Kingston WIATT - Powered by Full Frame Initiative

The City of Kingston, NY has been seeking input to inform a community master plan for Midtown Kingston. From September to November 2024, we surveyed Kingston residents to learn more about their experiences, hopes, dreams, and concerns about this project.

The survey explored potential new development in Midtown and how it might impact five aspects of residents’ wellbeing. This web page shares the results of these surveys — including what residents are excited about, what they are worried about, and what tradeoffs the project might bring.

In the process of collecting survey feedback, the project team tried to reach historically underrepresented groups to ensure that the survey responses reflect the demographics of Midtown. This was done by hosting a series of community meetings, small group discussions, tabling at community events, and other strategies. To assess the success of our efforts to hear from the diverse communities of Midtown, our survey included a series of demographic questions.  Because the results indicated that we did not reach our demographic representational goals, the survey dashboard presents disaggregated results broken up by subgroups such as age, income, ethnicity, and race. As this planning process continues, the project team will continue other engagement efforts to better reach all of Midtown’s communities.

341
Total Responses
11/18/2024
Data Last Updated

We invite you to explore the data and learn more below:

Who we surveyed

Our data collection efforts focused on gathering a data from a statistically representative sample of residents. We partnered with credible messengers to reach populations who have often been under-sampled in previous surveys, including Black or African-American residents, Hispanic or Latino residents, residents with household incomes below $50,000 per year, and non-English speakers. We compared survey respondent demographics to the demographics of the local community—Midtown Kingston and Kingston as a whole. Here’s a picture of who filled out our surveys:

Race/Ethnicity

We prioritized collecting enough surveys from these communities:

  • Black or African-American
    Hispanic or Latino

 

Our survey respondents better reflect the race and ethnicity composition of all of Kingston, not the composition of Midtown Kingston.

How will this project will impact the community's wellbeing?

There are a number of sites in Midtown that are either vacant or underutilized. When those sites are developed, it is likely that there will be a significant increase in housing and commercial space. Residents were asked about the impact of this project on their wellbeing. Here is what residents told us:

Data Highlights

Areas to Celebrate

Positive trends across most questions

  • 92% of residents like the proposed vision for Midtown Kingston
  • New development in Midtown positively impacts wellbeing, particularly, social connectedness and access to resources
  • Over 1,000 comments were submitted by residents (see below for recommendations)
Areas to Explore

Suggested areas to pay attention to in the comments

  • Seven aspects of quality of life were identified as being areas of most concern, across age, race/ethnicity and income level:
    • Cost of housing
    • Activities for youth
    • Employment opportunities
    • Access to transportation
    • Food access
    • Access to parks and open spaces
    • Crime
  • Millenials and lifelong Kingston residents rated wellbeing impacts as positive, but less positive when compared with others
  • White residents and residents living in Kingston 5-10 years rated wellbeing impacts as the most negative
More Input to Gather

Communities we need to connect with more because they were not adequately represented in survey results

  • Spanish speakers
  • Youth

Explore the Data

Because the results indicated that we did not reach our demographic representational goals, the survey dashboard presents disaggregated results broken up by subgroups such as age, income, ethnicity, and race. As this planning process continues, the project team will continue other engagement efforts to better reach all of Midtown’s communities.

 

How will this project impact your wellbeing?   

Note: Demographic groups with less than 30 responses are hidden, as we don’t have enough answers for their bar to be representative.

What residents told us

Comments in open-ended questions

Showing $P1 responses to this question
Filtered to show $P1 out of $P2 responses to this question

Community Voices

Choose a survey question

Display

Search for text

Race/Ethnicity

Gender

Age

Household Income

How many years lived in Kingston

Why do you or don't you like our vision for Midtown?

What redevelopment would be most beneficial for the neighborhood?

What place in Midtown would you miss most if it were gone?

If you said that this project would positively affect you in some ways, please share why.

If you said that this project would negatively affect you in some ways, please share why.

Thinking about what you're concerned about losing, or other negatives, what would make this project more worth it to you?

Is there anything you'd like to explain about the ratings you chose?

Is there anything else you want to share about the project, or about you?

