HUDSON — The city has been awarded $1.5 million for the Kaz redevelopment project through the Restore New York Communities Initiative.
Common Council President Thomas DePietro said the grant will be the key to the outcome of the project.
“The money doesn’t go directly to the city,” he said. “It goes straight to the developer. We had a choice of projects we wanted to support, and we chose the Kaz project, which I think shows that we see a lot of potential in the Kaz Project. Ben Saine has been a good-faith developer. He really wants to improve the city.”
The redevelopment is important to the area because it will add to the small-town vibes of Hudson, DePietro said.
“Everything that goes in down the riverfront and the train station contributes to the overall development of that part of the city that has been dormant for way too long,” DePietro said. “It’s finally getting the interest commercially that’s long overdue.”
Saine, an authorized representative of Montgomery Street Projects, LLC, said the project will do big things for the area.
“It’s beyond exciting because it’s a dream project,” Saine said. “It’s one of those things that kind of doesn’t happen without the help of the state because the economics of these things aren’t great. I’m a member of the community, I’ve been here for years and I’m super excited about it. We have the best farmers markets in the world within a 10-mile radius of what they’re doing. God bless Gov. Kathy Houchl for having the wisdom to help make this happen.”
When the project is completed, it will be transformed into a year-round farmers market and public space for special events such as the annual Hudson Book Fair and the Mushroom Festival.
In 2021 Montgomery Street Projects, LLC, purchased the property for $3 million. A timetable for the completion of construction was not immediately known.
The program, administered by Empire State Development, is designed to help local governments revitalize their communities and encourage commercial investment, improve the local housing stock, put properties back on the tax rolls, and increase the local tax base. During a January meeting of the common council, the board voted 7-4 in support of the resolution to submit an application for the grant.
The Kaz site is a four-acre former industrial site that includes two warehouses totaling 50,000 square feet plus a remaining 25,000-square-foot slab of a third warehouse demolished in 2018. The property is located at 70 Front St. The total cost of the project is $4.5 million. The developer has declined to say how much more money will be needed to complete the project.
In a statement, Gov. Hochul said the grants will help revitalize rural areas across New York State.
“These Restore New York grants will help to reimagine downtowns across our state and transform vacant, blighted, and underutilized buildings into vibrant community anchors,” Governor Hochul said. “Thanks to a more than $146 million state investment, we are breathing new life into communities from Hudson to North Hempstead, jump-starting new economic activity and helping ensure that New York State continues to be a place where people come to live, work and raise their families.