City mulls public Wi-Fi for Uptown
As part of an application for $10 million in state funding the city pitched an idea to use some of the money to establish a public Wi-Fi network. The idea has been suggested in the past but has never materialized even after specific discussion about it within Common Council committees.
But a recent application for the so-called Downtown Revitalization Imitative suggests that public Wi-Fi would benefit the Stockade Business District.
On Wednesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the city had been awarded the $10 million.
The public Wi-Fi suggestion was among several the city made in its application to secure funding for possible programs and projects.
The application focused on Uptown and the Stockade Business District. Last year, the city’s attempt to secure the $10 million funding for Midtown fell short.
“The city is interested in a Public Wi-Fi system in the SBD (Stockade Business District) to al-
low business owners, residents and tourists alike to benefit from on-demand access to information,” the application says. “The city is in the process of upgrading light poles to LED, and has searched a variety of Smart technologies which would allow the city during our light pole replacement to create a network of public WiFi access points in the district.”
The reference to upgrading of poles refers to the city’s plan to replace older streetlights with more energy-efficient ones.
Kingston Mayor Steve Noble has said he expects the first of the LED lights to be installed by the end of this year.
In 2007, the Common Council considered a pact that would have brought free, but limited wireless Internet access to most of the city.
The program never got off the ground.
Noble has said the city will put together a team of residents, business owners and city officials that will, over the course of the next 10 to 12 months, create a Strategic Investment Plan, which through meetings and public hearings,
will identify specific projects to be funded with the $10 million.
Among the projects and the application descriptions are:
• Proposed commercial and residential development, with a parking structure, on North Front Street:
“At the junction of North Front and Wall Street is a city-owned flat parking lot and a vacant warehouse. This property used to be the site of a parking garage and since it was demolished in 2008, the (Stockade Business District) has struggled to grow due to parking limitations.
The City is working with a local developer and architect to design a mixed-use development along with 400+ parking spaces, including 200 dedicated to public access.
“The concept has attracted the investment of the Bonura Hospitality Group, which is working on construction plans and intends to invest $30 to $32 million in the immediate future.
• Implementation of critical element in the Kingston Intermodal Facility Plan:
“The Kingston Intermodal Facility Site Location and Conceptual Design Analysis was completed in 2009 to examine potential sites for an intermodal
facility, recommend a single site and develop a preferred plan. It outlines facility requirements to increase public transit usage, access, and capacity, which are features such as more bus slips, additional parking, a taxi waiting area and dedicated bicycle and zip car parking. The site selected for preferred development is the existing Adirondack Trailways terminal with adjacent properties. DRI funds can be used to a acquire adjacent properties and upgrade the terminal to an intermodal facility.”
• Dietz Stadium improvements:
“Dietz Stadium, a 2,500seat venue, is a major organized sports facility . ... The site serves as both a community and regional destination. Most recently it has become the home field for the Kingston Stockade Football Club, which draws an average of 1,200 spectators.
“The 2013 Parks and Recreation Master Plan recommends upgrades including benches, water fountains, fencing, lighting, shade tree plantings, bike racks, new lockers rooms and bathrooms and a more modern food vending facility.”
“With (Downtown Revitalization Initiative) support these upgrades, also desired by the Stockade
Football Club, could easily be made within two years.”
• Kingston Food Exchange:
“The (Downtown Revitalization Initiative) could support the Kingston Food Exchange, a project of BBG Ventures, which plans to open a 35,000-square-foot food hall, food manufacturing facility and grocery with an emphasis on locally sourced food. BBG Ventures has invested over $1 million into the facility at 311 Wall St. with another $5 million being invested during build out. The exchange will hire approximately 65 people directly and sub-lease space for four to six additional restaurants and four other businesses in the market itself, creating an additional 20 to 30 jobs.”
• The Kingston Uptown Levee:
“The 12-foot berm and wall between the Kingston Plaza and the Esopus Creek, built with federal funding in the 1970s and designed to prevent flooding in the Kingston Plaza, the Dutch Village apartments and along Schwenk Drive, no longer meets federal standards. As a result federal flood plain maps have been revised putting about 35 properties in a floodplain. Insurance premiums have increased significantly and property owners cannot develop in the plaza area
without a variance. Funds would be utilized for detailed mapping and structural assessments to determine whether areas of the floodplain could be recategorized to reduce insurance premiums.”
• Frog Alley Historic Preservation and Park project:
“The Frog Alley property owned by the Friends of Historic Kingston contains the Louw-Bogardus House ruin, which is listed on the state and federal registries of historic places.
“The aim of this project would be to stabilize the ruin, add lighting and park amenities and add interpretive signage.”
• Implementation of Uptown/Stockade Transportation Plan:
“This transportation plan was completed in 2009 by the Ulster County Transportation Council and recommends changes that could be made (including reversing street directions) to improve access to, circulation within and economic vitality in and around the (Stockade Business District). The plan contains detailed recommendations, many of which are ready for implementation.”
“Construction documents could be completed within one year, and build out could be completed the next year.”