warning
It looks your filters resulted in only a few responses. We generally recommend reviewing at least 30 comments if you want to consider the viewpoints expressed here as representative. You can broaden your search by removing some of the filters you've selected.
warning
Sorry, we couldn't find anything that matches your criteria. Please broaden your search by removing some of the filters you've selected.
It has everything in mind
Building with a gym, stem lab, affordable housing, event space
Boys & Girls Club
Might be something that's needed for everyone
Building what I want to be built
Me gusta todas las dichos presentes, añadiría que nuestros decisiones también deben de incluir las generaciones presentes actualmente.
Pienso que añadir departamentos y casas, y espacios públicos puede ser un base importante para incrementar la cantidad de personas que pueden comprar de negocio, tomar transporte publico, etc
Mercadito es una tienda que amo
Pienso que puede encarecer la vida por desarrollar los espacios no tan utilizados. Se debe poner límites en términos de obligar que se renta a precios accesibles a la mayoría de las personas atraves de cambiar políticas públicas para ampliar los niveles asequible de las viviendas.
Desarrollo que esta hecho con un proceso de opinión público para poder incrementar el chance de que los proyectos serviría las personas
I'd add something about robust community spaces for us to gather as neighbors.
Mixed use commercial and residential with a strip of commercial spaces below two to four stories of housing which focuses on pedestrian and bicycle amenities more than car infrastructure.
Broadway Lights Diner
I'm primarily picturing that additional housing and commercial spaces will allow my family to have more options to live close to each other, making all our lives more stable, safe and enjoyable.
If new projects are built that rip down existing landmarks or popular spots, Midtown could start to look very different. And if community feedback isn't followed, it could create projects that are problematic.
Public spaces that include recreation features, water features, food nearby, plenty of bike parking, and performance spaces.
These above positive answers are based on the potential that the city will actually listen to my feedback. In the scenario that I imagined, the project wasn't everything I wanted but has components that can make my life in Midtown better in general.
I really appreciate this deep approach and hope municipalities continue to dive deeper to develop beautiful communities. Thanks!
It will help the younger generations to benefit from housing or to develop the community by having space to start up a business and will help to bring in income to the community.
Apartments,
Park
Affordable housing would help me save more and creat business to help in developing the community
It might negatively impact to bring in more crime because of more income
I really like this vision. I think it incorporates so many different types of individuals into it. It is a strong vision that is extremely ideal, which I am appreciative of. Love that the folks who have been displaced and or who have had to leave the community are brought into this mission.
I would like to see a museum or community space that has multiple uses where organizations, youth, adults, seniors, private parties were all using these spaces. That inclusivity helps to reduce stigma around othering.
Andy Murphy Neighborhood Center.
Having community input in this type of process and then having development based on this input would hopefully mean that folks are able to see themselves reflected in changes. That is so empowering.
Yes. It could appear to folks moving into Kingston that Midtown is more alluring to them and it could outprice different community members where Kingston could become even less affordable to folks who are already struggling. Also, if development doesn't have any follow-through, there is ultimately the possibility of feeling like this project and my giving input was all for nothing.
Being able to be specific about what it is I would like to see. Figuring out how to make folks feel the safest and how to coach folks through surface answers to get to deeper answers and input responses.
No. Thank you so much.
Nothing to change
Not sure
Kennedy fried chicken YMCA Midtown Rec Center
It may give more opportunities to a holistic better quality of life.
Not sure yet.
Not sure
Until we know what projects are being done, it's hard to say how our lives will be impacted for better or for worse
Not at the moment
Yes you will drive through and see vacant buildings and open land that i always think to myself why dont they turn this into a park for the kids.
KFC
new development will bring opportunity and hopefully more jobs to the area that will all sustain or increase property values.
loss in property value affects my assets and my credit.
habitat for humanity for the run down homes help the elderly single parents widows and families in need be a unified community to rely on each other is how America made it for so long.
they are all connected to the same everything in your life changes when the neighborhood goes & dont forget the property value also impacts your finances while all of the expenses go up.
my family & friends live in Kingston and are lifelong residents.
Small businesses are essential to the personality of a city
Grocery stores Fitness centers Youth centers
Engs restaurant
As mentioned before, too many new things at once will make cost-of-living go up significantly, and the economy and opportunities in Kingston do not match that kind of price hike. Whatever happens has to be balanced between upper class middle-class and low class. Midtown is a lot safer than it was 20 years ago, So that's a start. Kingston seems to be a lot safer than it was back then as well. We need a good mix of small businesses and larger corporations if we're going to make this work. We need more things for children to do i.e Upgraded parks and Events.
The cost-of-living is already getting higher and is going to keep growing exponentially. The paradigm of Kingston has already changed from people who were here for a long time to people from New York City and immigrants from Guatemala. The people from New York City are buying stuff up and continuing to raise prices, And the Guatemalan immigrants are getting more assistance than the people who were born and raised here for things like rent, businesses and education. We need to make sure that we focus on the families and community. That's been here for the last 50 years.
At this point, it's really about making sure that people can make money from Midtown Kingston, and still keep the sense of community and family.
There's not much opportunity in kingston to make a lot of money. I personally don't want people from out of town or New York City buying up Kingston and raising the cost of living so much, nobody that was raised here, can afford to live here anymore. Other than that, we need Way more stuff for our kids and the teenagers to do To keep them out of trouble.
I was born and raising and lived in Kingston, my whole life. I'll have already seen changes for the good and changes for the bad. I do feel a lot safer than I did 20 and 30 years ago when I was younger and it is a much safer place to raise my children. I feel that Midtown Kingston could use a little facelift, But not too much to cause prices to skyrocket
The demographics of the city has changed and I would love to see a way to bring all the different cultures together so as to have a feeling of belonging rather than feel they must all stay within their own group of people with whom they have much in common.
Community centers, shelters, food pantries
Academy green park, engs restaurant
I has a strong focus on the future and potential.
Housing, housing, housing, then community spaces.
DRAW
I think there should be somewhere for kids a place where there are opportunities for them to do sports education career financial and a variety of focus
A facility that does sports and other activities for the youth. a facility to house tournaments and games and something that will be able to host event ls and activities and bring people into our community and therefore having more money poured into Ulster County.
mid town center , food places
I think development in the Midtown neighborhood would positively affect me because my someplace forced and I often have to travel far distances for games and athletics but it would be great to have a facility within Ulster county that we could play here and invite people all over to play in Kingston. This would also bring money to our area.
I don't think there would be any negative effects on me or my family with a new development in Midtown.
A facility that offers a lot for our community for both the youth teenagers adults. Something that brings good places, businesses, jobs, and things to do for the people in Ulster County.
I feel like having a essential location where the community can utilize a facility for events activities will bring housing will bring money will bring people from all over into our community and help build a better environment for everyone
please consider the community as a whole when making a decision about the midtown Thriving project
Youth Sports at low or no cost
I already miss mid city lanes but the boys & girls club & upac
Violence & drug use could be an issue With more public spaces
Youth sports low cost to train & travel to the under privileged
I think having point god academy sports training in mid town would give youth more opportunities
I want to change things in the community
Homeless shelters
Parks
Because it will effect the way I live if you add good things to it.
Just extra housing
I like the vision of "MIdTOWN" because there are small local businesses that benefit the lives of local residents with jobs and recreation centers for future generations.
It would be nice to have a shopping center so that community residents would not have to travel to other places far from the community.
I would miss , grocery stores .
The details of these sites will be very helpful for residents.
I like the vision of "MIdTOWN" because there are small local businesses that benefit the lives of local residents with jobs and recreation centers for future generations.
It would be nice to have a shopping center so that community residents would not have to travel to other places far from the community.
I would miss the grocery stores.
It would have a positive effect on security and more opportunities for educational development.
It has more trade
When these sites are developed they will be very helpful.
We hope that this project will be of great help to all the inhabitants of Kingston in general.
I do like the vision. I see many different cultures and business that are coming back to life. Together we win
The boys and girls club
Yes we need housing foldable and activities for our Children, and yes we need upbuild these broken down building.
Building for Badketball tournaments we Need gym so we don't have to use the schools.
Barber shop, corner store gas station
It will someone something to do
It may not effect me but other
Give the youth something they can enjoy zhat will keep them out off trouble.
I hope that this survey will change somethings and that our concerns will be considered. One more thing let's get this homeless people off the street and put them in one of this building for housing.
I hope this has been helpful
It sound good and fun
Cyber trucks
Stewarts
Because it would help me learn how to read and write
Despite a boundless imagination, the above envisions what (I) believe most communities would present to describe their midtown. But the reality is, there are always trade-offs. For example, displacement would likely occur in some capacity, whether short-term in fast gentrification, or long-term by the pressures of organizations that push others out. Acknowledging this response is pessimistic in thought, I do believe there are options to revitalize midtown in a way that pushes towards goals of the above vision. The slightest bit of paint and rehab on Broadway contributes to a greater quality as for many years it appears uncared for. Other challenges? Today homeless individuals sleep in newly installed parks, sleeping on benches, and trekking the corridor. There are cultures that move in and produce areas similar to their own standards which clashes with the 'perfect' midtown that others envision. And regardless of your views or solutions to either of these realities, they challenge whoever draws up the next dream of midtown.
Housing, housing, and housing. We need opportunities for younger individuals to stay local, for folks to not carry $2K/month rent prices. We have heard over the years that businesses struggle with finding help, 'nobody wants to work.' And while to some personal characteristics that may be true, there is also a lack of workforce that finds affordability in this area. Yes, someone could waitress and make a reasonable living wage, more so if married, but on their own 50-75% of their earnings makes their way to rent and utilities and instead. That condition is wearing, it beats on individuals to see that no matter how hard they work, or how long, they will never be able to get ahead.
What you give, is what you get. In keeping dilapidated structures or unclean environments, the space fills itself with those who feel they belong there. On top of that, there is then negative publicity. People lose respect for their community, carry negativity toward the officials serving it, and discourage others from investing within it. Revitalization, regardless of how strong its pull to gentrification, prompts a new sense of 'we can do better.'
As mentioned in other comments, investment is grand until its not. All of a sudden midtown is the healthiest it's ever been, folks move-in, prices drive up, and those who championed the investment can no longer afford to live here. The market after COVID has already caused damming effects to this community. Living in an area where housing prices are now 3X what they were 15 years ago, or 2X from 7 years ago, our properties are absolutely not worth the asking. Let alone what properties in the midtown area might become if a successful vision comes to pass.
Finding ways to lower the cost of living while driving investment. Imagine Kingston compared to the developed suburbs of the south or mid west, where based on our incomes people could actually afford to live and remain here.
Kid friendly or family friendly spaces. Other grocery options
Kingston ceramics studio
I like this theory and or ideal however how is the implemented, cost of living is very high and prices are continuing to rise.
We should have a youth program that serves the community and allow some retailers in
Well this is all dependent on how it is developed, that is a vague statement to build off of. Of it is development with resources for current residents such as youth programs and commerce it can have a great impact on quality of life for current residents
A way it could negatively effect myself or the community is if all that is put there is new housing that continues to drive up the cost of living whilst bringing an influx of people to the community that don't invest into the community
I like the stable and safe housing and access to open space an nature. Plus a walkable or bike friendly town center would be awesome!
Truly affordable housing is #1. Like apartments no more than $1k a month for a one bedroom. Adding protected bike lanes for safe pedestrian travel would be awesome too.
It'll be loud while it's being fixed up, but that's okay!
Updates to the public on what will be built and what the timeline is looking like.
Vacant lots make me feel terrible. So many people are homeless and seeing empty or abandoned properties makes me upset and mad. Having the area developed for people first would be a huge relief. I want everyone to have safe and stable affordable housing. It'll be loud while it happens, but that's a sacrifice I'm willing to take to have a better neighborhood.
I'm so happy this place will be revived with people as the top priority!
I would like to see more of a focus on alternative transportation, pedestrian- and bike-friendly infrastructure, and public safety on roads. Broadway is currently extremely dangerous to bike on or walk across due to the blind spots caused by parked cars and the lack of protection for bike lanes or pedestrian crosswalks. Furthermore, pedestrians often jaywalk due to the difficulty of crossing at crosswalks or with lights--this is not the pedestrians' fault, it is caused by the poor and car-centric design of the avenue.
mixed-use--small businesses on the ground floor, housing above
the YMCA
A community with more third spaces and affordable housing is a safer community. A safer community is a more welcoming community. A more welcoming community is a flourishing community.
traffic while construction is active but that's fine & expected. It would negatively affect me if luxury condos were built that were not affordable to the average Kingston resident, or if massive parking lots were built that increased the already-overwhelming dominance of cars in the neighborhood.
People-focused development, not car-focused development.
This mission statement is very, very aspirational. It is easy to populate with a wish-list, but it is more important to define actionable items. This line in particular: "Income is not a barrier to accessing safe and stable housing, fresh and healthy food, open space and nature, and opportunities for social connection. Midtown exemplifies how to pursue sustainable development without displacement. The economy in Midtown is made up of local small businesses that are responsive to community needs and offer sustainable, living-wage employment." - if Kingston can figure this out, we will be a singular world leader. It is great to set aspirational goals, but I think many people might read this and not take the endeavor seriously. I am very, very deeply invested in Kingston: I am a booster and a believer! But incremental, attainable goals are more important than a wishlist to me.
Small, flexible, creative office space would be an ideal use to attract well-paying jobs to Kingston.
Too many things to count. I just just 3 blocks outside of the boundary shown earlier, and as an avid walker who walks everywhere, I feel very much a part of Midtown and its journey.
More commercial space means more shops and restaurants, which can increase choice for activities. Would also mean more jobs for the area, as well as more street-level activity (which tends to decrease antisocial behavior / "Broken Windows" theory).
Higher population means each person has a proportionally smaller voice.
Mainly just due to population. Higher population means that each person has a slightly smaller impact.
While 5-over-1 development is the among the most economical of built forms: we need to do what we can do keep building massing at a reasonable level, and keep Kingston's charms. Handing over all control to developers will cost Kingston dearly in the long run.
I would like to see Midtown become a 15-minute neighborhood, where the vast majority of daily needs can be met a 15 minute walk, bike or bus ride. In addition to improving public transit, sidewalks and bike lanes, that means ensuring that groceries, healthcare, shopping, schools, and community centers are all available and accessible within the midtown neighborhood.
I would like to see midtown become more walkable. I would like to live in a neighborhood where I run into neighbors out and about more. I feel that vacant lots detract from the walkability of a neighborhood — it means businesses are farther apart and the neighborhood feels neglected so people are less likely to choose the existing businesses if there are alternatives. I would also hope that some of the vacant sites would be used for community centers or parks. It is hard to find places for people to gather or meet up that doesn't require you to spend money.
I would be concerned about it increasing housing costs.
The description is of a caring and just community
Housing, and convenient stores, and food co-op
UPAC
Don't need to elaborate
I would like there to be more explicit community ownership. We should place more and more buildings in to Community Land Trusts and rely less on profit driven private developers. We should be clear about the history of racism in Kingston and study how it continues to today. We should be careful not to promote diversity and multii-culturalism as an aesthetic, but as an integrated collective belonging and right.
Affordable housing and/or commercial space protected by community lad trust.
Top Taste, Tubbys, bike lanes
This project must adhere to what poor and working class people desire. Without vigilantly dedicating this process to that principle, it couldn't easily get taken advantage of by a corporate developer trying to maximize its profit for its shareholders. This commonplace capitalist business model, one that governments too often enable, is fundamentally anti-community, self centered and environmentally hazardous. Corporations are the biggest threat to life on the planet, let alone a stable community here in Kingston.
Aside from housing, I'd like to see more community controlled gathering places. Like a community center but not stale and contrived feeling.
I am a home owner in midtown and fortunately feel a great deal of stability. However, knowing that more people in my community are able to access affordable housing, and that uber-capitalist developers are less able to extract wealth from working people in my neighborhood will lead to much greater feeling of safety and well being.
For too long have communities been increasingly privatized by outside interests. I'd like this project to show that the community can own and control more of it's resources.
This Vision is a utopia, why wouldn't I like it?
Grocery store
Monkey Joe's coffee roaster
Housing, corner stores, parks or public spaces
Any of the bars and restaurants along Broadway
I want to see the city thriving and this will help
I don't believe it will
Thanks for doing this
