Latest Updates

Shared Streets organizers Hudson Hall, Future Hudson, and Design for Six Feet are seeking feedback from residents, visitors, and business owners alike following the initiative’s trial weekend, which concluded last night.

If you need a primer on the program, Hudson Hall explains:

This past weekend was the Trial Weekend of the Shared Summer Streets program. The goal of the program is to begin a process of opening up Warren Street to businesses, residents and visitors to practice safe, physical distancing.

The Shared Summer Streets program has two primary components:

—The first is a permitting process to help the City facilitate the expansion of businesses into parking spaces which are valid throughout the week.

—The second is the Shared Streets concept to calm traffic by reducing the speed limit to 5mph on Friday, Saturday and Sundays from 10am to 8:30pm. The traffic calming provides a safe space for for pedestrians and cyclists to share the street with vehicular traffic and practice physical distancing for a safe shopping and dining experience.

The City of Hudson implemented the Trial Weekend with as little cost as possible to test and learn.

To be able to react quickly and prepare accordingly for this coming weekend, the organizers are kindly requesting all feedback be submitted by end of day Tuesday 6/30.

The Hudson Shared Summer Streets initiative was officially unveiled yesterday during a presentation conducted by Hudson Hall’s General Manager Sage Carter and Future Hudson’s Peter Spear during the Reimagine Hudson ‘Cultural Taskforce’ call.

The program is designed to maintain social distancing standards by moving shoppers and diners outside of Hudson’s storefronts and restaurants and onto semi- or fully-closed designated city streets. The program may launch as early as Father’s Day weekend later this month. The first details are available on the City of Hudson website. The City is also conducting a virtual town hall on the initiative tomorrow, Thursday, June 11 at 4pm. The public can submit questions or comments to mayoralaide@cityofhudson.org

The initiative is being undertaken in conjunction with Hudson’s Department of Public Works, and Police and Fire Departments, and has the fiscal backing of Columbia Economic Development Corp. and the Spark of Hudson.

The Hudson Business Coalition sends word that USA TODAY is back with their 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, and Hudson is nominated in the category for “Best Small Town Food Scene,” along with 19 other communities across the U.S.

The listing gives shout-outs to the tavern at Rivertown Lodge, Tanzy’s, Lil’ Deb’s Oasis, Grazin’ and Fish & Game.

You can vote once every 24 hrs, so vote early and often for the Hudson food scene, from now through June 30!

VOTE HERE: https://www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-small-town-food-scene-2020/hudson-new-york/

The office of Hudson Mayor Kamal Johnson has announced that work on Promenade Hill Park will begin on Monday, June 8 as part of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) program. Improvements to the park, which is located at the intersection of Warren St. and Front St. and overlooks the Hudson River, include “preserving historic features while providing access to park amenities and extraordinary views of the Hudson and the Catskills for people of all abilities.”

The city has contracted with Starr Whitehouse Landscape Architects and Proper and O’Leary Engineering for both design and construction oversight services.

The Promenade Hill Park project, along with a handful of other projects, like the Dunn Warehouse redevelopment and restoration of the historic fishing village on the north side of the city, encompass the city’s ongoing efforts as part of the $10m grant it won from the state of New York as part of its DRI program in 2017.

As Hudson business owners prepare to open their own stores and restaurants for the phased reopening of New York state, Hudson Hall has developed a PPE wholesale program that delivers necessary and hard to procure equipment and supplies like hand sanitizers, wipes, and shields and masks to Hudson businesses at cost. Visit their website to learn more and to purchase. There is also a ‘wishlist’ for those wanting to request supplies that are currently out of stock.

A new initiative from the Hudson Business Coalition, HUDSON BONDS are now available for sale online.

Support the small business relief fund and help rebuild the Hudson business community by enabling its unique small businesses to make it through the PAUSE, reopen safely and thrive.

HUDSON BONDS are a community-based way to help Hudson’s small independent businesses most effected by the pandemic shutdown. Hudson Bonds help our small businesses in two important ways:

• They provide much-needed grants to help businesses make ends meet during the shutdown
• They provide a base of new sales once it’s safe for them to reopen—giving them a leg up when they need it most

Hudson Bonds are an innovative investment in preserving the unique character of our great small city, in which businesses are based on individual initiative and lots of hard work.

Learn more and purchase here: https://visithudsonny.com/hudson-bond

Questions can be directed to hbc@visithudsonny.org

Following the first meeting of Columbia Comeback on Monday, the committee has detailed its upcoming focus group meetings, to be held starting next Monday 5/18.

Upcoming Columbia Comeback Meetings

Meetings are live streamed & open to the public 

Industry Focus Group Meetings

Monday, May 18, 2020 | 1:00 pm – Phase I 
Includes construction, manufacturing and select retail (with curbside pickup)
View Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88101077376
Meeting ID: 881 0107 7376 | Phone: 929-205-6099

Tuesday, May 19, 2020 | 1:00 pm – Phase II 
Includes professional services, finance/insurance, retail, admin support, and real estate/rental leasing
View Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86992423721
Meeting ID: 869 9242 3721 | Phone: 929-205-6099

Wednesday, May 20, 2020 | 1:00 pm – Phase III 
Includes restaurants, food services and hotels
View Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81565715826
Meeting ID: 815 6571 5826 | Phone: 929-205-6099

Friday, May 22, 2020 | 1:00 pm – Phase IV 
Includes arts, entertainment, recreation and education
View Meeting:https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82842478773
Meeting ID: 828 4247 8773 | Phone: 929-205-6099

Columbia Comeback Committee Meetings

Tuesday, May 26, 2020 | 1:00 pm 
View Meeting:https://youtu.be/vWt9c-hWXmk

Monday, June 8, 2020 | 1:00 pm 
View Meeting: https://youtu.be/iOmcNEtwK5U

Columbia Comeback has also released a business sentiment survey, to be completed by business owners throughout the county. Take the survey online through their website.

Columbia Comeback’s has seven focus areas, as it helps businesses and organizations prepare to reopen:

• Minimize the spread of the virus and prioritize public health
• Understand state guidelines; keep businesses informed with up-to-date reopening information
• Help businesses respond and adapt to the new normal
• Coordinate and centralize countywide collaboration and development of a resource hub
• Support businesses in the county’s key industry clusters for future growth
• Set realistic economic expectations
• Prepare for future disruption