FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 2, 2024
Midtown Thriving Selected as Pilot Project for Community Engagement Initiative
Public Survey Open Until November 3, 2024
KINGSTON, NY – Mayor Steven T. Noble is pleased to announce that the City of Kingston’s Midtown Thriving initiative was selected as one of four nationwide pilot projects by the Full Frame Initiative.
Full Frame Initiative (FFI) is a social change organization that partners with organizations, systems, and communities across the county to fundamentally shift their focus from fixing problems to fostering wellbeing.
The primary objective of the Midtown Thriving collaboration is to explore how the City of Kingston can evaluate the well-being benefits and tradeoffs of potential infrastructure projects, leading to better local decisions about how, when, whether, and what is built.
“We are thrilled to partner with the Full Frame Initiative to delve into deeper community engagement so that we have the data we need to make informed, equitable, and impactful decisions on future projects,” said Mayor Noble. “We have been using every tool available to incentivize the creation of new housing, spur economic development, and revitalize our neighborhoods. This research will help us best focus our efforts in the most strategic approaches.”
As part of the FFI and City of Kingston collaboration, a group of “credible messengers” will be doing intensive outreach throughout the Midtown neighborhood. The project outreach includes a public survey now available in English and Spanish that can be found at https://surveys.wiatt.org/s3/Kingston. The survey will close on November 3. The results of the survey will be shared on December 5, 2024.
“I’m proud of the comprehensive approach that the City is taking to gather community input for this important planning process for the Midtown neighborhood. This novel approach seeks to understand the needs and desires of Midtown’s diverse residents and small businesses through the lens of community well-being. I’d like to thank Pattern for Progress, Tilda’s Kitchen, the Full Frame Initiative, and all the community members that are participating and helping to solicit neighborhood feedback,” said Bartek Starodaj, Director of Housing Initiatives.
In November 2023, the City of Kingston, in partnership with Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress, won a Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) grant for $238,559 from the New York Department of State. With the funding, the City and Pattern for Progress will create Midtown Thriving: A Community Vision to Revitalize Vacant Properties, a plan for the redevelopment of vacant and abandoned properties within a 270-acre area running along the Broadway corridor. The project officially kicked off in April 2024.
The final plan will be submitted to the State to complete the BOA nomination. 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 additional brownfield cleanup program tax credits for property owners and developers. More information at https://engagekingston.com/midtown-thriving.
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. More information at https://kingston-ny.gov/housing.