August 2, 2024 - In this issue: | |
Kingston Standard Awarded Restore NY Grant | |
City Receives $500k Urban Forestry Grant | |
Mayor Noble's Listening Tour - Wards 5 & 6 | |
14th Annual Bon-odori Dance Festival | |
City of Kingston Job Opportunities | |
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Mayor's Message:
Dear Friends -
Next week, we will have much roadwork happening across Kingston.
Starting Monday, NYSDOT will be conducting bridge repairs on Route 9W between the City of Kingston and Port Ewen. The work is expected to have one lane closed at a time, and traffic will be impacted. Due to the repairs on the 9W Bridge, there will be related parking restrictions in the Downtown lot.
We also have several City projects, including the Clinton Avenue Intersection Improvements and the Prospect Street Sewer Project, as well as some Kingston Water Department work. See below for all the roadwork details.
-Steve
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Kingston Standard Awarded Restore NY Grant | |
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Kingston Standard Brewing Company has been awarded $550,000 from the Empire State Development’s Restore New York Communities Initiative.
Governor Kathy Hochul announced that Kingston Standard will receive $550,000 to reconstruct a portion of an adjacent commercial building, half of which is vacant. The renovation and expansion will result in more than 5,000 square feet of operational space, transforming the blighted, unused space into a cutting-edge zero fossil fuel facility. The project will incorporate CO2 recapture, electric stream generation, and an offsite community solar farm, to become a pioneering example of environmentally conscious craft beer manufacturing. The project will create eight new full-time manufacturing and administrative jobs.
“We were so pleased to support Kingston Standard in their application for this year’s round of Restore New York grants, which will help with the growth of their business and the overall economic revitalization happening across Midtown Kingston,” said Mayor Noble. “Kingston Standard, which sits on the Empire State Trail, just steps from the Kingston Point Rail Trail, is already a great example of adaptive reuse of existing spaces that are transformed into exciting new opportunities. We look forward to seeing their expansion!”
“We are excited to get underway with this project and the next stage of the Kingston Standard story,” said Tait Simpson of Kingston Standard Brewing Company. “We feel privileged to have the support from our neighborhood, our amazing customers, the City of Kingston, and now New York State.”
New York State’s Restore New York Communities Initiative supports municipal revitalization efforts with funds to help remove and reduce blight, reinvigorate communities, and generate new residential and economic opportunities statewide. The program, administered by Empire State Development, is designed to help local governments encourage new commercial investments through community revitalization, growing local housing, and putting properties back on the tax rolls to increase the local tax base.
Past Restore NY Grant awards in Kingston include $1.15 million to support the St. Joseph’s Lofts project in Uptown Kingston, an adaptive reuse project to a former schoolhouse into three floors of office space and an event center. In 2022, $1.5 million was awarded for The Center for Photography at Woodstock to adaptively reuse and rehabilitate the 40,000 square foot former cigar factory in Midtown Kingston, and $840,000 for the Barrel Factory Lofts Project, an adaptive reuse of a 120-year-old warehouse in Midtown into a mix of live-work spaces for artists, commercial flex spaces, and amenities spaces. In 2017, a Restore New York grant assisted with the cost of demolition of the former Mid-City Lanes bowling alley at 20 Cedar Street, the now-home of RUPCO’s Energy Square, a mixed-use residential, commercial, and nonprofit space.
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Kingston Receives $500K Urban Forestry Grant | |
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The City of Kingston has received $491,550 for Community Forest Management Plan Implementation from the U.S. Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Grants.
“We are so pleased to receive this grant funding for our ongoing tree efforts,” said Mayor Noble. “This funding builds upon our grant to hire an Urban Forester, who will be starting in September, and will now have funding to support the planting of 175 park trees, 100 street trees and to assist with unhealthy tree removal. We are grateful to the Governor and our Federal government for their commitment to investing in trees and reducing some of the more harmful effects of the climate crisis.”
