April 5, 2024 - In this issue: | |
Mayor & Council President Propose Pike Plan Removal | |
City of Kingston RFP for Business Park | |
Mayor Noble to Visit Each Ward on Listening Tour | |
City Seeks Sculptures for Post Office Park | |
April Paving and Weekly Roadwork Update | |
City of Kingston Job & Board Opportunities | |
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Mayor's Message:
Dear Friends -
A reminder that the Midtown Thriving project will kick off with a public meeting on Wednesday, April 10 at 6pm at City Hall and virtually (Zoom registration required). Live Spanish interpretation and childcare will be available.
In partnership with Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress, the City will create a plan for the redevelopment of vacant and abandoned Midtown properties within a 270-acre area running along the Broadway corridor. The planning process is an opportunity to proactively align future development and investment in Midtown with the local community’s priorities and needs. I hope you'll join us next week!
The 2024 Adopted Budget is now available on our new transparency tool, which offers a more interactive way to view the City budget. Check it out here!
-Steve
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Mayor & Council President Propose Pike Plan Removal | |
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Mayor Noble and Council President Shaut have proposed a plan to remove the City-owned sidewalk canopies along portions of Wall St. and North Front St. in Uptown Kingston, known as the Pike Plan, to the Common Council.
“The Pike Plan has been a source of debate and concern for many years, and now the structure has reached a crisis point,” said Mayor Noble. “Both President Shaut and I believe the best decision is to remove the canopy and return the historic facades of our Stockade District to their original form. Kingston has worked extensively to protect and preserve its historic buildings and architecture and the Pike Plan is not a part of that historic fabric.”
Council President Andrea Shaut said, “The Common Council has discussed the Pike Plan several times over the past few years, but concrete decisions have yet to be made. With the canopies in their current state, it is time to act. Considering Kingston’s rich history and our desire to preserve it, I believe that the most appropriate path is removing the canopies. I look forward to conversations with my colleagues on the Council as we move forward with a tough, albeit necessary, decision.”
In the 1970’s, during a time when retail in the historic Uptown Business District was threatened by the new malls in the Town of Ulster, the City’s solution was to attach a canopy to 40+ buildings, each of which make up a core part of our National Historic District designation. The Pike Plan did not stop the loss of retail in Uptown, and the sidewalk canopy has caused issues to the buildings and the businesses ever since.
From 2011-2013, the aging Pike Plan was reconstructed, with support from State and Federal funding sources. Shortly thereafter, noticeable deficiencies in the canopy’s design and construction were identified. In late December 2015, the City filed a lawsuit against the design, engineering and construction firms involved in the project. Unfortunately, the NYS Supreme Court ruled that the firms could not be held liable as the statute of limitations had expired. However, the City was successful in securing a $315,000 settlement in 2018.
In 2019, the City Engineer estimated a removal cost of $868,300, which, adjusted for inflation, is expected to be approximately $1,056,000 today. Mayor Noble and Council President Shaut propose a two-phased approach: first removing the structure and making immediate weatherproofing repairs at the attachment point of each building. Second, assessing the condition of each façade and creating a detailed scope of work to assist the property owners in returning these impacted sections to their original condition.
Mayor Noble and Council President Shaut will present the proposal before the Common Council’s Finance and Audit Committee next week.
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City of Kingston RFP for Housing at Business Park | |
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The City of Kingston has released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for qualified firms to provide architectural and design concepts for potential housing development in the Kingston Business Park.
The City of Kingston is seeking a forward-thinking architectural design team to help the City and the Kingston Local Development Corporation (KLDC) determine how to add housing to the Kingston Business Park property. The Business Park, located at 370-384 Delaware Avenue is a 107-acre campus currently owned by the KLDC.
“Historically, the Business Park has been used for commercial entities, but we are interested in redeveloping the remaining available parcels for residential or mixed-use development,” said Mayor Noble. “Kingston was recently designated as a Pro-Housing Community by New York State, and we have set an ambitious goal for approving 1,000 new housing units by 2029. We are looking at the redevelopment of the Business Park as a potential for reaching this goal.”
First established in 1998, the Business Park was originally designed to accommodate four to five light manufacturing facilities totaling 300,000-500,000 square feet, utilizing approximately 40-50 acres for commercial development. Currently, there are two active commercial tenants: Howmet Aerospace and Community Manufacturing Solutions. The selected firm will help the City and the KLDC perform initial site analysis based on a review of undeveloped parcels in the Business Park, explore possible types of residential and/or mixed-used development possible under the City’s form-based zoning code, and recommend other types of programming that could complement any new development. The firm will also assist the City in analyzing placement of any new development based on the site’s environmental features.
