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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