Housing possible for former Ulster County jail site

Pennrose NY Developer LLC has been seeking approval from the city of Kingston in Ulster County to develop Golden Hill, a multibuilding residential complex on approximately half of a 41-acre site that contains the former Ulster County Jail as well as other current health and transportation facilities. The engineering and planning firm The Chazen Companies, on behalf of Pennrose, has told Kingston planners that the parcel would be subdivided into two parts. The address of the project would be 63 Golden Hill Drive.

The residential development would be on a parcel of approximately 20.14 acres. The second parcel would be approximately 20.87 acres. The plan calls for demolition of the former Ulster County Jail, Community Corrections building and a storage and maintenance building.

Pennrose proposes a four-story 76,600-square-foot residential building for seniors with 80 residential units. Also proposed is a three-story 57,607-square-foot, 48-unit building intended for occupancy by families. There also would be four buildings devoted to townhouses. One would be two-stories and have 7,758 square feet while three others would be three-stories and have 12,432 square feet. There also would be a 5,000-square-foot community building and there would be 164 residential units. 

The senior building would have 80 one-bedroom apartments. The family building would have 19 one-bedroom units and 29 two-bedroom units. There would be eight one-bedroom townhouses and 28 three-bedroom townhouses.

Chazen describes Pennrose as “a premier multifamily development company with the expertise to bring together development projects in a way that exemplify quality while creating value in the short and long term, and a national reputation for development execution.”

“The goal of the Golden Hill development project is to develop an intergenerational, affordable mixed-income housing community that embraces a diverse set of programs for all ages and provides access to social, cultural, health and environmental benefits, to balance the needs of the city of Kingston and Ulster County,” Chazen said.

Pennrose reports that it has delivered more than 17,200 housing units in many states, has more than 400 employees and has completed more than $3.5 billion worth of developments.

Pennrose has been working with the Ulster County Housing Development Corp. (UCHDC) on the project, which has the support of Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan.

“The day-to-day public health challenges of Covid-19 have helped reveal some of the challenges that we have always known were there; now more than ever we must respond to the longer-term impacts of the pandemic,” Ryan said. “Frontline workers, working full time to serve and protect us, should be able to afford decent housing. It is not enough to just thank them; we must take care of them like they take care of us. The selection of a developer for this project is a major step toward allowing Ulster County to support those who have heroically served and supported us.”

UCHDC Member Hayes Clement said, “Pennrose had the most creative, innovative and responsive proposal and, just as importantly, it was presented throughout every stage of the process by a consistent and candid team of professionals, one with a thoroughly demonstrated track record for delivering on their promises. We were thoroughly impressed with other Pennrose projects in the Hudson Valley, and are confident they will deliver a Golden Hill redevelopment that will set new standards for affordable housing and make its neighbors and all of Kingston proud.”

The apartments would be priced to target a variety of households from those who earn up to 30% of area median income (AMI), or $26,500 for a family of four, up to 80% AMI, or $70,250 for a family of four. Some apartments would be reserved for special-needs populations, including the frail elderly and people who have experienced domestic violence.

The developer proposes providing 228 parking spaces on the site and would provide six electric vehicle-charging stations with the capability for expanding the number of charging stations in the future.

The project has received support from some residents as well as the Ulster County Regional Chamber of Commerce. Ward Todd, president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce in a March 4 letter told the Kingston Planning Board, “The Ulster County Regional Chamber of Commerce supports the Golden Hill development, its applications for public approvals and its application to the New York State Division of Homes and Community Renewal for an allocation of federal tax credits and other funding sources to support the development of needed housing and job-generating uses planned for the project.”

Todd said that the proposed development would help unlock the full potential of the site while providing new housing opportunities for Kingston and the Hudson Valley region

“The availability of safe, healthy and affordable housing is a critical factor in increasing spending and employment in the surrounding economy, acts to ensure an available workforce, reduces costs to local governments associated with homelessness and crime and can place regional economies in a competitive advantage,” Todd said.

The proposal has generated opposition from some residents. A petition opposing the project that had been signed by 96 residents was presented to the Kingston Planning Board at its April 4 meeting.

Kingston resident Ellen DiFalco raised concerns about traffic and the need for infrastructure improvements. She said that residents have “been plagued with traffic safety issues attributed to the Golden Hill Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and other county office buildings. In fact, the excessive traffic volume dates back to the 1970s.”

The project would be expected to take approximately two years from start of construction to completion.