Project, Funded with a $1.1 million DRI grant, Creates a New Public, Walkable Space to Encourage Outdoor Social Activities

Public Gathering Spaces Are the Hallmark of a Vibrant Downtown and the Renovated Promenade Hill Park Will Provide Improved Accessibility to the Views and Beauty of the Hudson River

$10 Million DRI Investment in the City of Hudson is Part of a Strategic Goal to Enrich the Community with Key Catalytic Projects 
 

The New York State Department of State and the City of Hudson today announced the completion of Promenade Hill Park, which transformed an underutilized area in the heart of downtown Hudson into a vibrant and adaptable outdoor public space for year-round recreation and events. The new public space, funded with a $1,100,000 DRI grant, is directly adjacent to other key revitalization projects bringing developments that create a new urban space to encourage residents and visitors to explore the new offerings in downtown. 

“Safe, accessible and inclusive public gathering spaces are key elements of a vibrant city center and an important part of our Downtown Revitalization Initiative,” said New York Secretary of State Robert J. Rodriguez. The renovated Promenade Hill Park will create a more desirable, accessible, and equitable place for residents, business visitors and tourist for generations to come.” 

This project included reimagining an underutilized public space and an extensive renovation of Promenade Hill Park to add ADA-accessible walkways, landscape improvements, as well as increased accessibility to the plaza, seating areas, water fountain, play area, parking lot, and upper promenade.  It also features a redesigned open plaza, with open and flexible lawn areas and amphitheater stone seating blocks with views of the plaza, ADA accessible seating and an improved “whale” spray shower. The renovations will provide much-needed upgrades to this important public space to preserve its historic features while providing access to park amenities and extraordinary views of the Hudson and the Catskills for residents and visitors. 
 

Mayor of the City of Hudson Kamal Johnson said, “Promenade Hill Park has always served a pivotal role in our city’s network of public spaces,”. “I’m thrilled that our work to make it accessible for all our residents and visitors has finally come to fruition.” 

New York State Senator Daphne Jordan said, “Increasing access to the Hudson River viewshed, creating a new, public space facilitating more families enjoying our great outdoors, and renovating Promenade Hill Park with necessary improvements have been hallmarks of this $2 million project and partnership between the Department of State and the City of Hudson. I support this project and am pleased that it has been completed for the enjoyment and betterment of the entire community. I commend the Department of State and City of Hudson for making this project a priority and realizing these critical goals that will help improve Hudson's special quality of life.” 

New York State Assemblymember Didi Barrett said, “Promenade Hill has been a special spot for the City of Hudson since 1795, a recreational, cultural, and historic landmark with stunning views of the Catskills and Hudson River. The extensive renovations to the park, supported by Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) funding Hudson received from New York State in 2017, will make Promenade Hill Park more accessible and more sustainable for years to come” said Assemblymember Didi Barrett. “Thank you to all the parties involved with bringing this long-awaited project across the finish line. I look forward to seeing Promenade Hill Park enjoyed by residents and visitors of all ages, backgrounds and abilities.”
 

The total cost of the project is estimated at around $2.1 million. $1.1 million is provided by a New York State Downtown Revitalization grant. In addition to the public funding, the project received is also receiving support from private donors, with the H. van Ameringen Foundation contributing $650,000 and the Colarusso Family contributing $100,000. 
 

The City of Hudson was named a DRI Round 2 winner in 2017. Strategically located between major commercial corridors, Hudson’s BRIDGE District has the look and feel of the post-industrial cityscape while retaining an active, working historic waterfront along the Hudson River. Dense housing in the Downtown Revitalization Initiative area ranges from historically designated single-family homes to townhouses and high-rise apartments, served by a variety of dining and shopping options in revitalized historic structures. Recent organic, entrepreneurial development has primed Hudson for the next phase of its revitalization: the increased development of mixed-use projects that incorporate affordable and market-rate housing and transportation-oriented design; job incubation to create high quality, living-wage jobs; workforce development to prepare local workers for year-round local employment; and a re-imagining of the waterfront for expanded public use and enjoyment. DRI investment will drive the continued success of existing private and public ventures; emphasize job growth and the attractiveness of the district; and set the stage for economic and civic expansion in the district and across the Hudson.

The City of Hudson Strategic Investment Plan is guiding the investment of DRI grant funds in revitalization projects that advance the community's vision for its downtown and that can leverage and expand upon the state's $10 million investment. DRI projects are building upon other investments in the downtown to positively change Hudson and transform the city into a thriving center of opportunity. 

About the Downtown Revitalization Initiative 

In 2016, New York State launched a major new initiative —the Downtown Revitalization Initiative. Through this initiative, the State moved to aggressively accelerate and expand the revitalization of downtowns and neighborhoods to serve as centers of activity and catalysts for investment in all 10 regions of the state. The initiative represents an unprecedented and innovative plan-to-act strategy that couples strategic planning with immediate implementation. 

Through five rounds of the DRI program, New York State has committed $600 million to invest in downtowns that are ripe for revitalization and have the potential to become magnets for redevelopment, business, job creation, greater economic and housing diversity, and opportunity. Participating communities are nominated by the state's 10 Regional Economic Development Councils based on the downtown's potential for transformation, and each community is awarded $10 million to develop a downtown strategic investment plan and implement key catalytic projects that advance the community's vision for revitalization.

The initiative is headed by New York Secretary of State Robert J. Rodriguez. Communities receive support from private sector experts and a team of state agency staff led by the Department of State in close partnership with Empire State Development, and New York State Homes and Community Renewal.

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