If we aren't trying to abolish the property relation and the ethic of profit, the claim to accessibility is categorically fraudulent. Small businesses drive inequality like their larger counterparts. Landlords extort the public for personal accumulation. Any vision that doesn't explicitly confront a culture and politic of capitalism is doomed to perpetuate inequality.
Safe injection site, Cooperatively managed and community owned groceries, land trust/cooperatively owned housing.
None. There are no meaningful public thirdspaces, covered gathering areas, or anticapitalist commerce. Almost all of Midtown needs a cultural and co.mercoal overhaul to serve the needs of the people to survive today and prepare for the problems of the future.
If you make a safe injection site and more public resources, you will make Midtown quality of life better for many.
If your goal is to gentrify and displace, you have blood on your hands. If you don't think you are doing this but your actions cause it anyway, it makes no difference to those affected. You have betrayed them all the same. Stand with the oppressed or at least admit you don't care about them so people can see you for who you are.
It's not a question of development or no development. It's all about how. If you fill the vacant spaces with more capitalist filth, you will make everything worse. If you make collectively owned and managed, accessible resources and assets, you will make them better. The reason these spaces are empty in the first place is capitalism. If you want to fix Midtown, prioritize the most harmed and oppressed and declare war on capitalism and private property.
ACAB Includes Capitalists.
As a gay Asian man who was born and raised in Kingston, feeling welcomed and accepted is something that is very important to me. The emphasis on diversity and inclusion really resonate with me.
Midtown needs everything! A locally-sourced grocery store, gym, yoga studio, quality shops selling home and apparel, restaurants, and a pet store would all be very welcomed.
I miss Barcones every day, but I would miss UPAC and the Y the most.
The strong sense of community and history is one of the many reasons why I love Kingston. Seeing the many retail and restaurant spaces closed is heartbreaking. Our town is at a crossroads where we have the opportunity to ensure that Midtown grows into a more vibrant, equitable, and enjoyable neighborhood that people from all over the Hudson Valley come to visit.
Traffic could be a concern, but if we increase bus service (as well as an all-electric vintage trolly service that looks historic, but moves people up and down Broadway) this could be avoided.
A much greater aesthetic appeal of Midtown would be a huge selling point for me.
Whatever change is made, please make sure that it is quality and preserves the historic charm of Kingston. I think the new sidewalks and lights on Broadway really accomplished this well. Investing in the highest quality materials and aesthetic attention to detail will be incredibly beneficial to the success of this project.
It is a great vision for midtown. One that would define what and who Kingston is. It would be beneficial for the great areas of Kingston
Home Childcare Centers, A Parklette/meeting space, Places for weekly Pop-Up Markets or casual entertainment, affordable loft apartments,
The small eateries on Broadway, Radio Kingston and its spaces, the diversity of people.
I am a believer that positive energy brings positive energy. If midtown is invested in the new developments it will make a positive impact. It could provide the services missing from the neighborhood and bring more people in who would be vested in their hometown community.
New development must not displace people from their homes because it would elevate the cost of living and make it unaffordable to live in the midtown neighborhood. We have already seen this happen.
The developer must be committed to the neighborhood. For example, if a housing unit is being built, then one of those units should be for a home childcare center (at the developers expense). Or perhaps it could cover the cost of a small park.
Not knowing the types of development it is difficult to predict how it will impact life as we know it in midtown. If the development is done with the people in midtown front and center and listening to their needs and desires it could be a positive impact for most.
It is a beautiful part of the city and the entire city would benefit from the Midtwon Thriving Project
Seems rather idealistic, but I suppose it's good to be aspirational when developing a vision
An at grade pedestrian bicycle crossing of the CSX tracks would be a tremendous benefit to the connectivity and safety of non-motorized transportation in Midtown Kingston.
Tonys pizzeria was a loss
Increasing the density of Kingston will be of benefit to the community at large. More people more pedestrians to frequent local businesses, parks and bike lanes. Mixed use infill projects will make parking more scarce an walking more rewarding.
Thanks for the opportunity to share
Income is not a barrier to accessing safe and stable housing, fresh and healthy food, open space and nature, and opportunities for social connection.
Affordable housing. Community centers for all age ranges.
No. It's doing too much and insufficiently aspirational and inspirational. How about: Midtown Kingston is a diverse and welcoming place where all residents can thrive. The communities of Midtown feel a strong connection to place and a sense of belonging supported by its vibrant local small businesses, supporting the next generation and working together.
There may be more to do locally and possibly make Broadway a more welcoming pedestrian community experience
Price out the diverse ethnic and socioeconomic populations that make Kingston the type of place I want to live. I don't want to live in a monolithic middle upper class predominantly white neighborhood like rhinebeck
These prompts are vague
I believe that a combination of local small businesses and larger orgs/corps would be more sustainable. Midtown small businesses are very expensive to patron so throwing a Trader Joe's (as an example) into the mix, offers choices.
Non-boutique grocery store please!!!
The YMCA
Engagement and activities for my children, rent stabilization, food access.
Cost of activities for children (the local kids ceramics class at l'impatience is $55/class!)
Disproportionate prices to pay staff fair wages
We've rented our home for 8 years and are trying to buy from landlord but price increases each year despite the home requiring more and more work.
I appreciate your work!! I believe businesses are stronger and more sustainable than non profits. We need more of a balance in Kingston!
We need consistent opportunities to involve our youth in the community. Boys and Girls club and Y are great resources and our youth need more. Our City should come together with more business, schools and organizations to provide weekly open, drop in and scheduled. Job shadowing, internships and volunteer possibilities offered by business can build connections and communication, respect.
Support systems for youth. Academic, social, mental health, food security, health check ups and health education.
Make it accessible to current population, don't push us out.
It must provide access for the social, economic and demographics currently here!
I especially like the focus on youth, including opportunities to learn, be creative, and have agency in their futures.
What does "BOA" mean? I'd like to see some of these spaces used for housing, and others for youth-focused community centers with educational and artistic options. Mixed use could be beneficial.
The Kingston Library! I hope the renovations finish quickly and that the library returns to Franklin Street.
Have more options in Midtown means that I could satisfy more of my needs within walking distance. I would like that.
It might mean less available street parking and more activity and noise at all hours. The construction process can also be disruptive.
I would like to see a more walkable and bike-able neighborhood with real public transportation options (frequency and reliability).
I generally feel positive about having more housing and commercial space in Midtown Kingston.
I'm curious to see how the public will continue to be engaged. It can be challenging to connect to all stake-holders, so keep persisting!
I like affordability and jobs that pay a living wage. I like the eco-aspects including transportation and green building, and access to groceries.
Mixed use, apartments on top, shops at the bottom (coffee/groceries/movement studios/pot shop with smoking lounge)
My home
As I get older, I imagine living in an apartment instead of a house with property. I like the idea of this possibility being created in Kingston. Having more people, community, and businesses in Midtown will bring people together.
Activities/Game room for young children, young adults can hang out at on the weekends.
Boys & Girls Club
This vision needs to add that it needs every person to participate in it. This vision should be written rather as a to do list like " what can you do " and " what did you do " for achieving this vision. Then I feel very strong about the "youth" in this vision. This vision is missing a very important component which is "school" and how schools are conducted and directed. Besides that YOUTH has no real place to go in midtown (which we like to change at ArtPort Midtown). We need more open places which are curated for and with youth to show youth that vision is not only possible but also in their hands, Youth needs to be taken serious. Art and Culture needs to be taken very serious as NONE of the visions goals are possible without an interacting vital Art and Culture scene which goes beyond just small workshops. So overall instead of a vision I think we should work on a handbook/manifest/to do list which can be a simple and practical guide for the every day struggle to be open , nice , accepting and giving.
We are in the process to reactivate a unused property in midtown and are planning to create an informal welcoming cultural place which will be partly curated by participants, The problem is that there are huge bureaucratic processes which require substantial financial investments to get to that. The other problem is also that there is an unhealthy and rather hostile environment of non for profits competing instead of working together. Overall there is a huge lack of transparency in the city of kingston and it seems there is very little support by the governing bodies (at least so far we experienced no welcoming vision meeting or anything which would show respect or aknowledgement or just a positive feedback. Our one and only so far meeting with the major and the woman Kit was negative in ways that we considered to stop investing in kingston)
The main post office on cornell street.
Any development which fixes problems like Food Housing Traffic Access etc is always positively influencing any area. The large problem with kingston is that there are many attempts and Initiatives to initiate something BUT I feel there are not many thoughts or experience hoe to SUSTAIN the improving.
If property and school taxes rise higher and higher it will be a problem. If the city continues to invent more regulations it will destroy spontaniuousity and creativity. If there is NO undertanding for artists they will all leave again. If the city talks about a "Creative Economy" without supporting creatives and without a creative economy really existing yet - the creatives will leave. It needs people who understand the needs and practices of mostly young , creative people who stream to kingston with hope, visions and plans. To not nurture these newcomers is gonna be a fatal mistake longterm. I do not see ANY attempt so far by the city or city officials to welcome especially creatives, All I get to know are newcomers telling me that they attended all sorts of meeting and how alienated they are by the vibe things are governed.
If there was motivation and open doors in the administration of kingston that would be great. friends of mine who run a succeful art workshop in midtown were politely stating years ago during the zooms for a cultural masterplan that they still cannot even built a simple extension fabrication hall yet as things take forever. A ulster county business bureaucrat promised to help them. They still have not been able to build after 3 years. Now if things like that happen there is a game in the Kingston administration which is called "lets blame others". So nobody wants to take on responsibilitiies and one blames the other. Its frustrating and the opposite of Transparency or Dynamics
Yes. When we arrived in Kingston 2016/17 there was it seems an understanding that Kingston should work not just on Midtown but also Uptown and the Rondout. Over the years it seems the focus was shifted to Midtown only. Its crazy for me to see THREE business associations in Kingston and it seems none of Midtown, Rondout or Uptown work together. I believe there should be a decision made to either LINK between the three parts OR to completely make each part its own development and a healthy create competition between the three areas.
"Income is not a barrier to accessing safe and stable housing" "People who have been displaced due to affordability challenges are able to return to their communities." We need more permanently affordable housing. The city's current 80% AMI threshold for affordable housing in the zoning code is a sick joke.
Mixed use development with permanently affordable social housing
Boice Bros Ice Cream
Truly affordable housing
I would add that small business owners, entrepreneurs, and artists are supported by a well-educated and skilled intergenerational workforce and business support services.
Live/work spaces for artist; family housing; a site to serve the unhoused and provide supports to get on their feet and into homes
More opportunities
Development is always a two-edged sword that cuts into a community. There is a history in this region of development being detrimental at the same time it is beneficial. Too often the downside has been on the side occupied by the BIPOC communities and there is little reason to believe this time it will be more than lip service to equity.
Yes but we have a long way to go to achieving it. Also there is no mention of preserving local wildlife and protecting their habitats.
Community garden Playground Art installations
Hutton Park Playground, which desperately needs renovation, the bathrooms are scary
It would allow me to walk and bike freely throughout the neighborhood with my toddler without fear of being in the road
I want to see this project make Midtown safer for children and families by creating safe pedestrian walkways throughout the neighborhood connecting residential streets with commercial streets
The sentence- "Income is not a barrier to accessing safe and stable housing, fresh and healthy food, open space and nature, and opportunities for social connection" sounds unrealistic to be honest. Maybe instead: "The community prioritizes access to safe and stable housing, fresh and healthy food, open space and nature, and opportunities for social connection, regardless of income."
HV Bitcoin Community center with lectures, workshops, meetups
UPAC, tubbys, YMCA, Dallas hot weiners
Access to housing and opportunities makes for a stronger and more resilient community. I would be more optimistic about Kingstons future seeing these developments come to fruition.
Only some increased traffic, but you can't halve your cake and eat it too as they say
The $238,559 grant is about enough money to hire a firm to do this survey, to follow up with a series of meetings and to develop another "plan." The final determination: your team pats each other on the back for addressing the issues of concern. This projection is based on past history.
Aspiration is not action.
Prove history wrong. I dare you.
Sounds great
Affordable housing, green trades/jobs
Ymca, zaborski's, boice's ice cream, top taste, Andy Murphy center.
I own property and therefore will likely benefit from development inasmuch as property values rise and crime rates go down (often because it is displaced elsewhere)
I've seen other cities become vapid sterile playgrounds for the wealthy with broken community ties and social nets. I don't want to live in one of those places.
Emphasis on affordability, family friendly. Prioritizing access to better quality housing for current or recently displaced residents. If we are building housing that people were displaced from during urban renewal, priority should be given to the specific families/descendants of those who were kicked out. Literally. Look in the records and make it a sort of reparations. Minimal luxury condos!!
I bought a house in Kingston in 2022 so my economic interests are aligned with developers/gentrifiers but socially and culturally I prefer current residents needs be prioritized and not displaced due to development.
Accessibility is crucial in every sense: wheelchairs, strollers, language accessibility, and even aesthetic cues of who is welcome where.
More transportation options.
Housing.
The Kingston Library.
It's happy talk. Nothing specific. Youth is our future….access for everyone…
Such as???? Where are these excesses??
You'd have to be specific… ie would you miss the ymca if we turned it into a homeless shelter
Parking sucks …. There are already multiple people using sidewalks as bike paths… you can't take a walk without having to PickUp litter… laws are not enforced … Yadda. Yadda
Make business have their own parking. Not just removing street restrictions or allowing the street to be used for employee/ customer parking
I have to assume when you say an increase in housing you're talking about illegals in the sanctuary city… NOTHING good can come out of harboring criminals….
This is all just lip service and smoke and mirrors. This administration is going to do what it wants. And….. a grant is just tax dollars, awarded, on a temporary basis, to make something look good. Grant money runs out, then the taxpayers have to suck it up.
I believe the point of a vision is to be idealistic but this definitely falls within that framework. I think acknowledging its connection to the greater city and area would be a good addition. IE how are community members of midtown connected to Kingston, NYS and the country? Opportunities? etc. I wonder if we can site people from outside midtown may be a part of the ecosystem given it becomes a destination (as it is already becoming with new businesses opening every day).
playground/park grocery store education center/tutoring center (a la harlem children zone) day care
At times I feel unsafe walking the streets of midtown at night and would consider not doing it alone. I think with more development and more people around that feeling would dissipate. I think having more businesses in the community as well as more housing would make me as an individual feel that there is more opportunity here.
To be clear I am very positive with regards to the growth and development of midtown and kingston generally. That said, I think it is fair to acknowledge changes. As more housing comes in and the area becomes more dense it can be a bit harder to navigate all the social ties that come from a smaller community. I also think as places grow in population and density it can be more difficult to feel you have a say in that space, having come form NYC that was definitely the case there. That said, I think Kingston is of course a long way from NYC level of density.
public outdoor spaces. a hispanic heritage center or community center or some sort of rent program for existing businesses (something the latinx community wants -- I do not know what that is , but I worry about their businesses being pushed out).
I am a higher income individual who is new to the area, so definitely take that into consideration when reading this. In addition, I forgot to say in the last few questions: i would ver much miss the latinx establishments including the hacienda taqueria and many others if they were to go away. The cultural mixing in Midtown would be missed should rents increase substantially in that area.
Thank you for engaging in this sort of survey and work.
It sounds good. I'm not sure it addresses the fact that midtown is treated as a dumping ground for poor people.
UPAC
I would like to see Midtown thrive equally with other areas in Kingston
I like the mention of access to housing and fresh and healthy food, and accessible transportation.
Grocery store offering organic and affordable food.
YMCA
ability to meet with people, better access to some resources in more businesses are created
higher cost of living might drive away some people
"Neighborhood improvements and investments are designed to benefit existing residents." Specifically, I don't feel that neighborhood investments such as rental housing are designed to benefit existing residents. The current AMI calculations essentially forecloses the possibility of current residents accessing new units. Also, there are no homeownership models being proposed which would stabilize the midtown community. There should be a tax moratorium for those homeowners who are able invest in the improvement of their property.
A soccer field, ice skating and/or skating rink, tennis court, al fresco movie space, town square with stage space for outdoor concerts (featuring local talent), botanical and/or community garden in conjunction with Cornell Cooperative,,
UPAC
I don't believe Midtown would be made better by denser housing. Midtown's character is defined by it's stock of low rise residential apartment units and low and moderate home stock. At it's height (when there was more industry here) the population was 29kand the population was appropriately housed. Presently we about 24k people and the city wants to build more housing? I would rather the present housing stock be improved and the small city character maintained.
