The City of Kingston, NY

    Welcome to the City of Kingston, NY

    Kingston, dating to the arrival of the Dutch in 1652, is a vibrant city with rich history and architecture, was the state's first capital, and a thriving arts community. City Hall is in the heart of the community at 420 Broadway, and is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except July & August (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.).  Come tour our historic City, with restaurants that are among the region's finest, and local shopping that promises unique finds.

    Historic Churches

    Kingston is home to many historic churches. The oldest church still standing is the First Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of Kingston which was organized in 1659. Referred to as The Old Dutch Church, it is located in Uptown Kingston. Many of the city's historic churches populate Wurts street (6 in one block) among them Hudson Valley Wedding Chapel is a recently restored church built in 1867 and now a chapel hosting weddings. Another church in the Rondout is located at 72 Spring Street. Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church was founded in 1849. The original church building at the corner of Hunter Street and Ravine Street burned to the ground in the late 1850s. The current church on Spring Street was built in 1874.

    Kingston, NY

    Kingston became New York's first capital in 1777, and was burned by the British on October 13, 1777, after the Battles of Saratoga. In the 19th century, the city became an important transport hub after the discovery of natural cement in the region, and had both railroad and canal connections.

    Kingston, NY

    The town of Rondout, New York, now a part of the city of Kingston, became an important freight hub for the transportation of coal from Honesdale, Pennsylvania to New York City through the Delaware and Hudson Canal. This hub was later used to transport other goods, including bluestone. Kingston shaped and shipped most of the bluestone made to create the sidewalks of New York City.

     

    Contact Us

    City Hall Address:
    420 Broadway
    Kingston, New York
    12401

    Phone:
    (845) 331-0080
    Email:
    [email protected]

    Kingston News

    2/22/2023 - City of Kingston Awarded Brownfield Opportunity Area Grant

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    February 22, 2023

     

    City of Kingston Awarded Brownfield Opportunity Area Grant

    ‘Midtown Thriving’ to be a Joint Effort with Pattern for Progress

     

    KINGSTON, NY – Mayor Steven T. Noble is pleased to announce that the City of Kingston, in partnership with Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress, has won a Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) grant for $238,559 from the New York State Department of State. The joint project will be called Midtown Thriving: A Community Vision to Revitalize Vacant Properties.

    The grant will fund a community-driven plan for the redevelopment of certain properties within the Midtown neighborhood of Kingston. The work will focus on vacant and abandoned properties within a 270-acre area that runs along the Broadway corridor. Ulster County led a preliminary study of this area in Midtown Kingston and four other brownfield locations throughout the county in 2019. Pattern for Progress will lead the development of a final BOA plan, which is expected to take two years to complete. The final plan will be submitted to the state to complete the BOA nomination and unlock tax credits that encourage the redevelopment of properties in alignment with the community’s vision.

    “The Midtown Thriving initiative will encourage the revitalization of underutilized parcels while helping Kingston move toward equitable, environmentally responsible, mixed-use and walkable infill redevelopment,” said Mayor Noble. “The plan will set forth a clear community vision with key redevelopment goals for vacant Midtown properties. Based on community input, the plan could spur investment in new housing and businesses, improve environmental quality, and connect the neighborhood internally and to other parts of Kingston through our urban trail system. We are thrilled to partner with Pattern for Progress and get this plan underway.”

    “Pattern is excited to lead the community in developing a vision and plan for the redevelopment of vacant and abandoned properties in Midtown Kingston,” Pattern CEO Adam Bosch said. “We will utilize community workshops and thoughtful planning to identify the best opportunities for Kingston to create housing, jobs, community and public spaces, and recreational opportunities along the Broadway corridor. Paired with the city’s new zoning, the BOA planning process will give people in Kingston a unique opportunity to reimagine and rejuvenate underutilized parts of their community.”

    Kingston Midtown Business Alliance Board of Directors stated, “The Midtown Business Alliance applauds the efforts of the City of Kingston and Pattern for Progress to rehabilitate brownfield parcels along the Broadway corridor. Efforts are needed to make vacant lots and otherwise underutilized commercial and mixed-use properties in Midtown Kingston viable for commerce use once again. Lack of affordable housing and commercial space to live and work in hinder this city’s economic vitality and long-term resilience. Rehabilitation of Midtown’s vacant lots and underutilized parcels offer great potential for this city’s ongoing revitalization.”

    The planning process starts with an in-depth analysis of existing conditions and opportunities for revitalization. It includes multiple public engagements, including meetings and workshops where Kingston residents will help planners identify priority parcels for redevelopment and create a vision for their potential uses. Designation as a BOA by the State will give development in the area priority and preference for state programs, eligibility for pre-development funding, and it will unlock tax credits for property owners and developers.

    Public engagement opportunities will be announced in the coming weeks. In addition, the City of Kingston will be seeking local members for a Project Advisory Committee. More information can be found at EngageKingston.com/midtown-thriving.

    Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress is a nonprofit organization that provides objective research, planning, and

    educational training throughout the region. Its work identifies civic challenges and promotes regional, equitable, and sustainable solutions to constantly improve the quality of life in Hudson Valley communities. Pattern develops its work upon a considerable foundation of facts and experience, without political aims or affiliations. More information can be found at www.Pattern-for-Progress.org.