Midtown Kingston Receives Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) Designation
Midtown Kingston has been approved for the Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) designation by New York’s Department of State. Designation gives development in the area priority and preference for State programs, eligibility for pre-development funding, and unlocks tax credits for property owners and developers for brownfield cleanup and environmental remediation.
Midtown Kingston contains the highest number of known and suspected brownfields in Ulster County. The neighborhood has an industrial past including foundries, gasworks, machine shops, factories, lumber and coal yards, textile mills, and auto repair facilities.
As industry in the second half of the 20th century declined, Midtown was left with a scattering of vacant, underutilized, and potentially contaminated sites.
Midtown was a clear candidate for the BOA program based on its concentration of underutilized sites and potential brownfields, existing transportation infrastructure, the Midtown Arts District, the Kingston Greenline trails, and diverse community assets alongside challenges of socioeconomic distress.
Mayor Steve Noble said, “We are thrilled to receive this designation from the Department of State. The BOA designation gives us additional tools to create and promote equitable redevelopment and neighborhood revitalization.”
In 2023, the City of Kingston won a Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) grant for $238,559 from the New York State Department of State and, together with Pattern for Progress, launched Midtown Thriving: A Community Vision to Revitalize Vacant Properties.
Midtown Thriving is a community-driven plan for the redevelopment of certain properties within the Midtown neighborhood of Kingston, focusing on vacant and abandoned properties within a 270-acre area that runs along the Broadway corridor.
The Midtown Thriving Nomination plan focuses on the area that runs along the Broadway corridor and summarizes the research work done by Pattern for Progress, including community input received over the life of the project, and covers topics such as population and demographic trends, economic development, housing, transportation, and infrastructure.
Alexandra S. Obremski, Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress President & CEO said, “The BOA plan prioritizes strengthening community agency and representation, creating equitable economic and workforce opportunities that expand wealth-building pathways, improving food access, supporting youth and senior programming, and ensuring access to a healthy environment.”
This is the City of Kingston’s second BOA designation. In 2015, the Department of State designated 192 acres along the Rondout waterfront as a BOA via the Hudson Riverport Implementation Plan.
$3 Million Awarded To Local Law Enforcement Agencies In Orange, Ulster, Dutchess & Rockland
New York State awarded $3 million to local law enforcement agencies to bolster state efforts to reduce gun violence. This funding is part of New York State’s Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative.
Local law enforcement agencies in the Mid-Hudson Valley shared in the awards.
The GIVE initiative has contributed to a 67 percent decrease in shooting incidents involving injury since 2021. In the last five years, Governor Hochul has invested nearly $4 billion in public safety — more than $1 billion of which has gone to supporting New York’s gun violence prevention, intervention and enforcement.
“Keeping New Yorkers safe is my top priority — and with record investments and strong partnership with law enforcement, we’ll keep driving down gun violence to record lows,” Governor Hochul said. “I remain committed to working with law enforcement and all stakeholders to ensure safer streets and communities for families throughout every corner of our state.”
In Dutchess County, awards totaling $1.5 million went to the Poughkeepsie Police Department ($645,940), the District Attorney’s Office ($476,827), the Probation Department ($319,293), and the Sheriff’s Office ($60,000).
In Orange County, awards totaling $1.76 million went to the City of Newburgh Police Department ($909,844). The District Attorney’s Office ($619,112), the Probation Department ($239,414), the Middletown Police Department ($100,000) and the Sheriff’s Office ($95,000).
“Public safety remains a top priority, and this $100,000 investment into the City of Middletown will continue to go a long way,” said State Senator James Skoufis. “The fight against gun violence is ongoing, and I thank the Governor for this funding and law enforcement for their unwavering dedication.”
In Ulster County, awards totaling $368,817 went to the Kingston Police Department ($154,591), the Probation Department ($96,000), the District Attorney’s Office ($90,838) and the Sheriff’s Office ($27,388).
State Senator Michelle Hinchey said, “It’s critical that our local law enforcement have the resources they need to combat gun violence and make our communities safer for everyone. “
In Rockland County, awards totaling $396,865 went to the Spring Valley Police Department ($175,865), the Sheriff’s Office ($80,000), the District Attorney’s Office ($75,000) and the Probation Department ($66,000).
The initiative funds personnel, overtime, equipment and technical assistance, and requires participating agencies to have a comprehensive plan with evidence-based strategies to reduce shootings and firearm-related violent crime. GIVE is administered by the state Division of Criminal Justice Services.
Hudson Valley Venture Hub Hosts Fall Demo Night At The Senate Garage In Kingston
The Hudson Valley Venture Hub will host its Fall Demo Night at the Senate Garage in Kingston on October 15 from 5:30 to 8:30pm.
The Hudson Valley Venture Hub is the designated NYSTAR Innovation Hot Spot for the seven-county Mid-Hudson region, based at the SUNY New Paltz School of Business.
NYSTAR is the Division of Science, Technology and Innovation within Empire State Development, New York State’s chief economic development agency.
The event brings together the region’s most promising founders, investors, entrepreneurs, business leaders, and supporters for an evening of startup pitches, connections, and celebration.
The program boasts being industry-agnostic, supporting technology-forward and scalable early-stage startups.
Hudson Valley Venture Hub’s Demo Night is a twice-annual showcase featuring early-stage founders and the companies they’re building across the region. It’s a chance to see what’s next in the Hudson Valley and meet the people building it.
The Hudson Valley Venture Hub serves as a regional connector and accelerator, connecting founders with mentors, investors, educators, support organizations, and the resources they need to start and grow. In the first half of 2026, companies participating in Venture Hub programs generated more than $3.1 million in non-job economic impact.
Before the event, starting at 1:00pm, Greater Hudson Valley will host three conversations: Digital Transformation and the AI Era; The Challenges and Opportunities Facing Small Businesses Today; and, Creative Capital Approaches for Investing in the Region.
The Keynote Speaker is Rebecca Gott: CTO of IBM’s Power Platform. Other speakers and panel chairs include Sonya Smith: Director of the New York Small Business Development Center; Sarah Lee: Executive Director at the Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation; Barbara Clarke: Founder of The Impact Seat; Duane Peterson: Co-founder of SunCommon, and Lizzie Vann: Founder of Organix and Project Regeneration.
The Senate Garage is located at 4 North Front Street in Kingston. Registration is online.