I am not a proponent of "you build it and they will come". I do understand that by creating more supply, prices (rent) are apt to decline. They are also apt to decline if we don't have the people that are interested in moving to Kingston or may in fact be leaving the State. An apartment in Kingston can not compete with an affordable home in another state. There are several other factors that can not be cured by simply building more housing. People want to build equity not rental history. I also understand that land is one of our most precious, irreplaceable resources, when it's gone it's gone. That's why I'm in favor of building more "quality of life" improvements, especially in midtown! I believe the City has shouldered more than its fair share of subsidized housing based on our population as compared to that of the county . I am concerned that by continuing to insinuate additional subsidized housing units here we are in effect redlining, corralling people into areas that are not as affluent and don't have the resources available that other municipalities within the county have.
It is a good vision
Owner occupied housing. There's also a severe lack of South Asian cuisine in the area
UPAC
More goods and services
I would like to see continued effort for non-motorized trails and increased efforts for cycling safety. Especially if you're looking to increase commercial and residential space, the streets need to be safer from a motor vehicle standpoint
I love this vision but the displacement is real, and is only going to get worse. The turnover of multi-family homes on Henry street alone is proof that midtown will lose many of it's low income tenants in the next year. It will be unrecognizable in the next five years.
Playgrounds, skate parks, a bandshell, roller skating rink.
Tubby's.
I think it will create more places to meet and mingle with neighbors and friends - new bars, restaurants, open space, etc.
I don't think it will negatively affect me. Maybe there will be more traffic? But let's be serious, that's not that big a deal.
Honestly I think more housing in the area for tenants displaced along Franklin, Henry, and other streets around the library would keep those people in the neighborhood. That would be nice.
More people and more choices in where to spend your money means more visitors to midtown and more opportunity to earn money.
I agree that by creating opportunities to engage our youth in activities they love the feel a sense of belonging and empowerment.
Local businesses
Most of time we spent traveling vs. staying local. There are limited activities locally
I think it is good to think about the current populations needs as well as anticipate and try as best as possible to plan for the future as well.
Daycare, repair shops, trade or learning facilities, grocery or auper markets.upac
Upac, the y, cce
Because if there are opportunities in the area my children will not need to move away and will.remain close to me.
Because so far all the improvements in midtown are benefiting people who use drugs and if that is not addresses then it won't help me much.
A safe environment that has engagement, opportunities for food, socializing safe spaces where people do not feel intimidated by people on drugs or in gangs.
I think the needs of all community members should considered not just low income, disenfranchised, but those who are positively impacting the area, not carpet baggers.
Please consider making Kingston safe for all residence.
I like this vision because I believe everyone deserves to have a space in this community, especially one that brings them joy. I especially want all those who were displaced due to economic disparity to be able to return. I want those people to get their home back.
I believe low-cost residential facilities and low-cost medical and mental health facilities should be top proority.
People's Place. Losing them would be an utterly tragic and catastrophic loss to so many.
Overall I'm pretty privileged compared to lots of folks in Midtown and Kingston generally, but even I struggle as a sole income provider in my house. I want things to be better for everyone and especially the people who need it most.
I love the vision
housing, youth spaces
any current open space!
looks good to me.
For a business,
UPAC
Improved employment opportunities benefit all.
Can't think of any that outweigh the advantages of development.
New youth centers that offer both recreation and education programs.
I would love the youth who live here now to make more opportunities and resources available to them.
There is a chance that development might further gentrify the area and drive residents away who can't afford it.
If it directly benefitted those who have lived here the longest.
Since I've had to relocate, it's hard to see a direct impact for me
I just hope it serves the entire community, especially those in Midtown who are often forgotten.
Creating more parks and/or areas kids can be outside is substantial. Ensuring drugs and homeless stay out of those areas are important.
I do love, because it strengthens the community and brings value to the future of our children
community resource center with vocational education
Boys & Girls Club Kingston
By increasing the life of the youth of the community
Don't see any negative
If it was to increase equal opportunity
I really wouldn't be affected, but maybe it may affect my children
I like it because it is very positive for Kingston
I don't know
I don't know
Housing
I like the first three paragraphs. The last paragraph may need some massaging. There's something about the language to benefit existing residents that isn't sitting right with me. I think we want language that is about preventing displacement, but also language that welcomes new people, residents, cultures. There is a constant tension around the old Kingston resenting newcomers - I experienced it myself when I came to Kingston. Like if you're not Kingston born and bred then you have less value. At the same time newcomers with a lot of money have displaced people who want to be here. Kingston has always been a city of immigrants in different waves and ethnicities. How can we be welcoming to all sorts of people and the flux that brings liveliness and cultural exchange while also preserving affordable housing so that people in all income brackets can live here? Also, I am not sure what "Land and people are protected from harm," means. It's a little broad - what kind of harm? I'm also a bit wary of the word "sustainable" and tend towards "resilient" or "regenerative."
Affordable and workforce housing and affordable commercial spaces owned by local people or the community that serve the needs of the neighborhood. Land or buildings that are part of a community land trust that ensures the vision of the neighborhood is adhered to instead of the vision of an outside developer.
The new transportation corridors - Broadway sidewalks and bike lanes and the Midtown Linear Park. I would also miss the Center of Creative Education and the YMCA Farm Project as I think they are anchors for the youth in our community.
As I mentioned in my last answer, development of affordable housing and services in Midtown would positively affect me because it would provide more stability of goods or services that I might need in the event that I lose my job or retire and want to stay in Kingston not in my house. I would also need to travel less and could use walking or bicycling to get things I need - food, social interaction, house goods.
A new development in Midtown would negatively affect me if it were a luxury apartment complex or commercial complex that only offered high end businesses with products that are expensive.
A new development would be worth it to me if people of various income-levels could live there or cool businesses that support the community needs in an affordable way while also providing jobs were to exist
I don't live in Midtown so it was hard to answer these questions well. I was thinking about the ways changes in Midtown would affect me, and it's more the areas of my life where I have influence in work or choice in my personal life. What happens in Midtown doesn't currently affect my abilities to manage my basic life (unless I lose my job) because most of my life is managed outside of Midtown (I live in the waterfront and work Uptown). However, if I lost my job or maybe later in life if I were to move but want to stay in Kingston what happens in Midtown would affect me because I might need good or services closer to my home than where I currently get them.
I hope that the BOA will encourage the use of the community land trust model for housing or commercial development in Midtown.
Affordable housing, or some kind of eatary - food access
It could affect me because I am thinking about living in Midtown, I also have family who live in Midtown
I do work in Midtown when i'm doing uber and instacart the negative side is when the roads are block, all the construction
It would be worth it, just to see another side, a better side more housing, affordable housing
A lot of mental health blocks the community from uprising and being productive
Housing for homeless and teens. Make them drug test to enter for the night
Give these kids better housing. Less in the foster/respite or shelter living
Could populate the wrong group of people for housing. More drama, drugs and bad traffic
The value of houses around it
Modernizing and redeveloping will help clean and fix Midtown
Loss of the traditiional Kingston feel. People moving in that control Midtown not add to.
Change can be good or bad. It depends on what the change is
Donation buildings to help those who don't have homes or those who can afford food or clothing
Parks + open spaces that bring large gatherings
Gives future generations a secure place to afford homes and feel as if theirs no worries
Better and safe environment to live in
I think its great that someone is looking to make change to help others
Apartment building
The parks
It would help people in need
I don't think it would affect negatively
Yes
everything looks good
To make them nicer
The high school
Make it nicer
Taking away special places
To make things more accessible
Make Kingston better
Everything. New park and the way it looks
vacant
Cedar Deli
Makes me feel safe
Join a gang
Boys and girls club
More basketball hoops
Midtown will always be apart of our community no matter where your house is
It wouldn't negatively effect me only positive, I don't live directly midtown
I like that this vision is inclusive of people from all incomes and backgrounds and emphasizes both material and social/emotional needs.
I think community controlled affordable housing through a community land trust model would an enormous benefit to the neighborhood.
More places for seniors to go and for our children job opportunities
Kingston City needs more help for Spanish speaking families who need help
Great vision.
Low income and affordable housing
Inclusivity, greater good, equity. Definitely like all of this.
A grocery store.
UPAC
Hopefully more Arts, more community.
I don't think it would.
It would add to the quality of life.
When I look at the map above, it does not include my street. I consider my area to be midtown, I am only 3 blocks from Broadway. I don't know what other area it could be.
describes an inclusive place, progressive vision.
housing, space for non-profits orgs and the arts.
UPAC
new housing and mixed use, more arts, more non-profits, more space to connect with people.
its definitely worth it
It's inclusive It may be idealistic
An affordable grocery Health care access
Litebrite neon Ymca
I love Kingston I live uptown and love all parts. I would hate for it to become a place for people of wealth only.
If the places I go to are no longer around I would disconnect from that area and maybe even look elsewhere to be in a place that supports my values
Small town businesses Arts Music Affordable housing
It may not affect my rights but I would not want to be here if the rights of others are affected
I like the commitment to small businesses and our kids. The current parks projects really haven't considered them. We don't need more pocket parks. We need a playground. A basketball court. We need something that brings more families to want to hang out in midtown. It would literally transform the area. I grew up here and recently moved back from living in Los Angeles where putting in one simple playground and a coffee shop was the anchor to eventually transforming the whole neighborhood. The current pocket parks are not designed for families. Frankly I don't know who they are meant to serve or why they were designed. Smaller bus loops up and down Kingston would be helpful for seniors and for spreading our tourists into more areas which would be good for business. I think we also need dedicated bike lanes. Walking is increasingly difficult with folks riding in sidewalks.
A gym. A Trader Joe's or other small grocer. An indoor farmers market. A daycare center or school. A movie theater.
UPAC or the YMCA
We have a family here. We own property here. More resources and more vacant buildings being made into affordable homes and business is a good thing for everyone.
Please stop using our money for pocket parks that don't serve kids or families. Put in a playground. Put in a basketball court. Help families out.
I'm not sure if local small businesses alone will be able to offer enough jobs for the existing residents and make the young generation feel hopeful for their future. Start-up hubs or corporates might be able to help the community thrive in the long term.
Yoga House, Ballet School of Kingston
If Midtown were further developed, I believe there would be more young people moving to the area, or more young people staying in the area, working and building families, and having the confidence that childcare and education wouldn't be a hurdle.
I prefer the actionable, measurable stage. The vision statement doesn't mean a lot to me. But I like the intended direction. "Existing residents" should probably be replaced. "Immediate community," "unique needs of midtown residents," etc… I think the idea you're getting at is preventing further displacement when improvements are made. Everything in the vision benefits existing residents. The emphasis of that term could be perceived as a passive aggressive reference to new residents of Kingston. It doesnt fit the tone of the rest of the vision. The Unicorn Bar wasnt the "unicorn bar" 6 months ago. So are they intruders or existing residents?
-Childcare / Pre-k / Daycare -Easily accessible green areas with enough area to be a safe distance from roads - New Playground & Park with community features - Large employment opportunity
What are the street boundaries of Midtown? UPAC
It would be good to grow the community.
I don't think it will
Skilled worker employment opportunities with reasonable pay. I cant work here because most jobs pay so poorly and there are a limited number of professions/area of expertise here. Mental health and dentistry are too little for this population. There are better economic circumstances and opportunities in nearby counties.
Sometimes Kingston still feels like a small town - in a bad way. I think a significant increase in a median middle class could help.
For me, right now Kingston is too expensive when it comes to housing and eating out and lacks employment opportunity that reflects those costs. It is more expensive here than the Lower East side because there is no competition. I would never pay this much in nyc, but I have few choices here.
I would want to include a vision for an innovation district, perhaps centered on health and education, going from the former HealthAlliance Hospital's Broadway campus through the high school and Kingston Center of SUNY Ulster to the new HealthAlliance Hospital on Marys Avenue. That district would seek to attract businesses, institutions, startups and incubators to create jobs and develop workforce opportunities in health sciences and related fields. It would also lead to housing improvements.
See what I wrote above, about the innovation district.
UPAC
Look up innovation districts online. The Brookings Institution has a great article about them. I've seen other articles elsewhere too.
I love Kingston and want to see it really thrive, with a palpable mix of dynamism, anticipation and creativity.
I'd like to see the words like cooperative, cooperatively-owned, community-owned used. Something like: The economy of Midtown is made up of community owned and worker-owned businesses that prioritize people over profit and practice cooperative principles. Could be better but just an example!
Community-owned land and buildings is the first step. Removing them from the speculative market is one of the clearest ways to slow down gentrification. Providing commercial leases to worker-owned businesses will also provide a way to create a circular economy that will also prevent displacement of our residents.
Tildas!
We must marry this work with the solidarity economy and the development of the institutions that will support this new economy.
The Solidarity Economy should be our guide alongside Just Transition Principles. I believe that if we are faithful to those principles, we will make decisions that align with our humanity in a way we haven't truly been able to before.
I really appreciate the inclusion of Youth and future generations.
I would like it to become a predominantly pedestrian area with limited truck access.
Community center, cinema, skateboarding park, play ground , area large enough for a farmers market.
Broadway Bubble and Tildas cafe
I don't actually live in mid-town but I am very concerned about this area becoming what the residents need and want.
New development that is driven by purely market values and property development by spectulators would be disastrous.
A guarantee that the local community's needs, vision, ideas etc will be prioritized every time.
I think this project has enormous potential to create a vibrant equitable and just community that all Kingston residents will be proud of.
It's perfect
Community center for play/families, more green open space.
The food establishments that have transformed the area: Village Coffee, Camp Kingston, Ollie's Slice Shop, Eliza, Flethcher and Lou, etc.
The busier and more bustling a city is, the safer you feel, the more excited you are about where you live, the more opportunities that open up for you, etc
No negatives
Only good can come from turning vacant land/buildings into usable spaces for housing/commercial/gathering to create a vibrant community
A focus on families and youth is important.
I like the preservation of affordable communities with diverse populations and backgrounds.
More indoor opportunities for kids during the winter. A safe park with trees and play equipment and gardens.. Maybe a food coop? More off road bike trails.
Recent addition of bike lanes and sidewalk green spaces/ gardens. I would miss the variation of restaurants and options for all types of backgrounds.
If these properties cater to me- a middle income family with diverse backgrounds. And if the properties cater to my neighbors who also have a range of incomes and backgrounds. I love waking around, running into a classic car show in the stockade and the next day a Latin-x heritage parade on broadway.
The opposite of above
This is such a vague question- and impossible to answer without knowing who develops these properties, how community input is taken into consideration and will live/rent/lease these properties.
Please preserve the ability of folks to live and work in Midtown who come from different backgrounds- both culturally and economically.
Housing and community spaces
Monkey Joe
I love that it is inclusive of all
UPAC
Allowing affordable housing for folks to who have been displaced by gentrification an opportunity to get back to their home
If the developments encourage more "Brooklyn-lite" folks to move it, thus displacing locals
We have to make sure everyone has a safe place and also have the resources necessary to survive.
Low income housing.
So many places have already gone. I miss Dunkin that was on Broadway.
Focus on small business is good
Re use industrial spaces as residential.
UPAC
With the neighborhood perceived as safer, friends and family would visit more often.
The Kings Inn development might block my view of the mountains. But I can deal with that.
Make sure construction is not dragged out negatively effecting traffic flow.
There are enough bike lanes. People are not really using them. Be careful not to hinder traffic flow on Broadway with additional projects.
- it should mention the uniqueness and importance of preserving local art and history as a key element of our community. - I don't agree that all investments should be for the benefit of existing residents. Neighborhoods inevitably change all the time. This statement feels unrealistic and reactive. Let's focus on the character of the neighborhood we want, not on freezing Midtown at a moment in time to keep anyone from leaving.
1 - housing 2 - small local retail & services that meet community needs. There is no dry cleaner, bookstore, flower shop, shoe repair, or other things I regularly go to Uptown or the Rondout (or out of town) for.
The Y
I care about my city and its people and want this fascinating diverse place to include more opportunities for all to thrive
If construction severely impacts traffic flow on Broadway for a long time
Bringing new energy to Kingston and helping this city realize its potential
I am not a Midtown resident. I live in the Rondout neighborhood. I do not suffer from food insecurity, unemployment, or lack of housing.
Basic needs being met for all are priority number one. Everything needs to be free. Free food, free wellness, free housing, free places to exist, free legal services, free laundry. No businesses or for profit ventures. Nothing that will cater to tourists or transplants. The money to do this exists. People are dying.
Free housing. Warming/cooling center with a harm reduction hub built in that is open 24/7 and allows kids.
If people's basic needs are being met, we all win.
I assume the people who fill this out will want more business, more "fun", and more things that will continue to displace people and make them sick.
Free housing for all. Free healthcare for all. Free food for all. Free restrooms, Free resources.
