FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 24, 2024
Mayor Noble Proposes Property Acquisition Process to Create Downtown Mixed-Use Housing Development
KINGSTON, NY – Mayor Steven T. Noble is pleased to announce that the City of Kingston is proposing to take the long-vacant properties at Garraghan Drive and Broadway in a property acquisition process that might culminate in an eminent domain proceeding to create much-needed housing.
“The City of Kingston needs and wants more housing to be built here. This three-acre parcel of land was part of the Federally-funded urban renewal program in Kingston, which displaced as many as 361 families, 104 individuals, and 94 businesses in this area of the Rondout alone. This so-called Broadway East project demolished a neighborhood to make way for a mall that was never built and the area has never been fully restored. The City hopes to acquire approximately 3.5 acres of property, ideally by reaching an agreement with the property owners and without having to utilize the lengthy legal procedure of eminent domain,” said Mayor Noble. “In our new zoning code, this site was identified as a prime building location to create density and spur economic growth in Downtown Kingston. We are proposing a mixed-use housing development that would support approximately 200 housing units with 30,000 square feet of commercial and non-profit space. I want to thank my Director of Housing Initiatives Bartek Starodaj and Corporation Counsel Barabra Graves-Poller for their excellent work on this project. Broadway East has sat vacant for 50 years, and it is well past time to build more housing here.”
“The residents of the City of Kingston, those in the Downtown neighborhood, and especially those that were displaced as part of the Broadway East project, deserve better than the vacant and underutilized site that still stands at the corner of Broadway and Garraghan Drive. The ongoing vacancy of these three acres depresses Downtown’s economic vitality and worsens housing availability and access for all Kingston residents. I am pleased that the City is taking this action to meet our housing and economic development goals,” said Bartek Starodaj, Director of Housing Initiatives.
“When I first became an Alderman 12 years ago, my main goal was to support the Downtown neighborhood, where I grew up and I’ve lived all my life,” said Ward 8 Alderman Steve Schabot. “I am excited about what could come from this project that displaced so many of my neighbors and schoolmates when I was young. Downtown is already a vibrant community, but I believe this project could really spur the right kind of growth.”
The City of Kingston’s Housing Director Bartek Starodaj will present the concept to the Community Development & Housing Committee at tonight’s meeting and will propose that a public hearing be held on October 29 at 6:00pm at City Hall Council Chambers.
Mayor Noble established the Department of Housing Initiatives in 2020 to support housing planning in the City of Kingston. The Department manages housing-related grants, supports the construction of new market-rate and affordable housing, develops policies to protect existing residents, and addresses the connection between housing and sustainability, health, and mobility. The Department also reviews the disposition of city-owned property suitable for housing development and collaborates with local and regional housing organizations. Visit https://kingston-ny.gov/housing.