The grants are administered through DEC’s Urban and Community Forestry Program, which works to increase public awareness of the importance of trees and helps communities to create healthy forests while enriching quality of life for residents.
Funding for this grant is made available through the state allocation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The USDA Forest Service is allocating this funding to support projects in disadvantaged communities to increase and maintain a healthy urban canopy and equitable access to trees and the benefits they provide. The Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Program authorizes funding for a broad range of activities, such as urban wood utilization, urban food forests, extreme heat mitigation, and workforce development. Read the Governor’s full announcement here.
Mayor Noble has set a goal of planting 1,000 trees by 2030 as outlined in the City’s Open Space Plan, and has created a tree counter to record the number of new street and park trees planted in the City of Kingston.
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The Midtown Business Alliance is celebrating summer with a Midtown Market on Saturday, August 3 from 10:00am - 2:00pm on the Midtown Linear Park between Cornell and O'Neil Streets. | |
Mayor Noble's Listening Tour | |
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Mayor Noble continues his Listening Tour with a Ward 5 meeting on Monday, August 12 at the Good Work Institute at 5:30pm. All Ward 5 residents and business owners are welcome and encouraged to attend!
The Ward 6 meeting will be Monday, September 16 at Landmark Place. Mark your calendar!
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14th Annual Bon-Odori Dance Festival | |
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The traditional Japanese Buddhist Bon-odori Dance Festival observes Obon, the ritual of remembering ancestors and reconnecting with family and friends. In Kingston, this exciting summer event will celebrate community by featuring clean energy, local businesses and farms, arts and culture, and the spirit of healthy living to take steps toward a Nuclear-Free Future.
The event on Sunday, August 4 from 12:00-8:00pm at Kingston Point Beach will feature dance and music performances by Vanaver Caravan, The Spirit of Thunderheart and many local artists. Demonstrations by local martial arts such as Aikido, Judo, and Karate groups. And will include a performance by the Taiko drumming master, who will lead the rhythm of Bon-odori dance.
The family-friendly event will feature food, drinks, and more! More info about the event can be found here.
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Weekly Roadwork/Infrastructure Update | |
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From Monday, August 5 to Sunday, August 11, NYSDOT will be conducting bridge joint and header repairs on the southbound lane of Route 9W between the City of Kingston and Port Ewen. The work is expected to have one lane closed at a time, traffic will be impacted due to the lane closures.
Due to the emergency repairs on the 9W Bridge, from August 5-7, there will be No Parking in the 17 parking spots directly under the 9W Bridge. After 6pm on August 7 and through August 23, there will be No Parking in 5 spaces at the northeast end of the abutment.
Kingston Water Department will be repairing a manhole on Foxhall in preparation for the City’s paving of Broadway. Foxhall Ave will be closed Monday and Tuesday between Broadway and Hasbrouck Ave while work is being done. Overnight the north bound lane on Foxhall between Broadway and Jansen Ave will remain closed.
Central Hudson-- service replacements will continue on Wall St and Pine St with possible lane and/or road closures.
Clinton Avenue Intersection Project--work on drainage, lamps, and push buttons for crosswalks continue. Construction of sidewalks will begin along Clinton Avenue and into John St.
Prospect Avenue Sewer Project-- crews will continue with waterline replacement along Prospect.
Paving-- the next round of paving is Millers Lane from Lucas Ave to the city line, Grandview Avenue from Lounsbury Place to Millers Lane, Cummings Avenue, Patriots Place, and Heritage Court. Milling is scheduled to begin Friday, August 16 and continue through the following week, with paving being completed by Monday August 26, weather depending.
During this same time frame, Broadway from West O’Reilly Street to McEntee Street will be milled and paved. Milling is expected to being the week of Monday, August 19 and paving is expected to be completed by Friday August 23, weather depending. During milling and paving operations, all vehicles must remain off the street.
Weekly roadwork updates will be posted on the City website here.
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Prospect Street sewer work | |
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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