The only people whose input should be heard on these are people who are from here and generations from here. And people on the streets. I suspect those voices won't be reached and that will be a huge flaw in your data gathering. Please take this to the streets. And have it in many languages.
People over profit. Housing and food are human rights.
Saying income is not a barrier for housing, means low income housing is the idea… which affects other people struggling in other places of the city. Transportation involves city busses and needs to be well thought out for routes.. business will be reliant also on people needing to drive to park their cars.
Indoor food hall
Upac
In hopes that development is in fact creating jobs, there will be healthy spending of money in midtown, in social environments and allow social aspects
Without activities for youth, the direction of things they can do is limited
Creating an area for low income housing at yet another place in Kingston is just not the vibe. If you visit other nearby smaller cities, they are thriving without low income housing everywhere.
While midtown is its own entity, it is a connecting strip from uptown to downtown. There is so much potential for this place and can create so many opportunities for families and single people who want to work and enjoy life. The decisions should be for those who live here and will be effected the most,, but as we know, our area is now a destination spot, and this should also be thought about, as tourism can really increase economy. Low income housing really really hurts the single parents that are making "enough" but really in reality are struggling with rental prices. And really just cost of living. I would encourage you to look at surrounding areas and their growth without having low income housing everywhere. In fact having people struggle more should they not be apart of the low income housing qualifications.
The division of our City properties for what for this purpose is called Mid-Town is not clear from the map embedded. The description of boundless imagination, safe, refreshing is terrific. As a live long resident and small business owners the greatest burden on all businesses is the punitive Commercial tax Rate - so much so that Non-profits including our County are choosing to buy rather than be leaseholders that get City provided services passed thru via property taxes. This is a set up to take and use rather than community participation. Exceptions to participation are specifically made by being that politically designated good guys and clearly connected developers get exempted via PILOTS.
Eliminate the punitive Commercial tax rate and let the free market system work.
Where is Mid Town? Sea Deli closed - a long-time family business and no acknowledgement in media.
Spread out the property tax base.
More money for same typical beneficial owners.
Use of our tax dollars to favor connected property owners. Are we going to give up anymore Public streets and parking lots?
The vacant and underutilized sites have already been picked by our elected officials and the beneficial owners who will benefit by use of these Public funds will never be disclosed.
As a taxpayer these are my funds, so I have responsibility for the use of same, but because of Politics no control.
As it stands, this vision is thoroughly human and genuinely sensitive to the needs of the community — I'm really happy with how it's come together so far! I'm not sure whether it would fall within the scope of the vision, but something I'd hope to see living in this area in the future is some type of infrastructure preventing outwardly hateful expression. I've seen some flags that belong to hate groups, and in the last year there have been incidents of both transphobic and antisemitic vandalism on Congregation Emanuel. I'm aware it's a big conversation, but thinking about your vision, this may be a barrier to being protected from harm and feeling like I belong. Otherwise, no notes!
I think something very public — akin to a park — but with additional, more intentional purposes built in. Maybe a community garden/farm? A place to eat with ample seating? On the other side of the coin, consider: very affordable housing?
The businesses that are essential: food, laundry, even liquor.
Hard to say. I'm hopeful these new spaces will bring about positive experiences. Then again, Kingston is still a new space to me. I think it's ultimately because these new spaces are being designed with the objective of being welcoming.
It depends. I think what I'm most afraid of is not feeling welcome. Hard to say whether that will be the case until we're there.
I think what'd make it the most worth it, aside from housing and essential businesses, is public space.
It's still unclear to me exactly what this future might look like, so I'm doing a lot of guessing. I know that's hard to avoid in a process like this. I think whatever examples you can provide of what this future might look like will continue to be helpful.
I just think it's worth saying your team is already doing great and necessary work. It sounds like this plan will be conscious of a really vast set of community needs. Thanks for everything you've done so far.
I would add that the neighborhood is walkable so that having a car is not necessary for living here
Mixed use - apartments with some retail
Hard to pick just one, but probably the library. Also We Got The Juice, Masa, Tubby's, Rewind, UPAC, and the YMCA.
More choices, more jobs, positive energy, improvements to the environment
Loss of existing businesses, friends priced out of the area
Equitable development that keeps the needs of long-time residents in mind.
Options for affordable and accessible transportation. Improvements and investments are designed to benefit existing residents. Decisions about land and development have future generations in mind.
Tell rupco to quit sitting on vacant properties and start some demo and and renovation!!! There is a house next door to me that has been off the tax rolls for years, and has gradually fallen into serious disrepair.
The Shamrock Tavern. I am not a patron, but it is one of the oldest continuously run taverns in Kingston, with it's historic factory district licensing.
Empty buildings negatively affect neighborhoods. Development with neighborhoods in mind is planning for a positive future.
Development that displaces current residents should not be encouraged.
This is a well-rounded vision!
I am most interested in public green spaces and affordable housing. I would also love to see more community centers with programming that connects and educates people -- places to make art together, learn about climate change / sustainability / area history, and repair things.
People need places to gather, especially those that are low or no cost. (Money should not be a barrier to having a robust social life.) I think it's great to build opportunities to meet people we may not otherwise meet!
Is it possible that more affordable housing could lead to a higher volume of people, or an increase in crime/drugs? I don't want to believe the latter is the case -- I hope it's incorrect. Either way, I believe the rewards outweigh the risks: people have a right to be housed. All people who live here are our neighbors. It is everyone's responsibility and honor to make Midtown a better place to live for all.
If people connect with each other more, if people have better access to resources, if people feel proud to live here, if they can get their needs met... that is a success. If we can build a better climate future, invest in whatever infrastructure will help us weather the future... that is a success. I have to believe that meeting people's needs and taking away the desperation of living on the edge can have a positive impact on everyone.
Affordable housing would make a positive difference for me, but I think it would make even more of a positive difference for some of our neighbors.
I am happy to see that this survey includes diverse gender options in the demographic section. I would really appreciate seeing Midtown make an effort to become more overtly trans-affirming, at least in some places. It's hard to know where my friends and I will be welcome. Many places have been great! Among other things, though, I am concerned about the pride flag being cut down from the local synagogue. That saddened me. "Live and let live" should be the modus operandi. It would be really nice to see an official project such as this take a stance towards the right of trans folks (and ofc all people!) to harmlessly self-express. Even just some sort of public art installation that celebrates transness and queerness would really help set the tone in a great way, and promote our visibility! Thank you for considering. This project is awesome and it's clear you are making an effort to be thoughtful and inclusive of the varied voices of Kingston. I can't wait to see the designated space evolve towards your utopic vision of community, one that I share.
I like it,but people must feel safe and have a clean environment
anything that is not expensive restaurants or crappy convenience /vape stores,such as grocery stores,thrift stores,daycare center,art supply store,after school music/art workshops,for youth and older people-
UPAC,redowl collective
Having more people around is better-its more alive,and busy,with a sense of purpose
might raise rents if gentrifiers jump in on too many places,perhaps a lot of strangers will come and one might feel out of place
it is definitely better to have things going on than just a lot of idle listless people wandering around ,getting high and littering-that is super depressing and scary,so the more positive activities and commerce,the better
As a person who walks everywhere here in Kingston,I see up close what life looks like on the street-midtown is lively on the weekends,and the diversity is very nice-I forgot to mention a Hispanic cultural center would be great-!-I know many locals who say they are afraid to walk in midtown-this drives me nuts but I know what they are referring to-too many drug users-nobody likes it and it ruins the whole vibe -but its already more vibrant than 5 years ago-somedays its extremely bleak tho-
I like that all the words and ideas are nice and right. I dislike that it is all generic fluffy consultantspeak which says little concrete about what we are actually trying to accomplish.
Mixed use mid-rise. Commercial on the bottom, apartments on top. A nice amount of affordable housing because it's badly needed, but built beautifully so people will care for it for decades. Do not build a park unless you think it will be a very good park, which is mostly about having excellent walkability and bustling mixed-use adjacent to it, so that all sorts of people are organically walking through it as part of their daily activities. Right now, I hear they're building a park on the old post office site, across from the Rite Aid. That is going to be an incredibly bad park. I don't think Midtown has any really good sites for a park. Building more mixed use midrise around Academy Green (not the Albany Ave side, which is clogged with cars), however, would be a brilliant move. Bring that park to life for a great diversity of people. Not parking. Outdoor dining instead of parking. Trees instead of parking. Storefronts close enough together to be interesting to walk by.
My little section of Jansen Ave. It's one-way, multifamily, racially diverse and working class. The few businesses that are in walking distance from me. I'm not attached to them in particular. But there's very few right now and it would be sad if one closed without a decent alternative. Tubby's, the YMCA, Top Taste, Mercadito. Radio Park is a staple of the community. The food trucks. The rail trails.
See above. More density means more walkability means my feet are not impoverished as a means of getting me around. Means I run into people more. Means I stop by businesses more. Means more people walking around, more eyes on the street, more safety, less litter.
Parking garages would negatively affect me because they would encourage people to drive, making our streets less safe and more polluted. Adding more lanes to streets or widening streets or widening turning radii would have the same effect.
All the positive stuff? Not the negative stuff? Bike lanes! Bike parking! Trees in the street and sidewalk! Wider sidewalks! Narrower streets! Narrower lanes! Beautiful details on affordable housing! Beautiful public housing! Benches! Public transit! Little busses up and down Broadway every 15 minutes, with service on Friday and Saturday nights!
Truly insane way to frame these questions. You're just getting at "what is your ideology of urban policy." And frankly you should advocate for policy based on research and not what's hegemonic. Most of the above has to be qualified: if that space continues to be developed in car-centric ways, it will make me less safe, less able to meet my needs, feel much less like I belong here, etc.
Weird survey design. Amazingly little interest in how people actually live, amazingly much interest in what the word "development" evokes for them emotionally.
I like the incorporation of multi-generational thinking. We have a lot to gain from planning with the future in mind.
Light industry/commercial development that provides employment opportunities for the community. If a property in midtown does not need soil remediation, a community farm would be pretty cool. East of the tracks, mixed use commercial/residential development on Broadway could be nice, especially around the Burger King.
Midtown Linear Park
If the new development in Midtown is mixed-use industrial/residential, it can provide work opportunities for the Kingston community, decrease the distance folks need to travel to get to work, and provide housing. This would be great for me because my friends and family will have more opportunities for work and housing. If the development is focused on public space like a community farm, I can imagine meeting neighbors at the farm and sharing knowledge about plants & food.
If the development in Midtown is mixed-use commercial/residential with excessively large retail spaces fit only for more corporate businesses, I fear that the development will promote gentrification blight -- i.e. a big apartment building with vacant retail on the ground floor. This would be pretty unfortunate.
The more the development benefits the entire midtown community, the better.
The idea itself yes would be great if it included downtown Kingston as well. How can we just focus on one area of people that's most affected? Why are we only focus on one area of people that is most affected?
Due to the crisis of housing there need to be complexes so that there is more places for people to live. There is to many people to only fix up a house to hold one family. I believe we need more complexes and some multi family homes
New developments that brings updated safety precautions always. If you are building a new complex that's going to house several new and old residents it immediately goes on the radar of safety precautions. New developments are monitored and safety precautions are built before building it discussed on all levels apposed to someone buying an already standing house.
Didn't mean to say that it would negatively affect my access.
Kingston need spaces to have events, housing and spaces for our seniors. It pains me to even do this survey because it's not acknowledging other places in Kingston only midtown and there is already tons of money being poured into midtown from the Novo Foundation and City so this project is not all inclusive if you ask me. How can you do something like this when there is a hurting community downtown too? The city and Novo don't even touch down there everything is midtown Kingston WHY?
It maybe good for one area but when you don't include all areas I don't see how this is fulfilling. What about those families downtown? If you done your research you would know that Novo has flooded money into midtown so why midtown and not other areas that's not already being helped?
I think outdoor space, like a park for children.
I would suggest including in the section on Youth something like - "and with the activities they love - in a safe and clean neighborhood with public spaces designed for children.
Children's park with playground equipment. Single-family and multi-unit housing. Subsidized commercial space for artists.
The YMCA
I think midtown has a lot of potential, but currently, there is a fair amount of visible substance abuse in the neighborhood. I think improvements around public safety and more intentional development for families would make a huge difference to the neighborhood and local economy.
Some of the recent additional parks have become a place for substance abuse. They seem to have been designed with adults in mind. I think when public spaces are designed for multi-use to include children, pets, etc. It promotes more pro-social activity. These new spaces have added to a feeling of less public safety in the neighborhood.
I think focusing on pro-development subsidies and policies to utilize abandoned buildings would be a great place to start in Midtown.
housing stores for basic needs
UPAC
better not to have vacant buildings there will be more people around
I don't see a negative impact
i don't have negative concerns about development
this is a difficult question to answe
I look forward to good things happening in Midtown
It appeals to me that these plans center community building, financial and creative opportunities for residents, housing, transportation, and overall person-to-person engagement among neighbors. The existing creative and diverse community of Kingston is what makes it such a special place to live in the Hudson Valley. Any plan that continues to sustain/develop this eclectic and creative energy (not destroying or changing it to something unrecognizable) while also encouraging continued enrichment for residents is ideal.
Community art and recreational spaces for children and adults alike. More specifically, a space that offers an extension of the kinds of beautiful programs the library offers: free clubs and social groups, cultural activities, etc). I have met so many lovely folks at the library and would love to have more spaces available that embrace the overall philosophy of the library (ie. access for all, safe space for all).
the library
again, anything that puts back into developing but not destroying the existing community and is financially accessible (ie. build but also preserve the culture of a space) is good for the community
I relocated my family to Kingston this summer because we were drawn to the vibrant, diverse, and engaged community in this city. We love living here and love how much our neighbors love it too -- we truly feel that we have found our forever home and are excited to continue to raise our small family here. It has been a dream to finally own a home and have a yard and space to call our own. I am not an expert by any means but I am excited by the prospect of this project -- it feels like something that can continue to enrich and grow this lovely community while maintaining the energy and vibrancy of its established community. Thank you for all your hard work, I look forward to seeing the results unfold over time.
Inclusivity. Development without displacement. Missing: Perhaps something about affordable rentals, cooperative or shared housing, small housing. Also celebration of the benefits of multi-culturalism.
Certified community kitchen for people to make their specialties for sale. Space for classes including learning English or even another language. Yoga space, kid space. Childcare center.
Old Broadway and the old houses.
The main thing here is I don't know the answer because I don't know what spaces will be lost and what will replace them.
Thanks for doing this! I hope you are connecting with the new Kingston Common Futures community fund initiated with the Good Work Institute. I'm Daniel at UIDN in case anyone wants to make contact.
Pretty good, but we need more sidewalks and bike lanes. People drive on side streets drive like it's the Indy 500 and it's dangerous to walk my dog or push a stroller.
Grocery. Vegetables.
There's a tree on Sylvester that the light hits just right in the morning.
I don't understand the question. I assume property values will go up, rent will go up, etc. I'll be fine but I don't talk to anyone in the neighborhood.
I'd rather do errands nearby than drive to Ulster Avenue. Property value on my home will go up. It'd be nice to have somewhere to eat besides Calcuta Kitchen.
I have no purpose or influence. My stability and safety is unaffected. I imagine it will price out people who already rent in midtown.
I like this Midtown manifesto. As a resident of Midtown Kingston I would also like to add that vision should aim to help those that are without housing and struggling with mental illness and drug addiction.
Multi-family housing that ideally would be a co-op. This allows residents to gain equity and they are actively invested in the longevity and the up-keep of their home. As a renter, there is a lot wrong with my building and I would love to put the time and effort into this house because the landlord has failed in multiple ways. My landlord doesn't even live in New York state. If you keep handing out grant money and tax-breaks to people who are just going to rent-out their properties you aren't fixing the housing issue. We need direct pathways to ownership. If the vacant lots can't be housing then they should be parks, greenspaces, or community housing. Midtown does not need another vintage store, coffee shop, or tapas restaurant.
Top Taste and all of the taco trucks
I have little faith that this effort for community feedback and input will be heard. Also there isn't a Spanish version of the survey or an appeal to the large population of Spanish speakers in midtown and what they think would serve them. It's very hard to believe that this money is going to be spent on truly affordable housing. I fear new developments will increase the cost of living for everyone in midtown and will encourage landlords of surrounding residential and business spaces to raise their rents. This is what happened in uptown. I know that "community engagement" is a necessary part of securing the BOA grant money but how will private-developers be held accountable? It seems like they will receive tax-credit to develop on BOA sites either way.
