tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723709701684173708.post8812078359099361689..comments2024-03-28T17:55:31.180-04:00Comments on The Gossips of Rivertown: News from the Common Council Meeting: Part 5Carole Osterinkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16010623982526286408noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723709701684173708.post-49457048564491797882021-02-15T20:04:23.575-05:002021-02-15T20:04:23.575-05:00What about out sourcing some of the functions in c...What about out sourcing some of the functions in city hall,H2O Dept,tax dept,etc. Cov19 has taught us all one thing, lots of things can be handled off site. City Hall has been locked down for almost a year, does anyone miss it. Does Hudson really urgently need a new city hall, it can't afford?leonardo siderihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07238144897574760385noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723709701684173708.post-46491201197045443122021-02-15T14:37:58.051-05:002021-02-15T14:37:58.051-05:00I think it would be a terrible move. Leave City H...I think it would be a terrible move. Leave City Hall where it is and update it from one of the plans. It's far more appropriate. Let Galvan come up with another plan for that grand shell of a building. It could end up a money pit. Jenniferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10964219905365378579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723709701684173708.post-68130970483479501982021-02-15T12:54:57.488-05:002021-02-15T12:54:57.488-05:00Better the devil you know than the devil you don&#...Better the devil you know than the devil you don't know. 520 Warren is the better choice in this rather questionable offering of 400 State Street ... for all the obvious reasons.Vincenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05548912912359709568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723709701684173708.post-53958544361091905002021-02-15T12:51:58.028-05:002021-02-15T12:51:58.028-05:00There was some sensible chatter a few years ago ab...There was some sensible chatter a few years ago about Columbia County and the City of Hudson sharing JLE. It went nowhere. Both governments currently inhabit structures that would appeal to private developers. With 90,000 square feet at JLE, tax payers need to understand why the City of Hudson and the County are not pooling resources. If there's no there there to this, tell us why.Nobletownerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13370455152318845556noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723709701684173708.post-9092359982446605662021-02-15T12:07:45.955-05:002021-02-15T12:07:45.955-05:00Repeat after me,SEE,THINK,PLAN,DO.What part dont C...Repeat after me,SEE,THINK,PLAN,DO.What part dont City Government get. Build a new GHQ ,and forget sinking money into floundering buildings . One ideal location is at the other end of tha Social Services building parking lot on railway ave .man bites doghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17707256925020776334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723709701684173708.post-15952351515749645152021-02-15T11:59:16.749-05:002021-02-15T11:59:16.749-05:00What about the possibility of utilizing the Chambe...What about the possibility of utilizing the Chamber of Commerce building on Front Street as City Hall? It has a commanding location at the head of Warren Street.The Dudehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11453473795429562541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723709701684173708.post-19630460340554309832021-02-15T11:53:46.572-05:002021-02-15T11:53:46.572-05:00"Galvan's proposal to move City Hall?&quo..."Galvan's proposal to move City Hall?" Did Galvan take over managing Hudson already? I didn't think that would happen for a few more years. Man, they move quickly, and are so sneaky.BILLhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06165652134301551300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723709701684173708.post-17057659204383410402021-02-15T11:37:04.700-05:002021-02-15T11:37:04.700-05:00The school building is NOT owned by the City of Hu...The school building is NOT owned by the City of Hudson. Why do people think it is? It is owned by the Hudson City School District, and the school district is trying to sell it. When last I checked, the selling price was just under $4 million: $3,950,000. $4 million and then several million more to adapt it for reuse as a city building . . . and there's a lot more space in that building than the city requires. Besides, the reason for considering that building in the first place was to relocate the Youth Department, and it turns out the Youth Department doesn't want to share space with city offices. Carole Osterinkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16010623982526286408noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723709701684173708.post-49040010117290325462021-02-15T11:10:44.432-05:002021-02-15T11:10:44.432-05:00It strains credulity to believe that any rational ...It strains credulity to believe that any rational actor could consider moving anything in to that shell of a building that is the former library. While it makes eminent sense for the City to lease 520 Warren to a for-profit business or businesses (so it generates property taxes), it's entirely irrational to move City Hall to a building in worse shape -- physically and in ADA terms -- than it is already in. This is especially true when the price tag is considered. <br /><br />Once again the lack of managerial experience in City Hall is manifest both in terms of project management and finance. With this latest plan, "leaderships'" common sense now also seems a chimera. Besides Jon Rosenthal and the Treasurer, is anyone doing any thinking in City Hall? All evidence points to "no."