It is not clear, however, given that the benefits of the PILOT being offered are less than what were requested, if the project will move forward.

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On the Agenda for Tonight's Council Meeting

The presentations of two of the three proposals for the redevelopment of the Dunn warehouse are expected to take place at tonight's Common Council meeting. 

Although the presentations may be the item of greatest interest on the agenda for tonight's meeting, some resolutions have been added to the agenda in the past day or so that are also noteworthy.

The first is an amendment to the 2026 budget that the Council rejected last month. The budget amendment would add $104,376 to the Youth Department's $715,869 budget for 2026. The additional money would come from the fund balance. The resolution reads in part:

WHEREAS, The Youth Department budget for 2026 inadvertently omitted funds for two existing personnel lines, and

WHEREAS, the city budget for 2026 underestimated revenues for 2026, including--but not limited to--property sales, sales tax, and penalties from unpaid property taxes. . . .

On November 26, Gossips reported that, in his budget presentation to the Board of Estimate and Apportionment (BEA), Calvin Lewis, youth director, erroneously indicated there were two vacant full-time positions at the Youth Department, when in fact there was only one. When the BEA decided to impose a hiring freeze and eliminated the salaries for vacant positions from the budget, they unwittingly eliminated the salary of someone who was already working as athletic director, a.k.a. full-time rec attendant. The resolution being presented to the Council tonight reinstates not only that person's salary but also the salary for the open position of assistant director, making the Youth Department immune from the hiring freeze being imposed on all the other departments.

There are also three resolutions accepting settlements in Article 7 proceedings brought by the Galvan Foundation and related LLCs against the City of Hudson over property assessments in 2023, 2024, and 2025. The resolution for the 2023 proceeding indicates that assessments have been reduced on eight properties: 105 Union Street, 354 Warren Street (formerly Johnny's Ideal), 28 Allen Street, 30 Allen Street, 250-252 Allen Street, 70-72 North Fifth Street, 449 Prospect Street, and 92 Union Turnpike.

The resolution for the 2024 proceeding includes four properties already listed in the resolution for 2023.  

The same four properties are also listed in the resolution for the 2025 proceeding. 

The total reduction in the assessments of the eight properties amounts to $729,256.

Tonight's Common Council meeting begins at 6:00 p.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.

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News from HHA

At the Hudson Housing Authority Board of Commissioners meeting tonight, it was learned that Claire Cousin has resigned from the board because, starting January 1, she will be a member of the Common Council. To replace Cousin on the HHA board, Mayor Kamal Johnson appointed Theresa Joyner, whose tenure as chair of the Planning Board ends on December 31. Joyner was present at tonight's HHA meeting.

Also at tonight's meeting, John Madeo of Mountco, HHA's development partner, reported that the project is now in "full architectural design mode." Previously, Madeo predicted the project, assumably with renderings to show what this ambitious redevelopment will look like, would be presented to the Planning Board for site plan review in February. Tonight, he said this would happen at the January meeting of the Planning Board. Mateo told the HHA board, "The Planning Board has been extremely cooperative and helpful," not acknowledging that the chair of the Planning Board and two of its members will likely be different in January.

Jeffrey Dodson, HHA executive director, reported he had met with mayor-elect Joe Ferris and taken him on a tour of Bliss Towers. Dodson told the board that Ferris had declared he was in full support of the redevelopment project.

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Health Watch

If you are planning to visit someone at Columbia Memorial Hospital, be aware that visitor restrictions have been imposed because of the rise in seasonal respiratory viruses. The details were reported on News10 and can be found here.

Meetings and Events in the Week Ahead

As Hanukkah begins, and the Winter Solstice and Kwanzaa approach, here is what's happening. 

• On Monday, December 15, the Public Works Board meets at 5:00 p.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.
• At 6:00 p.m. on Monday, December 15, the Hudson Housing Authority Board of Commissioners holds its regular monthly meeting. As always, the meeting may be an opportunity to learn more about HHA's redevelopment plans. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person in the Community Room at Bliss Towers, 41 North Second Street, and in Zoom. Link here to join the meeting remotely.
• On Tuesday, December 16, the Common Council meets at 6:00 p.m. The meeting is expected to include presentations of two of the proposals for purchasing and developing the Dunn warehouse: from Hudson Brewing Company and from Ben Fain and Caitlin Baiada. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.

• On Wednesday, December 17, the Hudson Industrial Development Agency (IDA) holds a special meeting at 9:30 a.m. The PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) request for the redevelopment of the former Terry-Gillette mansion at 601 Union Street as a boutique hotel is expected to be the topic of discussion. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at 1 City Centre, Suite 301, and on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely.

• At 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 17, the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) holds its regular monthly meeting. On the agenda for the meeting are applications for area variances needed to construct an elevator at 346 Union Street and to construct an addition at 512 Clinton Street. The meeting takes place in person only at City Hall. 

Update: The ZBA meeting has been canceled for want of a quorum. 

• On Thursday, December 18, the Hudson Community Development and Planning Agency (HCDPA) meets at 5:00 p.m. Earlier this month, HCDPA issued a request for expressions of interest (RFEI) in developing four vacant properties owned by the agency: 238 Columbia Street; 6-14 State Street and 1 Lombard Street; 7-9 and 13-17 Mill Street; and cluster of parcels adjacent to North Front Street. Proposals are not due until January 22, but questions about the project were to be submitted by December 15, so some information about the RFEI may be shared at this meeting. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.
• On Saturday, December 20, Olana holds its annual Winter Solstice Celebration from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Click here for information about the event.

• Also on Saturday, December 20, Operation Unite NY presents Kwanzaa 2025 at Hudson Hall. The celebration begins at 4:00 p.m. Click here for more information.

Photo: David McIntyre

COPYRIGHT 2025 CAROLE OSTERINK