FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 24, 2019

Mayor Noble Announces the Addition of Affordable Housing Units in the Kingstonian Project

KINGSTON, NY – Mayor Noble is pleased to announce that he has successfully worked together with local developers to bring 14 new units of affordable housing into the Kingstonian project. The units will be a combination of studio and one-bedroom apartments, for varying income levels, ranging from 60% AMI to 110% AMI.  

These units will be completely financed by the development team with no outside subsidies and will be documented in an agreement between the City and the Kingstonian team. As a result of this collaborative effort, the overall size of the proposed Kingstonian will increase the total residential unit count to 143.

Since February of 2018, Mayor Noble has been working with the Kingstonian development team, NYS Housing and Community Renewal, and local nonprofit housing partners to exhaust all of the different avenues to bring affordable housing into the Kingstonian. Ultimately, based on the multi-use nature of the building with its parking, apartments, commercial and lodging, the Kingstonian development did not qualify for any of the traditional low-income housing tax credits or other subsidies managed by NYS Homes and Community Renewal. 

“I am so pleased to have worked alongside Brad Jordan and Joe Bonura to bring affordable housing to the Kingstonian and appreciate their efforts to create a project that aligns with our community’s needs and my administration’s commitment to equitable economic development,” said Mayor Noble. “Our growing community needs all types of housing stock, and this project will now bring much-needed affordable housing units and so much value to our city. I would like to thank the leadership of the NYS Home and Community Renewal office, who have been a tremendous asset to these discussions and assisted the team throughout the process. A huge thank you to Governor Cuomo and his team for seeing the potential in Kingston and helping us revitalize the Uptown neighborhood.”

At this time, there is no citywide requirement for inclusion of 10% affordable housing in new construction over 6 units, however, Mayor Noble says, “This is a benchmark model I would like to see translated into other projects across the City to meet the intent of our Comprehensive Plan. I believe that it is an important and realistic goal and would firmly support this legislative item be taken up by the Common Council.”

“Even though it is not called for in the existing Zoning Law as stated by the Zoning Code Enforcement Officer, we have been listening to the concerns of the community and are addressing further needs of the City that were not identified in the original RFQ,” said project partner Joe Bonura. “It’s been our goal from the outset to deliver a project that everyone can be proud of, and we feel with these modifications we are one step closer to doing that.” 

“With regards to this project, we have been able to focus on seniors and also workforce housing which serves Kingston and the community as a whole.” said Brad Jordan of Herzog Supply Co., Inc. “However, we recognize more needs to be done to create additional affordable housing and we remain committed to continuing to work with Mayor Noble and City officials to address the issue.”

New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, “We commend Mayor Noble’s commitment to addressing the need for affordable housing in the City of Kingston. By adding 14 affordable apartments to the Kingstonian, and fighting to make affordable housing part of any new construction, the Mayor is taking a crucial step toward making Kingston a city that all residents can enjoy regardless of income.”

 “We are encouraged that Mayor Noble and the Kingstonian developers now plan to add 14 affordable housing units to the project,” said Kevin O’Connor, Chief Executive Officer, RUPCO. “As affordable housing advocates, we fully support the Mayor’s proposal to require all new construction to include 10% affordable housing, and look forward to working with Mayor Noble and the Common Council to achieve this new legislation. We thank Mayor Noble for his leadership in supporting all members of this community.”

“As both the Executive Director of Family of Woodstock, Inc. and the Chair of the Ulster County Continuum of Care, I am very pleased to support and acknowledge the inclusion of 14 affordable units to the Kingstonian project,” said Michael Berg. “While it is only a start, the fact that the Mayor and Common Council are committed to addressing the affordable housing issue, and that the Mayor is proposing that any new significant housing development throughout Kingston must include at least 10% affordable units, is a critical step to addressing one of the most serious issues facing the residents of the City of Kingston. The Continuum of Care and Family are committed to working with the leadership of the City to address the housing needs of the entire community.” 

The Kingstonian is a proposed mixed-use development project to be built in Uptown Kingston on the corner of Fair and North Front Streets. It will include retail and restaurant space, apartments and a hotel, as well as a 420-space parking garage, open-air plaza, and an ADA compliant pedestrian bridge that will connect to the Kingston Plaza over Schwenk Drive.