<br />John K. Friedmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05658184081506566069noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723709701684173708.post-44194262522233103622021-02-15T10:20:50.253-05:002021-02-15T10:20:50.253-05:00I would love to see 400 State maintained and in us...I would love to see 400 State maintained and in use again. The plans are very practical, although as they are developed further it is very difficult to install modern mechanical systems into these old buildings. While I do not agree with Dan J that these drawings are somehow underdeveloped (I am an Architect myself), I do share the disappointment that there is no grand civic space.<br />The building is lovely but the estimate of $8.9MM seems more like the magnitude it would take to restore it. Line items like roof replacement, masonry repair, and foundation (!) work are not negotiable and cannot be put off. These ‘phasing’ plans that often get thrown around by finance people usually don’t translate to reality.<br />The 520 Warren St project seems a more manageable endeavor and the former bank building with its atrium feels more appropriate for a civic use. At $4MM that’s still a big investment for a small municipality. Looking at the Oct 2019 comparisons of the plans, we may need to accept one of the more minimal scopes to provide some level of accessibility to City Hall, although only the ‘Plan 4’ option provides elevator access to all levels of that building. From what I can tell, 520 Warren is in better shape structurally, so at least with that building there would be fewer unknowns. Is there any grant money to fund that project?<br />Thank you as always for the coverage.Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07569656610740192290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723709701684173708.post-44506471697987320992021-02-15T09:38:22.713-05:002021-02-15T09:38:22.713-05:00More questions: is it unthinkable to tear down the...More questions: is it unthinkable to tear down the school building JLE? Is that school owned by the City? Why not just allow 400 State St to remain an attractive shell? Why does Galvan get to have a tax exempt office/business property ? Signe Adamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12183129751596868740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723709701684173708.post-34837150397834192362021-02-14T19:00:45.126-05:002021-02-14T19:00:45.126-05:00I hope so.I hope so.Carole Osterinkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16010623982526286408noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723709701684173708.post-84577336744050983112021-02-14T19:00:20.072-05:002021-02-14T19:00:20.072-05:00I hope so. The City can't afford it.I hope so. The City can't afford it.Carole Osterinkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16010623982526286408noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723709701684173708.post-66672552459694866232021-02-14T18:59:52.090-05:002021-02-14T18:59:52.090-05:00$476,500. No, the building is now tax exempt. Yes,...$476,500. No, the building is now tax exempt. Yes, it is unthinkable.Carole Osterinkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16010623982526286408noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723709701684173708.post-66108616921463685452021-02-14T18:44:07.959-05:002021-02-14T18:44:07.959-05:00Is the John L. Edwards School no longer up for con...Is the John L. Edwards School no longer up for consideration ?Vincenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05548912912359709568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723709701684173708.post-65527606130157204342021-02-14T17:40:02.915-05:002021-02-14T17:40:02.915-05:00Questions regarding 400 State St: How much did Gal...Questions regarding 400 State St: How much did Galvan pay for the building? Does this building produce any tax revenue for the city or school district now? Is it unthinkable to tear down this very historic building? Signe Adamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12183129751596868740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723709701684173708.post-36524580306111112562021-02-14T16:50:38.417-05:002021-02-14T16:50:38.417-05:00Is the proposal of moving to JLE off the table?Is the proposal of moving to JLE off the table?Chad Wecklerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15721057452000779552noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723709701684173708.post-3944221002676708032021-02-14T16:33:13.544-05:002021-02-14T16:33:13.544-05:00This is a lot of information, although a few thing...This is a lot of information, although a few things seem clear immediately to me about the proposed adaptive reuse of the 400 State Street building:<br /><br />1) The plans look more like delineated bubble diagrams than a proper architectural interior design. Nowhere is there any sense of arrival at what would be the center of Hudson’s civic life - just rectangular spaces and corridors connecting to bathrooms and vertical transport. Surely this could be better, or at least more interesting, than what’s shown now.<br />2) The infrastructure costs of renovating/restoring the shell, duly recounted from previous efforts, are considerable and need to be funded. Short of a windfall grant or more money from Galvan (or, gulp, much higher property taxes), I don’t see a way forward.<br />3) The cost of running this (I’m guessing) larger building shell than the current city hall going forward would need to be factored in as well. I don’t know if this was addressed as part of the presentation, or if anyone has even thought of it.<br /><br />For what it’s worth, I thought the high-end proposal for 520 Warren Street was well done, and, although I love the idea of repurposing 400 State Street, I’m not convinced this has been worked out yet.Dan Jacobyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16059822377031204524noreply@blogger.com