Housing would-be developers named
KINGSTON, N.Y. » The five developers who have submitted proposals to build workforce and affordable housing at the former Ulster County Jail on Golden Hill all have experienced in creating and managing housing complexes in the region and the state.
According to the Ulster County Housing Development Corp., the five firms that responded to the county’s request for proposals are Beacon Communities, of Boston Mass.; The Community Builders, of Albany; The Michaels Organization, of Camden, N. J.; Penrose, of Newark, N. J. and Warwick Properties, of Goshen.
Over the past several weeks, the five-member housing corporation has been meeting with principals from each of the firms looking to turn the former county jail property into affordable and workforce housing.
The housing corporation was appointed by Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan in August and has been charged with finding a developer for the Golden Hill site that will construct a housing project that provides housing opportunities for a range of income and generational levels, including low-income, workforce and supportive housing.
The county also required developers to offer a plan that would include needed support and rec
reation amenities for all residents and create commercial space and community programming. The county also said any development should ensure easy access to public transportation and include pedestrian and bicycle connections, take into consideration the property’s views of the Catskills and meet the county’s Green New Deal goals.
In addition, the developer selected will be responsible for demolishing the old jail and for obtaining a zoning change from the city of Kingston to al
low for housing on the site.
The housing corporation has declined to release the proposals submitted by the developers, saying that to do so could jeopardize the integrity of the proposals and affect the value of the property.
A review of the websites of each of the companies suggests that each has experience in developing the kind of housing the county is looking for.
The Community Builders is a not-for-profit organization that, according to its website, has built a variety of housing projects across the northeast, including mixed-income developments in Troy and Yonkers.
Beacon Communities
has built a variety of housing projects, primarily in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Pennsylvania, although it has built senior housing in New Hartford, N.Y. and a senior/affordable housing development in Albany.
Warwick Properties has in its portfolio senior and affordable housing in Orange County.
Penrose has constructed housing complexes throughout much of the Northeast, including affordable housing projects in Brooklyn.
The Michaels Organization has constructed complexes across the United States, including senior and affordable housing developments in Beacon.
Ryan has said the proposals submitted call for proj
ects ranging from 100 to 200 apartments with a mix of housing components, including workforce housing, senior housing and, in some instances, subsidized housing. He said that some of the proposals include supportive and community services at the site.
Ryan has said he hopes the corporation will choose a developer for the site this month.
The Golden Hill property has been identified by the county as a property that no longer suits the county’s needs and could be developed into workforce and affordable housing. County officials have said there are 15 acres at the site, of which 7 to 10 acres are suitable for development.