Specifically--new "affordable" developments in midtown would positively affect me. It's highly unlikely that I could afford a house in this area but I like to entertain the hope. I also think that if a new development had spaces for mental health, services of addicts, and services for the homeless then this would positively effect the people I see that are struggling in the midtown area.
New development in Midtown might negatively affect the community if they don't directly appeal to the needs and desires of the community. These new developments make people feel like they lack agency in their community. If the new development is a retail space with unaffordable vintage furniture that you can't afford then you feel like you lack resources and influence.
Spanish option and maybe a meeting at the church basement of the 2nd Iglesia La Mision, the YMCA, the Everett Hodge Center or somewhere in addition to the meeting at Unicorn Bar.
The vision should include safe and sustainable transportation (bus stop infrastructure, protected bike lanes, slower speeds for cars, more crosswalks, etc.). A huge part of how I experience midtown is trying to get around. I run for exercise, walk often to visit friends/get a meal, etc, and am trying to be braver about riding my bike. Community connectivity will improve with less focus on accommodating cars and more on creating safe alternatives for transportation (ie: improving walkability, bike-ability) and making it less tenable for cars.
Affordable housing! Below market rate - as a non-profit professional what is considered "market rate" is unaffordable to me and likely the vast majority of people in Kingston. Create green social housing anyone can apply to live in where rent is capped at 30% of income. More community space for free community programs - film screenings, community discussions, free language learning courses, etc.
Tubby's or Hasbrouck Park (I think the park is outside the study area)
I'm concerned if the housing isn't for low/moderate/middle income people, it won't improve my quality of life, and will contribute to the continued pricing out of people from Kingston.
If we could develop housing co-ops with communal living and shared governance in addition to traditional housing that would be really a benefit.
Even higher rents, further pricing out of people who live here now and those who have lived here for a long-time. More housing also could, if transportation isn't prioritized, could drastically increase cars, which would make it more congested and less safe for those on bikes or foot.
I think it states the desires and needs well.
More businesses- groceries, services, clothing.
YMCA
Midtown is a bit of a pass through community- but becoming less so. It needs to be a walking community with services for those who live near by.
It would not affect me negatively at all.
Thank you- I am thrilled the city is embarking on this project. Thank you
I like the emphasis on affordable housing and transportation
Affordable housing
The library, the Kingston Ceramics Studio
I think I'd feel even more optimistic if I knew the sites were to be used for affordable housing, not Airbnbs.
It might make the cost of living going down which in turn makes it easier to exist here.
If it's used for tourism it could make the cost of living go up which would make it harder to live here.
This is excruicatingly idealistice. Good Job! Now please make this something that won't be scoffed at as being something unrealistic and out of touch with kingston and human nature. You want sustainable, living-wage employment - give the small businesses automatic tax breaks. You want safe and stable housing - have a police force that is not understaffed and overworked (and overwhelmed with nonsense created by the city goverment - like writing speeding tickets for cross walks and speeding when there are homeless accosting children while they walk to work). Stable housing - prevent people from buying second homes in Kingston (you can't.). Instead of creating more rental income, build condos and assist people who are actual locals to stay here (Instead of apartments downtown, build condos. If you went to KHS and work in Ulster county, you get first dibs at city assisted help in purchasing a condo.). Make people feel like this is their city.
Whatever the landowners want to do with them. Calling something underused is very vague. And very open ended. And very sounding like the city is setting itself up to steal property under the auspices of emminent domain. If the taxes are paid, its not your business to make something 'better'. The city can't support more residents. There is only so much the water, sewer and waste departments can handle. There is only so much parking. You don't need to build apartments on every square inch. Nor do you need to make more greenspaces to be supported by the people struggling to stay here. Don't take on more than you can handle.
The Anchor. Tony's. Sea Deli. Michael's Candy Corner, Eddy's. . . . . What sort of question is this? What sort of business, if lost, would be most detrimental? Or is this survey now a popularity contest. Look at the businesses that have been here over a decade. The businesses that survived and thrived when Midtown wasn't the posterchild for the city patting itself on the back. The businesses that made it work through the pandemic. Those that survived the central hudson/bike lane debacle. That survived the parking meters. And the metered lots (all one of them - why is only the Monkey Joe lot metered and not the Guido lot or the Sea Deli lot? Do we need a gofundme for that lot to pay someone off so that its two-hour parking too? The businesses that showed a commitment to Kingston, in all its quirky glory, and who have dug in, despite the changes in the city, and who have survived decades. Those are the ones that will be missed, because they are part of the community identity, part of people's memories, their histories, and their traditions.
Many of these topics are things that should be discussed in therapy. Ability to have fun, Knowledge that you matter, feeling that you belong here. . . . that is not the concern of a municipality. The municipality needs to make sure the sewer system works. That the roads are paved. The parks clean of drugs. That clean water is available. That there is ample parking for residents. In the kindest way possible, The city needs to stay in its lane. My property taxes do not go towards making someone feel like they matter. I feel like I matter when I pay my bills on time and watch the city use that money towards giving me, the tax payer, a city that is clean, organized, managed, and one that provides the basic municipal aspects that I signed on for when choosing to live here.. I feel that I belong here when I am secure in the knowledge that the city isn't going to take my property if they decide it is being 'under used.'
Will the new development provide inpatient mental health facilities? Without stealing someone else's property to do so? Will the new development provide more garbage cans? Will the new development provide free parking for residents? Will it allow locals to purchase property? To then contribute to the tax base? To feel like an actual part of the city? Will it provide public restrooms?
Because I am terrified by every new project the city takes on. Because the city needs to decide what it wants to be. You want to be a tourist destination, then you need traffic cops, public restrooms and better in-city public transportation (a cute trolly that goes the broadway corridor downtown to uptown would be incrediable). You want to be a work-from-home mecca? City wide wi-fi, community office spaces. You want to make more greenspaces? Great. Make some gardens. Have someone who is familiar with this ecology to oversee them. Maybe don't plant native trees on a main street where they are completely unsuited. Or stop taking trees down to plant more just to feel good about yourself.
You paid someone to make this survey. I wish you would pay someone to simply drive and walk around Kingston. Daily. Throughout the year. With open eyes. See what is broken. See what needs improvement. See what is abjectly stupid. . . . pay someone to live like a local. Not someone that commutes in on their bike. Not someone that lives essentially in town of uslter. Someone who gets stuck in the road work traffic. Who gets stuck at the intersections. Who watches the bikes bike without following the bike rules. Who notices the sidewalks needing repair. The potholes. The curbs that almost give you a flat tire. The homeless sleeping in doorways. Someone who has to try to find parking for their car in a snowstorm. (meanwhile, what is preventing me from taking this survey again?).
Do small businesses really have the resources to be responsive to community needs? The actual opportunity here is that we are the only community in America with something like the NoVo Foundation that has something like $40B pledged to it (1/3 of Warren Buffett's net worth). Can we dream up more than just adding more non-profit arts organizations, silverware museums, tampon boxes, outdoor refridgerators and homeless parks? What about creating an environment for industrial development that can actually gainfully employ people, and isn't dependent on forever grants from NoVo or the tastes of tourists and weekenders?
Industry that can actually employ people. Bard College's study on air quality in Kingston found that our air is cleaner than 99% of the world's. We can stand to have a little smoke in the air.
The Catskill Mountain Railroad.
If it involves creating actual economic growth that can gainfully employ people in a way where they can build lives, I'd be very happy.
If it involves creating more arts non-profits, or enterprises that require invisible forever grants, or creates new institutions whose purpose is to block the "wrong" development as they see fit, then that would negatively affect me.
Every little town in America has its own civic engagement, "let's dream of the future together" community development project going on. Only this one has one of the world's largest foundations behind it. Start acting like it! Do we have the courage to treat this opportunity the way it deserves, and truly communicate to the public that the sky is the limit? That if a regular citizen has a great idea, it could happen? Or is this yet another team-building exercise for NoVo's cadre of organizations, to check the box of community engagement to do what they wanted to do anyway?
It sounds very aspirational. I like it, but we have a lot of work to do.
Affordable rentals & housing, mixed-use buildings.
YMCA & Playground at the YMCA Farm Project, cafes, rail trail, bike lanes.
The rising cost of living is a major concern for many in our community. I'm afraid the new development will exacerbate this problem. What steps can we take to ensure affordability for everyone?
Investing in healthy food options, community gathering places, and repurposing vacant buildings can lead to a healthier, more connected community.
The rising cost of living is a major concern for many in our community. I'm afraid the new development will exacerbate this problem.
I like the idea of keeping midtown diverse by supporting the people already here. I especially like the idea of more accessible transportation.
More affordable community spaces, a simple coffee shop where you can sit. More open art spaces.
Boices' ice cream or Tubby's
Sounds very nice. The last sentence reminds me of a Welsh law: The Well-being of Future Generations Act. Perhaps all this could be codified.
a sustainable grocery store/refill store that is not cost-prohibitive, healthy non-toxic indoor play spaces for children, more safe playgrounds, a used book store, affordable housing.
Tubby's, UPAC, Masa, the Papuseria and all the Mexican restaurants, Monkey Joe, Calcutta Kitchens, Boices, Joe Beez, Westkill, CCE, YMCA.
I don't think these items will be impact my personal life unless the properties were all sold to people like Neil Bender.
If it is done properly, I would probably spend more time in Midtown and feel safer about biking or walking with my children there.
If the area becomes too congested, angry and expensive I would probably avoid it.
Thanks for opening your survey to us!
Let's drill down on who owns the land all of this is being built on. We need to break up major owners or owners who are not a part of the community.
Community rentable and people driven spaces. Owner-operator businesses. Bike or kayak rentals.
Dear Kingston, Ollie's Pizza, Rewind Kingston, Red Owl Vintage, UPAC
This is a bit of a vague question that is looking for very specific answers. If there is a build up of places in the midtown area but those places are not for ALL the people who live here, this will have a direct negative effect on those who live here. We must be mindful about how we do this.
Bringing new businesses, opportunities, and community driven events are always a positive both for those who can experience them and those who will benefit by selling their locally made goods and services.
If there is a build up of traffic in midtown, especially with that rotary exit, this could cause big headaches for those who live here.
I believe this is a great project with great people behind it. Take your time, walk around the neighborhood, take a peek at the buildings. It's not all about Broadway and it's not all about the money. Breath more life into our neighborhood, do not monetize it.
I would add something about Kingston being a place where youth and young working professionals can develop a sustainable career and sustainable financial future. I would also add something about people in Midtown being able to earn high incomes and support themselves and their families. I would also implement something about people of all ages and backgrounds being able to pursue high quality education in Kingston.
- more fresh groceries - high quality museum about local history - local cinema or theater (preferably black owned) - spaces for people to do their work and get a healthy, affordable lunch - planetarium
UPAC Monkey Joe's Tilda's Camp Kingston People's Cafe YMCA
Some of these prompts are difficult to answer without having an idea of what development could be there.
More developments that would allow me to socialize, learn, engage in activities that are positive or promote health, or enjoy leisure's like museums or cinema would positively affect social connections, access to resources, stability, and satisfaction with living in Kingston.
I didn't mean to say it would negatively affect social connections. Some of these prompts are difficult to answer without having any idea or concept of what may be developed.
I meant to say that I would also miss CCE if they were to leave Midtown. Additionally, I think Midtown could benefit from having a family fun center (I.e. skating rink, trampoline park, bowling alley, ice skating, ropes course), an attraction like a museum — but a really nice one, high quality grocery store with affordable offerings like Trader Joe's or Aldi, movie theater (one showing independent films and big box movies), more restaurants that families can go to, and a place where programs can happen for people of all ages.
Affordability for working class people in city of Kingston.
A place to serve residents with youths and seniors both bringing together different generations.So the youth and seniors can help and interact with each other and better understand each other with respect.
Rite aid and mini supermarket.I think mid Town needs a full size supermarket.
I don't think that more people v will necessarily make things worse.
I think small change can affect community in positive way.Breath new life into Kingston financially and sociaĺly.⁰
I think it could be positive with new development in City
Change is good.
Like: It would be a fantastic example for other states, cities, towns and regions to follow if Mid-Town were to implement all of these enrichments and improvements without displacing the original residents. For too long, gentrification and displacement of original residents has been seen as a forgone conclusion that all must succumb to, throwing up our hands and saying that "nothing can be done...".
I really like seeing business that aren't just restaurants and bars in Mid-town. I would love to see vacant lots turned into gardens or parks with trees that bear fruit. I have recommended blackberry, raspberry bushes before as they make great fences as no one wants to walk through them. Also people, birds and other animals will eat the berries (we need to share the environment with all life). I am also a supporter of making affordable studio space for artists. I visited the FULLER BUILDING during the Kingston Art Studio walk and was somewhat appalled at the high end, super wealthy spaces. Who can afford to rent a space there?? That said, I was also very gratified to see other, more affordable artist studios.
I would miss the Shirt Factory as I have taken classes at the Ceramic Studio there. I would miss Boice Brother's ice cream ( the BEST!) I would miss UPAC. Cornell Creative Center - also that's where Arts Mid-Hudson has its Ulster County office, which is important to me. The Andy Murphy Midtown Neighborhood Center...I LOVE that building! Zaborski Emporium! The Kingston Library (even though I also like it in it's temporary location uptown). People's Place - or is that uptown?
Low-income housing: I would feel far more confident in looking for a job that better suits my personality if I knew that there was housing that I could afford with a lesser salary. And/or I might be more willing to take risks in taking on artistic opportunities if I knew that I could land on my feet once the project is done. In other words, focusing on an art project wouldn't find me in financial ruin when it is complete.
As I said, gentrification usually brings in higher prices, and a new demographic. I would be really sad if the long time residents and artists had to leave...like what happened in Woodstock.
Thank you for doing this and looking out for the people!
For the sake of the small businesses, I would include attractions for visitors, specifically arts and culture (ie more high quality UPAC shows)
Playgrounds and affordable housing developments
The vision is particularly vague and doesn't spell out specific goals just vague ones. I'd change it to be more specific. But, otherwise it is a laudable vision.
I'd like to see more music in midtown. When I was a young person there was a community center in nyack that helped the youth put on musical events. I worked with this group and learned a lot about production and booking and find myself with a small production group now.
definitely the bars and restaurants that litter broadway. There are some amazing business owners I have gotten to know over the years and they all seem to be barely scraping by.
developing underutilized properties could bring in more small businesses or other resources that could increase access to any number of resources. No way to know without more specifics
developing areas of midtown could improve the area to the point where it may end up pricing me entirely out of living in kingston which has been my home for more than 7 years.
we may lose more interesting people who get priced out of the city or awesome businesses who also get priced out.
Affordable rentals
I would miss Monkey Joes and a lot of the other mom and pops
It is aspirational and speaks to youth. the idea that people displaced due to affordability will be able to return is a little unrealistic, midtown doesn't live outside of the nation, city or county as a whole and is dependent on the local economy to provide jobs that allow people anywhere to afford housing.
Is this true? I'd like to see an art center,
The grocery store on Broadway, UPAC, Tubby's, I miss the library. The YMCA, Broadway Lights diner. laundromat,
more buisness means that more people will pay attentions to safety concerns. Cops are always around for large events at UPAC. example
if the development is for expensive rentals, that folks can't afford, money moves in and serves money.
affordability
This question doesn't make any sense to me. It will depend on what kind of housing and jobs become available.
T
Keep the prices of owning a home affordable for people FROM Kingston (not people that are moving here driving up the cost!!)
The small business that are already here
Suggested edits to the first sentence: "Midtown Kingston is a welcoming neighborhood that is home to racially, ethnically and economically diverse residents." I made this edit because: - I didn't understand what you meant by "diverse" in the vision statement. - "All residents" adds a superlative that isn't useful. - I don't know what "thrive" means in this context. - The mix of "diverse", "all", and "thrive" are a word salad.
Housing. You need places for low and moderate income people to live! It needs to be affordable.
Many restaurants that I love. Express Latinos grocery that is providing access to fresh food.
Access to housing will positively affect me.
If housing isn't created or if the neighborhood becomes too expensive, I won't be able to stay.
Make sure that the development includes housing for low income, moderate income, and artists. Housing creates stability and security.
Private land developement without the city being overtly involved.
I like the language and issues that will be addressed.
housing, small business that serve people directly,
Revolution Bike Shop
Indirectly, but it will influence the people I know who call midtown home
I want Midtown to thrive for my friends and those who would like to live here.
First off, it's way too wordy for a vision statement. Secondly, I would appreciate a vision of accepting and embracing midtown just the way it is. All of Kingston does not need to be a gentrified tourist destination, nor does it need to be re-visioned or re-developed. I live here and I like it the way it is. In fact, I love it. I don't want you to change it anymore than you already have. Leave it be?