“With the new zoning code in place, it is time to look at all possible sites for new housing development. Should additional housing or mixed-used development occur at the Kingston Business Park, such development could add a significant amount of much-needed housing,” said Bartek Starodaj, Director of Housing Initiatives.
The RFP can be found here along with a site map. Responses are due by May 17, 2024, at 2:00pm.
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Mayor Noble to Hold Listening Meetings in Each Ward | |
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Mayor Noble, along with Council members from each ward, will host monthly ward meetings to meet with residents and hear their concerns. Starting with Ward 1, Mayor Noble will host a monthly listening session, partnering with the Alderperson at meeting in, or as close to the ward as possible.
Ward 1
Tuesday, April 16 at 6:00pm
Forsyth Park pavilion, 125 Lucas Avenue
Ward 2
Monday, May 20 at 5:30pm
Kingston Library temporary location at 61 Crown Street
Ward 3
Monday, June 17
at 5:30pm
Kingston Library temporary location at 61 Crown Street
Future monthly Ward meetings will be announced in the coming weeks.
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City Seeks Sculpture for Post Office Park | |
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The City of Kingston has issued a Request for Proposals to gather concepts for a monument or sculpture design, which would be fabricated and permanently installed in Post Office Park at Broadway and Grand Street.
Applicants must provide concepts that pay homage to the memory of the lost post office that once stood on the site and was torn down during urban renewal in 1970. Built between 1904-1908, the post office was a notable limestone and granite structure with a rounded façade and Classical and Beaux Arts design elements.
Post Office Park’s design/construction plans include two 3 feet by 3 feet round cement pedestals for the support of artwork. The City requests proposals from interested individuals, companies, or partners, including but not limited to sculptors, architects, fabricators and other types of designers and manufacturers, to create and build a small monument for permanent placement on one of the pedestals. Artwork for the second pedestal will be selected in a separate future program. Applicants may identify which pedestal is more suitable for their design.
The full RFP outlining the details and requirements is located here. The City released an addendum that contains answers to questions prospective respondents. It can be found here: RFP K24-08 Addendum No. 1.
The competition deadline is Wednesday, May 1, 2024. The winning design is expected to be announced in June. More details at Engage Kingston.
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Weekly Roadwork Update for Week of April 8 | |
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The first round of paving in 2024 will be North Front Street from Fair Street to Washington Avenue and Main Street from Clinton Avenue to Wall Street.
Milling is expected to begin on Monday, April 22 and paving is expected to be completed by Friday, April 26, 2024, weather depending. During this time, there may be detours and changes in traffic patterns.
Post Office Park – crews continue excavating, forming pathways, bench areas, and bicycle pads.
Henry Street Safe Routes to School project – crews have mobilized to complete the project with the installation of curbs, ramps, and sidewalks at the Prospect Street intersection.
ADA Ramps Citywide – crews will continue building ADA compliant ramps across the city, beginning with ramps along Main Street, Pearl Street and Elizabeth St.
Central Hudson – gas line replacement work will continue on Maiden Lane between Clinton Ave and Wall St and Fair Street between Pearl and Maiden Ln. Expect road closures and/or lane closures in areas of active construction.
Weekly roadwork updates will be posted on the City website here.
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Construction at Post Office Park | |
City of Kingston Job & Board Opportunities | |
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The Kingston 311 app, website, and phone system allow residents to quickly and easily report issues and submit service requests.
The Kingston 311 app, available for Android & iPhones, is a fast and simple way to connect to City officials in non-emergency situations. Photos can be attached to illustrate service orders.
This system is a valuable resource to submit municipal service requests. Examples include:
- Streetlight replacement
- City signage, including overgrowth blocking traffic signs
- Snow removal, reporting parking violations, and other snow-related issues
- Parks & playground repairs
- Report graffiti or vandalism
- Trail issues
Dial 311 from any phone within City limits to reach us, use the app or visit www.kingston-ny.gov/311/
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Sent on behalf of:
Mayor Steven T. Noble
845.334.3902
mayor@kingston-ny.gov
The purpose of this newsletter is to share important information, project updates, pictures and news from the City of Kingston. For more detailed information, visit:
www.kingston-ny.gov
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