Galvan, mayor announce 80-unit apartment project
HUDSON — Galvan Foundation announced Friday an 80-unit mixed-income rental housing project at 100 Depot St. is set to break ground this fall.
Mayor Kamal Jonhson has been collaborating on the proposed project at 7th and State streets as part of the Strategic Housing Action Plan approved by the city in 2018.
“Affordable housing is absolutely essential for an equitable city,” Johnson said. “This project is part of my commitment to build connections between community members by creating housing that enables everyone to live here and thrive. I look forward to breaking ground at 100 Depot St. this fall.”
The Galvan-owned property will be home to a new four-story building. It will include 8,500 square feet of commercial space and an “award-winning” green design, according to a statement from Galvan.
Dan Kent, vice president of initiatives at the Galvan Foundation, said there are no solid plans for what the commercial space will be used for, but he suggested a gym, retail or restaurant.
The one-story building with shipping docks that occupies the back half of the property will be demolished, Kent said. Galvan Foundation still plans to convert the vacant 3,700-square-foot train depot at the front of the property into a brewery.
The project’s green design received a $1 million Buildings of Excellence award from the state Energy Research and Development Authority last November.
Prospective funding for construction is expected to come from private and public sources.
“We sat down with the state, and a few other agencies as well, to discuss some of the housing needs in Hudson, so there’s going to be some things in the future that I know Galvan will be applying for with the state,” Johnson said.
The city will not have any financial obligation to the project, Johnson said.
The project at 100 Depot St. is a major step toward the city’s goal to ensure affordable housing for everyone, everywhere in Hudson, Kent said.
“We are grateful to collaborate with Mayor Johnson, who was instrumental in pushing for more affordable units and accelerating the timeline of this vital project,” Kent said.
The building will have studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units ranging from $440 to $1,470.
“I did the numbers on the rent for the property,” Johnson said. “One of the things that I was noticing when a lot of agencies are looking to create affordable housing and they were looking toward the AMI (Area Median Income) for the county and not for the City of Hudson, which is like a $30,000 difference.”
The AMI for Hudson is $35,153 and Columbia County is $61,093, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s website. The State of New York median income is $78,900.
The Galvan Foundation worked with Johnson on rental rates and came to an agreement with which he was satisfied.
“I think that potential residents will be happy to see [that] as well,” Johnson said.
The Strategic Housing Action Plan has four main goals: preserve housing, create a comprehensive and complimentary housing policy and zoning, produce new housing options, and create housing and community development programs and partnerships. This project falls under the third goal, to facilitate and support the development of mixed-income housing.
“The challenge for Hudson is to develop a strategy that continues to provide for an ethnically and economically diverse community,” according to the plan. “Hudson’s housing strategy should seek to develop a ‘balanced’ mix of housing types that encourages a mix of incomes as well as ethnicity and housing tenure throughout the city.”
Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers will be accepted, Johnson said. Hudson Housing Authority has eight low-income housing complexes in Hudson.
Abby Hoover is a reporter for the Register-Star. Contact her at (518) 828-1616 x2500 or ahoover@registerstar.com.