Sell them for what they would have cost in 2013. Owner occupied only or to rent for what rent cost in 2013. Like vintage, but useful and humane.
Creepy question. What parts of Midtown are you considering obliterating?
I think the traffic will be worse and more people will be displaced. Gentrification will be worse. Kingston will lose it's charm and feel more like make believe.
I think the traffic will be worse and more people will be displaced. Gentrification will be worse. Kingston will lose it's charm and feel more like make believe.
there is a serious shortage of low income housing, shelter space, motel rooms, etc for people who have been displaced due to rising housing costs. if the new developments were exclusively to house these community members, I'd be ok with it. We don't need more expensive rentals for more people from out of town to move in. We need to take care of our neighbors who are already here and struggling to keep safe and secure.
I think it's garbage.
I like that it focuses on keeping existing residents in the community. I also like that it centers a community that is diverse in sociology economic status.
Park space, currently i don't feel like there is a place for parents to take their kids to connect with other families in mid town.
The library.
If there were more parks and public spaces (specifically geared towards kids and families) i would feel like there were more opportunities to connect with families in the area.
I think if there are more businesses that open up that don't meet the needs of the community, more bars, or too expensive cafes, then that would negatively effect my purpose and influence.
I think new developments would need to center the needs of the community (affordable housing, access to child care, access to affordable food, community connections) would be more worth it me. New developments that don't have the needs of the community in mind, and are just interested in turning a profit would not be something that i would be interested in.
Comprehensive vision that covers the community.
HOUSING. And housing that's ACTUALLY affordable.
UPAC
It should positively impact that community in a way that will benefit all of Kingston.
no reason for me personally, but for the community it could further gentrify that section of town . . . I want to see that part of our community lifted up, not pushed out.
I don't live in the Midtown area, but am really interested in seeing it revitalized in a way that allows for people to remain (and return) to that piece of Kingston.
It's critical that this project improves conditions without displacing or moving the current residents.
I think this is a wonderful, aspirational vision! I like that you have included a reference to the "abundant and enriching resources to learn, [and] to be creative,..." That said, there are so many wonderful creative businesses and creatives in Midtown, that you might want to add something to or following this sentence: "The economy in Midtown is made up of local small businesses that are responsive to community needs and offer sustainable, living-wage employment." Something like: Midtown is also the home to creative businesses, arts organizations, and artist studios that enrich the lives of our residents.
Affordable housing, spaces that provide creative and educational opportunities, and commercial and retail businesses that serve the local neighborhood so that people don't have to travel to other parts of Kingston to meet their needs for supplies and services.
Not sure about this.....
I believe that vacant spaces add little to a neighborhood or community. Replacing vacant spaces that involve time and money to maintain but generate little in the way of benefit to the community with housing, commercial spaces, and parks or gardens would be positive not only for the immediate neighborhood but also for the entire city.
I do not think that new development in Midtown will negatively affect me....
See previous answers....
Since I do not live or work in Midtown, I don't know that development in Midtown will impact me personally---so I selected No Change.
I am excited to see what the vacant spaces in Midtown can become!
For youth, I would add "play" in the list of things
Outside investors have too much control over what gets developed and how
If it actually serves community needs and is done with the best interests of lower income and long term residents in mind
Depends so much on how these projects are executed and whose needs they prioritize. If they are approached like other development projects eg Kingstonian then everything will be a lot worse.
Community Center
Gas Stations
I don't like the focus on youth. While it is important, other age groups need to be included in the vision as well.
Housing and small shops.
UPAC. While we don't often go there, it is just great to know that we have it.
More options are always better than fewer options. So, new options for eating out, food shopping, other small businesses is good. More housing options might mean that friends could move there.
It depends on the developments. For example, if there is a new food pantry or food kitchen, then there should also be housing available. We have a problem that homeless people live on the rail trail behind our home. If the developments draw more homeless people into the area, this might get out of hand. Consider the whole person, not just one need. If the development brings more yuppies or NYC people into the area, the cost of all other amenities will go up as well. So, it depends on what kind of developments.
see last answer
I don't think any building development will impact my live. The options given above would only matter IF a development would be affecting that area of concern. There is no guarantee that this is going to happen.
Can we do something about the trains? Train crossings, road closings, not enough overpasses (only the one underpass on Broadway)... etc.
Monkey Joe and UPAC
It's a strong vision but I think it should explicitly mention persistent systemic racial inequities experienced by Midtown residents. It should also ensure Midtown is equitably invested in and cared for by the City as other neighborhoods, like the Stockade district and Rondout, which have historically seen more investment and care.
Deeply affordable housing for households at 50% AMI and below
Any remaining historic storefronts on Broadway, small minority-owned eateries
If it expanded access to deeply affordable housing for low income households
I like the vision, however it seems to be very general. I would add that zoning laws need to be in effect for preserving the old brick factory buildings. For instance, a few years ago, Penske Moving Company sided a beautiful, large brick building with very generic and unattractive metal siding. I wondered why this was allowed to happen. Zoning laws seems to be different for Uptown than Midtown, which creates a disjointed city. I understand that historical preservation in Uptown is essential, however some aesthetic coherence would make sense as development continues.
Housing and a large market like a Mother Earth.
UPAC
I think this depends on what the new development will be. More trees and better sidewalks would be a great improvement.
Depends on what this development will be. High rise new construction would not be great.
I don't believe you.
Small business for community gathering where brown people feel safe.
Upac
I might have an opportunity to own my own business.
I didn't know that brown people lived in Kingston until I moved to midtown. I want to keep midtown brown.
Hit the streets and talk to people on the ground. This survey concerns me because it is not targeted to people who live in Midtown. I seriously doubt the ability for this long, difficult , online survey that REQUIRES ALL questions to be answered before moving on. Why all of the red asterisks?
This is a vey flawed question. It's basically asking "would you like if things were better ?"
Do the respondents of this survey reflect the demographics of Midtown? What are you doing to ensure it does?
It's meaningful that someone is actually thinking about the future of our small city? We need to accept that there will be limitations because our whole country is severely divided having the son of one of the richest men in the world making financial decisions is a little unsettling however well meaning he/they are . It may be wise to try and set up more self sufficient structures
Housing some form of support services and maybe some form of vocational training
The Mercado on broadway there's not much left anyway
I'm sure any development will benefit me specifically but more housing and commercial development is probably better for all of us
More people more congestion more stress broadway is not able to handle traffic Traffic circle is not capable of moving more traffic there's just a limited capacity
Change is constant some change is good some not we will never go back to when you could buy a house that was affordable there's more traffic people garbage specially after Covid I'm hopeful but not very hopeful
give our homeless vets homes
All there is now is housing fir the poor and nothing but development in kingston they've been working on the building by me for 3 years now still not done no peace and quiet over here ever between that and metro park where they constantly throw events when there's no room and no parking we as the resident tax payers can't enjoy our weekends can't get in and out our parking spots driveways are constantly blocked i'm sick of no peace over here EVER get rid of metro park make it a parking lot
i did above, get rid of metro park and finish the metro building
nothing someone buying my house for a decent price so i can get the hell out of kingston the mayor ruined it first by making it a sanctuary city, then by adding all this bike trails and roundabouts it's all for the city ppl not us residents we are being forced out
don't do it enough rupco housing help us home owners and the homeless vets
It's far from what Mid Town is currently and dont see this vision coming true in the next 5 years or more
Safe places for youth to engage in positive activities in the evenings instead of running the streets. Offer sports, educational activities and programs like the Lights Out program that used to be offered
None of it!
on board for it all
social housing
don't know yet, i'm a new arrival
my hope is the development will make Midtown more welcoming and busy, so more likely to make friends, have access to businesses that I care about, places to go with friends, etc.
I don't think it will, unless it's unaffordable housing, or other types of development that will drive displacement.
Keeping the housing permanently affordable
Auto shops
Affordable housing
Barber shops, local restaurants
Affordable housing, fresh food stores, Community engagement
Making living unaffordable in Midtown
Loosing The culture of Midtown.
I would like to see Midtown with affordable housing, maintain its cultural differences, have services that support the community, safety and low crime rates
I suspect that income is a barrier for disabled and/or currently unemployed people
outpatient health care, exercise and recreation possibly urban farming
Masa's restaurant
More culture, restaurants, good places for youth benefits me even if I don't live in Kingston
Housing and parks, small businesses that support the local current population.
The cute storefronts, the meat market, benches, pedestrian crossings.
Add jobs (not just customer service)
No antique shops.
Don't destroy the existing and present personality that midtown has. Love the newHispanic heritage flags.
I think all of this will depend on how much these changes are to benefits the current midtown community, vs benefit people who visit for a day twice a year.
Make it better for the people who have been living there < 3
I think this is definitely an ideal vision and I hope we can get as close to this as possible.
A major thing missing from Kingston as a city is a good destination based business, and midtown would be an ideal location for one. To better activate the neighborhood it would be ideal to build out a space that can be used as an engagement center for our community and a destination for those visiting our city. Unique museum, event center, community/public programming center, etc... Having a venue/business of some kind that is easily accessible and rich in programming will help support the entire area by increasing foot traffic from outside visitors and engage our local residents.
UPAC. It would be a major blow to the midtown corridor if we were to lose a venue of that scale.
In an ideal world, new developments in midtown might bring about new creative spaces for social engagement and cultural enrichment to the community.
I think as a general rule, ANY development can be positive unless it's completely mismanaged or abandoned. Negative affects might only be related to decisions to bring about unnecessary developments like a strip mall or chain stores. These are (in my opinion), not really solving any major issues related to employment or services, but rather contributing to the problems that exist.
I think having good community engagement is important in this process. There needs to be a balance of keeping the community up to date with what's being planned and how a project is moving forward. We're never going to please everyone, but being transparent about the progress of things is important.
These are difficult to answer without context. "significant increase in housing and commercial space" could mean anything so it's hard to say what the impact would be unless we had a better idea of what will actually be developed.
I think this is a good opportunity for midtown and I hope we see more development in the area that helps our community businesses and residents but also brings in outside visitors to immerse themselves in what makes our neighborhood so great.
Affordable Housing
Midtown Center
It will allow more opportunities for us young adults.
It could push me out in a sense of there is nothing for me to do
Something that I actually want. Entertainment
It will bring more people and attention to midtown Kingston in a positive light.
A community indoor gym
All Sports venues
Add people to the town growing the population
I don't think it will have a negative effect
Having more things to do
I like it because it gives people/kids an opportunities to try new things, meet new people, maybe have opportunities that they might not have had if they weren't doing this project.
Having more food markets, clothing stores. Keep money in house
It will bring more opportunities for all in midtown
I don't see how it can have a negative effect but we'll see new things happen everyday
Just follow through
I would like to change the fast food chain that is here. Add different ones or healthy ones. Gas prices, jobs. The trash on the streets. Also the homeless people. Taking drugs off the street the kids are seeing everything and these should be changed.
Homeless shelters
Metro Park
Hopefully it will help clean up the streets as far as environmental and physically. I would like to walk in my neighborhood without worry and need to walk around trash.
grocery store with affordable, quality food and personal care items. housing. community gardens and outdoor classrooms. community center.
I like it because I feel that these improvements can help the environment and lives of people and there future
The uses that would be more beneficial for our neighborhood is more food options. I also feel like we need something to help the mentally ill.
My home
It will make us feel more supported
Generic, meaningless. Is that AI generated?
Give incentives for small business that specifically target CURRENT Midtown residents.
Black people.
Need opportunity to develop my own business
Yuppies
Creativity
This question makes no sense.
Meetings and surveys don't improve lives. They only serve to make organizers feel like they are doing something that matters.
I love that the focus is on growing or improving the existing community, without displacing locals who have built the community
A supermarket with access to healthy foods, affordable housing, banks, housing for homeless, entertainment
I miss the Dunkin donuts that used to be on Broadway and cedar as well as bowling alley on cedar
I want to see my community thrive and right now it's struggling. These changes to midtown would make life more affordable and ease a lot of burdens
New development would only be negative if the changes made do not reflect the opinions of those who live(work) in the midtown area
It will better the community
Good Entertainment
Boys & Girls Club
It will not work or its not what we need
Anything that will enhance me being able to hang out with my friends
Entertainment(Axe throwing, Dave n Busters)
It's an opportunity for the community to get it right and help with more fun things to do in the area
I believe it will give great opportunities for the youth in the community. it will help kids get involved in the real world easily and help them understand more
a park, an arcade, fill the mall
Dietz stadium
It will give more places to go and do things away from home. ore places for me and my friends to hang out
Kingston is half and half and some are nice and some are mean I just hope they are nice
More positive impact and bring people together
Actual affordable housing not just it's naming as such.
Policy initiatives that claim societal improvement for individuals is always a restriction on freedom of choice and personal choice.
Even though it is a little long, There are a couple of typos.
I like it because I think it would push our community forward
Houses and construction on abandoned buildings
It will make life a little bit easier for all
can cause for prices to increases in certain areas
Just more things to do
I run a lot of programs outside so more spaces
It will create more places for people to go
A gym/ wellness center or rec center
I wouldn't have to walk far to get to activities if there were some in midtown instead of uptown
More opportunity to explore and see new things
It would be good for the community
fast food restaurants
It would be nice to have a fast food restaurant closer to us so we don't have to find transportation to get to the food
It seems as a teenager that it will help me and support me in more opportunities
Food options, activties
The new development will help us in connecting more with each other
Nothing negative I hope will come from this
I like this vision but I think that it's important that all folks, not just youth feel hopeful. My hope is that folks feel that their voices are heard and people feel as though they have a stake in the community.
Perhaps a drop in shelter for people who are not housed.
The ice cream place
I'm not really sure what's going to happen- if there is going to be big expensive housing developments then it is going to contribute to a sense of money insecurity perhaps as the cost of living may increase. If the spaces are utilized to serve the community in concrete ways I will feel more connected to midtown, more relaxed and able to have fun.
Seems like they are trying to be fair across the board and that it will include everyone
more Free food (markets)
It will provide more job opportunities
the negative is that it might change things I'm used to or take things away
more things for the ages of 8-12 year olds
It wouldn't personally effect me but it will effect my friends so I hope good change happens
It's giving out information and explaining information and feedback about midtown.
better/safer outdoor parks and courts
Boys & Girls Club
I feel it will give me more access to more things
Public parking and transportation more crowded
I'd love to see midtown as a walkable city with shopping, businesses, community centers and housing for different income levels.
Grocery store.
UPAC
Our voices as kids might be heard
New opportunities for more things to do
Everything Dallas hot weiners, Boys & Girls Club, Metro Park
Anything that adds to the community for us kids/teens is always a positive thing it will help us stay off the streets wondering
If there isn't anything for the kids , what is it that we do?
I think it will better out community in more than 1 way
I would like a gaming spot where you can go and just play video games
Boys & Girls Club
If it's something you want in our town or neighborhood that's always a positive thing
they could build something that's not needed. or just building can make it over crowded
it would be worth it if we cleaned up the streets and utilized what we already have
it would be nice for the kids to have more things
more fun things to do for kids that doesn't require a program
Boys & Girls Club, Midtown Center, YMCA
more things do do
It will bring the community together
more volunteer places or more access to being able to volunteer
maybe it will allow more of the kids my age to be more involved in the community
it can lead to more gentrification
affordable things
I like it because it will help the community
A safer park or safer grounds for the basketball courts
Hasbrouck Park, Metro Park, Block Park
It could be fun new change
it might not be for me
actual things to do
- more ways to share skills -local roof rentals -community art space
Community center and housing.
Peoples place Tilda's Top Taste Print Community
it all depends on what project id built.
The housing are too expensive and also the new development brought in folks at different level economically with their own consumer culture. Brining our Midtown to get expensive products.
At this point of time, it all depends on what is being built in Midtown then I'll be able to say what's worth to loose.
My response would be all depending on what is being built. I do know we need affordable housing and ground floor space accessible to the neighborhood.
I like it because it brings equity to land development including infrastructure project that is of great importance to me.
Most beneficial for the neighborhood would be parks, public spaces for gathering, more local business and shops. Also the relocation of health services. ( meaning to access to resources).
