The City of Kingston is getting ready to launch its Midtown Thriving project, which will bring together businesses, nonprofits, residents and city officials in a two-year effort to create a plan for the redevelopment of vacant and abandoned properties in a 270-acre area along Broadway, which is a central corridor through the city.
The effort is funded with a $238,599 state grant that was applied for by the city and the organization Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress.
According to Kingston’s Mayor Steven Noble, the plan when finished will be designed to “encourage the revitalization of underutilized parcels to create environmentally responsible, mixed-use and walkable infill redevelopment in Midtown Kingston.”
Noble said that the finished product should represent a true community vision for the redevelopment. The organizers of the effort are hoping that the finished plan can be used as a basis for New York state making tax credits available to developers willing to undertake projects that meet the plan’s recommendations. These would include tax credits for remediating brownfield sites.
The planning process is expected to start with an in-depth analysis of existing conditions and then identify opportunities for revitalization. Properties that would qualify for tax credits covering brownfield remediation are expected to be highlighted in the final recommendations.
Ulster County is expected to participate in the planning process, along with representatives of Kingston and the Kingston City Schools. Among the participating organizations are: the Ulster County Performing Arts Center; Boys and Girls Club; Center for Creative Education; Midtown Arts District; RUPCO; and the Midtown Business Alliance.
