An Announcement from Hudson Hall

This is a hugely significant milestone in a journey that's been going on for more than three decades.   

Hudson Hall at the historic Hudson Opera House today announced the successful completion of its Rise Up! campaign and the full retirement of the debt on its home at 327 Warren Street. Launched in 2021 and sparked by a $500,000 matching grant from the Reinhart Foundation, Rise Up! reduced the loan from $3 million in 2017 to under $1 million. An extraordinary gift from the Reinhart Foundation in early 2026 retired the remaining debt in full.

Built in 1855 as Hudson's City Hall, the building fell into disrepair after city offices were relocated in 1962. In 1992, a group of local citizens banded together to save it and establish the arts nonprofit, Hudson Opera House. Their efforts culminated in a comprehensive $9.5 million restoration, completed in 2017, that made the building fully ADA accessible for the first time in its history and returned New York State's oldest surviving theater to the public. Hudson Hall took out a $3 million loan to complete the project.

Ending principal and interest payments on this loan--more than $60,000 a year in interest alone--lets Hudson Hall redirect those resources to sustaining community programming and to building an operating reserve. The milestone comes as Hudson Hall approaches the tenth anniversary of its 2017 restoration and reopening.

"Hudson Hall exists today because people in this community believed this building was worth saving," said Paul Barrett, President of Hudson Hall's Board of Directors. "That commitment has carried us through more than three decades of restoration, reopening, and rebuilding. The Rise Up! campaign is another example of what people can accomplish together, and we're enormously grateful to everyone who contributed, especially the Reinhart Foundation, for helping us reach this milestone."

"For the first time since our theater reopened in 2017, we can plan for the future without the burden of this debt," said Adam Weinert, Executive Director of Hudson Hall. "That means more of our resources can go toward the work we're here to do: bringing artists and audiences together, supporting young people, and making Hudson Hall a place where the whole community feels welcome. It's an exciting moment to be thinking about what's next."

The Next Chapter: Securing Hudson Hall's Future

With this debt behind us, more of Hudson Hall's resources can go directly toward the artists, performances, educational programs, and community gatherings that bring the building to life. Last week, the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) announced awarding Hudson Hall $45,000 to seed its first-ever Reserve Fund--an important first step toward financial resiliency. The fund will help the organization navigate unexpected challenges and safeguard its programs and its historic building. The award is made possible by NYSCA with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

Since reopening in 2017, Hudson Hall has grown into a year-round destination for the performing arts and a vital community gathering place, serving approximately 40,000 people annually through more than 800 programs. Its acclaimed Hudson Jazz Festival and the Handel on the Hudson opera series bring internationally recognized artists to the region, alongside free arts education, community partnerships, and accessible programming for people of all ages.