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The meeting provided Hudson residents, and residents of Bliss Towers and Columbia Apartments to review the plans for the proposed project, and share their opinions on what should be done with the project’s green space. The project’s proposed plan would be constructed in two phases, resulting in 300 units of affordable housing. The project is broken down into three sites, with A and B being conventional apartment developments of five to seven stories.
There is no designated site C, and site D will consist of roughly 10 townhouses built on city property that the Housing Authority is under contract to acquire. The proposed plans also include green space located in the area between sites A and B, including a planned pedestrian walkway that would take up part of State Street. The proposed project is expected to cost $220 million.
Representatives from Mountco and the Hudson Housing Authority, as well as architects from Alexander Gorlin Architects, were present to answer questions from attendees and share potential uses for the green space area. Architects from Alexander Gorlin Architects also shared a presentation with renderings of the buildings, and outlining what other housing authorities did with green space in their projects. The meeting was terrific, John Madeo, executive vice president of development and general counsel and Mountco Construction, said Tuesday.
“It was a great presentation by the architects, and the people that came out were really engaged and shared their thoughts about what they wanted to see,” he said. Madeo said he also enjoyed that members of the Hudson Common Council attended the meeting and shared their thoughts. It was great to have the tenants of Bliss Towers involved in the idea sharing process, Hudson 4th Ward Councilmember Jennifer Belton said.
“I liked a lot of their ideas,” she said. “I was pleased to see the height of the buildings was dropped—that will go a long way to keeping the space green.” In August, the financing partners within the state requested Mountco look into measures to lower the project’s cost.
Some of the cost-lowering options presented to the Hudson Housing Authority included changing the project’s building materials from steel and concrete to wood frame, and reducing the height of some of the buildings. If the Hudson Housing Authority’s Board of Commissioners decides to go through with those changes, the project could cost an estimated 10% less, and cause site B to lose roughly 28 units, bringing the total to 110 units. The budget of the housing authority and the project is a concern, Belton said.
“I know the Hudson Housing Authority budget is limited and maintaining the space and the building is important,” she said. It is vital for people to have access to green space, Belton said. “I think it’s important for people to have a space like that where they can exercise and where children can play because it’s good for their mental and physical health,” she said.
The information received from residents during the workshop will be used to come up with a larger plan for the project’s green space, Madeo said. “The idea now is to take their ideas and try to incorporate them into a new, detailed plan,” he said. “The architects will go back and take the suggestions to develop the plans.
” Attendees of the meeting also shared their own thoughts on what they would like to see in the green space. The outdoor space should include areas for children to play, said Arkell Clark, a Columbia Apartments resident. “They should have a playground, a basketball court,” he said.
“I know we can’t have a swimming pool area, but there should be something so people could just sit and get their feet wet.” The outdoor space should also have a fitness area and a cooking area, Clark added. “People that do like to work out and stuff can’t really do much around here,” he said.
“We should have a cookout area because everybody likes to cookout in the summertime.” Taryn Scirico, a Bliss Towers resident, said she would want a picnic area or a storefront included in the proposed project. “It would just be something different,” she said.
Madeo estimated that Mountco will meet with the Hudson Housing Authority in November to discuss the plans for the project’s outdoor space, and update the city about the project as well. “It’s a long process, but I think it’s helpful because at every stage we get more information to improve the plan,” he said..