the couple of community centers in Midtown.
I think giving new project brings new energy that is a good step forward, providing that this is done in consultation with the community. Once this is done the right away, many other opportunities will arise.
If not done in consultation with the local community it may take away or override opportunities . Example long standing statues that requires a lot of cleaning attention.
This can only be determined through engagement with the community. Things that fails more to the community is the spirit, is all I would say at this point.
It's hard to relate to the impact of accommodation that I and the other may feel- depending on what is being developed.
Not at this time.
I like these two points: "The communities of Midtown feel a strong connection to place and a sense of belonging" and "Decisions about land and development have future generations in mind
I will see that more affordable housing will bring in more people, that will be helpful for small businesses,
however at the same time, more population will bring more stress. More small businesses will bring more competition/conflicts. I feel like that speedy development might not be the best solution.
Growing up in the Tokyo metropolitan area, I do not miss the constant rapid changes. We might need a reasonable incubation period to observe both shortcomings and improvements.
The increase of the population brought by more affordable housing will make our life busier and slightly stressful.
I hope there won't be too many developments all at the same time. I would like to see the projects in different time schedules, such as first priority projects, mid term projects, long term projects, possible projects, something like that. I hope there will be a open meeting for the public before each project, and we have a chance to understand what's going to happen. The best thing about living in Kingston for me is that it's not too crowded, it's not a big city, and it's free from all the stress of living in the city.
This is good and i believe it's going to get better hearing from the community.
A natural healing center would be the most beneficial opportunity for the neighborhood. Also this is where the community will have access to the knowledge of how to heal naturally.
Tilda's Kitchen
This would open up new opportunities and offer our young people /old people and all the people of this community broaden horizons.
All i can say is- INTENTION IS EVERYTHING- HOSPITALITY IS IMPORTANT.
New development can be worth it if it encourages locally made products and talents. Also if it promotes Gardening . There can actually be endless possibilities.
Yes, I'd like to add- we need more affordable rents, end landlord's abuse of human rights and to end homelessness in our community.
To encourage- Implementing the practice of common wealth.
It resembles the Kingston I already know and love.
Community gardens free community spaces- cafe playground for the kids give us places to loiter (positive) in our own city.
My friends homes as well as my own. If we are being pushed away.
I already feel safe and welcomed here. To some extent new development typically makes more room for those who can afford it, while leaving some people behind.
Sounds great. No.
Entertainment based businesses, affordable restaurants etc. Other thriving businesses that supply jobs would also be great.
UPAC
As a business owner, I would like to see more affordable housing options for prospective employees.
Traffic is a concern. If housing costs are not reduced but population increases quality of life will suffer.
Sounds good
recreational centers, commercial kitchens for restaurant incubation, grocery store(s), affordable bakery
Boices Dairy
Less vacant lots and more foot traffic will make the community safer, give more opportunities to access things like healthy food, etc.
Care most about people not being displaced by new development
Economic opportunities for local residents and displacement prevention should be top of mind for the planning team. It would be good for new local businesses to actually serve community needs, like laundromats, grocery stores, health care facilities, etc, not just specialty shoppes affordable only to wealthy residents.
I enjoy the inclusiveness and like the idea of supporting the locals that have been here long before our city transients
Markets. After school programming and homes
The historic buildings
Create a safer and cleaner town
Change what people Are use to
Support for our existing families and an opportunity for employment to get families off the system
I like the focus on youth. Sometimes Kingston feels like it's centered around an older generation. I wish there were more opportunities for younger generations to be involved in the community, and that comes with allowing spaces where young people feel welcomed and represented.
Kingston needs another mid-size / small music venue for touring and local artists to perform! Tubby's is carrying too much of the weight now that BSP is gone! A healthy grocery store or food coop! A bowling alley?! More housing!
Tubby's Top Taste Ollie's
It will better help the community
better food options, better outdoor courts/parks(safer)
Metro park
it could be fun change isn't always bad
it might not be for me or fun.
something that can help the community in its entirety
it sounds like it would be a great place to live and raise a family
the vacant building just being utilized and made into something that can be useful
corner stores the one on cedar, and Henry Broadway
I love the idea of having a thriving safe and active community for the youth.
too many nonprofits come into our communities taking surveys and getting our opinions for not much to come from it. So the negative will be nothing coming from this
as our community grows I'm hoping that with the new development that were able to keep it and keep it clean and it helps build us up
I really like the idea of re purposing underutilized spaces.
I am hopeful
the people who need the help can get it
many things from food places, housing, activities, entertainment
the high school
its things we need if you clean up the streets then that can trickle down to kids being able to be outside and enjoying the community. If we get more jobs people can afford housing. When you correct 1 thing it actually corrects 3 other things. They don't all have to be major
because capacity at places and short staffings in the buildings and the cost of living adding more buildings it would create more jobs but will they be paid the same or more? does out money come back around within our own community
change is what's worth it
I am hopeful that the city and the community can do the right thing this time
I like the fact that I would have a community and support system that listens and understands my needs
A place I can go to decompress and get all my emotions out and then walk away
I can do better for myself if we get new development and more support
we can only think positive at this point
I like it and it will help out a lot of people
anything that can be positive for youth and make sure we advertise it so that people know and can support
Boys & Girls Club, YMCA, Midtown Center
It will reduce the crime and other bad things that are going on around us in the midtown area
Change can be scary I just hope this change is positive
God Got us
Sports complex(multiple sports in one building) that will help everyone and everything it will also bring more people to Kingston the resturants, hotels, the mall can maybe get stores again, etc.
mall even though its kinds gone already
it will bring more people to Kingston and hopefully help us change the crime and give more things for youth to do
it can move me out.
seems hopeful for everyone from all backgrounds and classes.
Sports complex. Where we can bring all Sports together people together from all around the world
Boys & Girls Club its my home and safe haven
it will bring fun and people together on a good time because that's what sports does.
we will get something that its honestly needed for the community but for the people who will make money off of it
having my personal input seeing the plans and being in those meetings
Lets Pray
Safe space for youth seniors with affordable activities and housing
Frank Guidos
More local job opportunities
Outdoor exercise spaces for adults
More access to employment opportunities
Rising property taxes
More employment opportunities
I whole heatedly agree with your point on: Youth, who are the future of the community, feel hopeful and are engaged with their fellow residents and with activities they love. They are empowered by abundant and enriching resources to learn, to be creative, and to proactively shape their futures.
I am the founder of Christmas Wishes Ulster County, a local, Kingston based 501 C 3 that helps families in need with various endeavors and programs throughout the year. This is our TENTH Christmas, and we help over 1,000 children each holiday season with referrals from DSS, school social workers, RAPP (relatives as parents program); Institute for family health, samadhi Outpatient Clinic, Ulster county healthy families, saugerties school district, JFK & Chambers schools & MANY other places. We struggle EVERY year to find a place to host our "North Pole" and run fundraisers, and other programs throughout the year. We would love an opportunity for a permanent home, especially in Midtown where a lot of the families we serve are.
The park outside of Radio Kingston.
Please see my previous answers about the non profit I run. New development would greatly help us, and our families we serve.
No negative impact on us or the families we serve.
No, these are all fantastic points!
It includes a statement about youth
Housing and youth programs
UPAC
It is rich in untapped diversity. Many area residents are unaware of or feel left out of all that is happening. Some have no idea if what/why it is happening.
I am not sure it will. Housing and food costs may not be impacted in a positive way.
Current residents may be displaced.
I feel better sharing after learning of the plan.
I love that kids are included.
cooperative housing for young adults
Radio Kingston
I hope to see a rise of housing and development for kids who graduate and live here. I struggle with the transplants here who aren't really giving back to local economy and the locals.
if it's not down for the right reasons and for the local people, it doesn't belong.
Honestly, how many in the room tonight were residents of 15+ years of the community? I don't want to hear from people who haven't lived here for a while, I want more diversity in the room.
I don't feel like much would impact me specifically. I used to work and live in the city of Kingston, I moved out to blend my family and I now just work in the city. I still frequent the city everyday, but nothing would change for me directly.
I was a resident for 18 years and just moved to Rosendale, but it's still my community and where I work and frequent everyday.
Importance of considering children's needs and comfort in their community.
YMCA
I do not live in Kingston but participate in programs at the Y several times a week. It would be nice to have additional services in the area that I may frequent before/ssfter working out.
More focus on developing strong ties to community is needed. Each of these specific aspects of the vision are only maintained by feeling like part of a community, like you belong and are needed. This brings deeper understanding of the plight of others and decisions are made with the best for everyone in mind.
Some kind of community resource center. A place where folks can go to get legal advice, hold forums, community events like dinners, and to problem solve together.
UPAC
If new development opportunities were dedicated toward people of color and not to the highest bidder then we may start to see more of the positive effects of a diverse and tight knit community where everyone feels they belong and looks out for each other.
I shared why previously.
More hope, less poverty, more diversity in the patronage of our restaurants, performance centers, and
I answered worse because most likely these developments will be mostly for white people, further gentrifying the community and driving up the cost of everything while further excluding a significant amount of the non white people that live here. I say this as a white person who is tired of paying $45 for a hamburger and a drink.
Remove the barriers for people of color. Stop letting the privileges of whites dictate our course. Create points of entry into the economy for POC so that generational wealth can begin to build. Stop doing things, from education to criminal justice, because " that's the way they've always been done". Invent new ways that actually work for more folks. Have an investment mentality, ie it's going to take twenty years it can't be done overnight. Give people the opportunity to turn this giant ship around, which is going to take some time. We have to be okay with it taking time.
Youth also need stable housing and workforce opportunities. Midtown Community needs access with no barriers to many art forms, experiences and chances to be creative.
community arts center with black box theater, art studios, exhibition space and offices for arts non-profits; transitional and workforce housing for youth and young adults
Kingston Library and UPAC (tied)
If new development centers around community and not capitalism, I envision more opportunities to learn, meet new people, access to a diversity of activities
traffic and parking would increase, may cause new safety issues, may make it difficult to access new developments if you can't get to them. The residential side of Midtown may be adversely affected.
inclusion of existing community interests and providing access to resources that would benefit the neighborhood, not just tourists
I love it because no one gets left out. Everything is for the people by the poeple. When we love and help one another our community grows. :)
A place for families for gatherings together and celebrating one another. Maybe a new school and a program to prepare youth for the world like a home economics learning center.
Maybe barter exchange program you give to get. If you donate you can take. Like, if you donate a coat maybe I get a pair of shoes. If you donate time maybe a ticket to a free event. It will help me get out in the community more.
It will help me to show my appreciation and gratitude for all that I have been through and where I hope to be and what the future holds for our community.
I don't know everyone calls me Captain Save A Life. So maybe instead of relaxing a little more I'll be more active which can be bad sometimes.
Seeing it actually happen, being able to say I was here to see it happen and celebrate when it does.
I have been in a lot of bad places and a lot of the good has been here in Kingston. I was able to start my life over here and am happy that others can and will have the opportunity to do the same.
I am so thankful to live in Kingston. It is an honor to be able to live here and watch it start to thrive again.
It resembles the Kingston I alread known and love.
Community gardens, free community spaces, playground for the kids! Give us places to loiter in our own city.
My friend's home as well as my own. We are being pushed out.
Increased access to affordable housing, food, and community spaces.
I am poor, young, and brown. Historically these projects harm my community as well as help.
A formal gurantee of free access to community space for all.
I already feel safe and welcome here. To some extent development typically makes more room for those who can afford it, while leaving people like me behind.
I like the intentions, but there's no cultural engagement or cohesiveness. I think there should be more people who are able to bridge the gap between the languages and race.
Diverse halfway houses. Psych ward housing for the mentally challenged. United religion conversing group.
Not sure. Maybe a culture collaboration.
This possibly could be a staple for unification between ethnic groups.
possible could bring more crime and lazy people.
The town is so segregated and racially-biased I never give it much thought.
Land and housing are considered
Low income housing and maybe buildings for grants to be redone by 1st time entepereners and restraunters
Upac, little italy, ymca, engs, dallas, shamrock
I like this vision because it accounts for the needs and goals of all residents of Kingston, including those who are marginalized by any aspect of their identity. Midtown Kingston should be inclusive, welcoming, and hospitable to all members of its community.
Safe, stable, affordable housing is at the top of my list. Many of my clients who have secured housing through a private landlord have also faced negligence and abuse from their landlords, who project the idea that their new tenants should be grateful to have a roof over their heads and should not expect any repairs or improvements to be made to their living environments (I have clients whose water is contaminated, who have no smoke detectors in their apartments, and who have other extremely legitimate safety concerns regarding their apartments). Because of this, I believe that it is crucial that housing also be managed ethically and that private landlords who do not address the legitimate needs of their tenants should be held accountable for their negligence.
Radio Park is a popular outreach spot where I can meet with my existing clients and connect to potential new clients who may need support, and the way it has been structured to be hospitable to people's needs with the inclusion of a public bathroom and charging stations is admirable.
Our voices- low income people can be heard hopefully this time
Imagine a development where there is diversity, food sharing from all around the world a place where money doesn't matter.
Having a fun development is easy but it comes with many cons and pros. Like keeping the place up to date, tidyness , labour to maintain the building.
New development can bring more tourists, more income and a more lively town.
It all depends on what is being developed . Who is running the building when it's built- who are being welcomed. We need to start building public spaces or gathering area where everyone is welcomed.
We hope to hear back results and hopefully the Midtown Kingston people can be heard.
I like the part about the youth in our neighborhood, but I would add freedom to it, our youth should feel free in our neighborhood and able to freely explore and play outside. on the economy, I would add entrepreneurship, would be nice that our neighborhood can support entrepreneurs and support new and existing businesses. finally, our neighborhood is very artful, and hosts many artists and artists studios, is there a way to include that too?
for land: playgrounds and meeting areas (please no trash cans right next to a bench, that's not very welcoming) for buildings: corner stores, housing, meeting spaces
linear park, restaurants and bars, food trucks
less vacant and unmaintained spaces makes everything look and feel nicer
may depend on the what's developed, but I don't think anything that's being considered could negatively affect me
missed opportunities, or, not doing enough, for example, if there's an empty lot to develop, use the space for small housing or parking instead of maximizing housing. Or developing a playground or park and not building an experience just putting afterthought infrastructure
to be honest, I'm having a hard time understanding what's being ask... some of this may depend on what's get developed
Love this project... so much potential, we can do great things, let's do it!!!
it feels inclusive and I like the emphasis on the small businesses that characterize midtown today, I think the only thing i might add is something about not just diversity and sense of belonging existing, but where the diverse people of midtown meet and learn from eachother across cultures. I've noticed that Midtown is perhaps the more diverse area of Kingston, but I often experience a feeling of parallel communities or (unintentional?) segregation- different communities keep to themselves. The immigrants that frequent Meat Market and El Mercadito are not at Sonder or Village. How to blend these communities more?
housing, small business, community arts spaces
Calcutta Kitchen!
I don't know what kind of development we are talking about. I hope its affordable housing, support for small businesses to make their products and services more accessible to all income levels, arts and community spaces. I hope its more diverse shops and restaurants representing more cultures. But it could be things that gentrify or change the neighborhood in ways that aren't inclusive of those who live here. hard to know!
I would only add to keep Midtown arts thriving - to foster the artist community and nurture the creative class.
Activities like ice skating, dog park (my dream is an indoor dog park or brewery/dog park), skate park, indie/revival house movie theater, climbing gym, cycle studio, or other non-eating/drinking establishments.
UPAC
I live and work in Midtown, I'm looking forward to this area having more density and more resources opening up.
I imagine construction could be a temporary headache. I wouldn't want my taxes to increase too much.
More opportunities for engagement. Places to hang out, gather, be proud of in the area.
With larger spaces, it's a great time to think about bigger projects - like I mentioned an indoor dog park, skating rink, indie movie theater, skate park, climbing gym, we need more activities.
Me gusta porque los Latinos seran escuchado, nuestra opinion se tomara encuenta.
Talves hacer mas Vivienda para los que no tienen mucho ingreso.
Bubble wash UIDN Tildas.
Si. Si se hace mas vivienda en Midtown tendria mas accesso a mi familia y trabajo . Y me ayudaria financialmente.
Bueno hay que saber que se va a construir, cuales son los requisitos para beneficiar y como se puede mantener a lo largo tiempo.
Si, si se hace mas vivienda mas economico pues hay tambien la posibildad de tener mucho requesitos para obtener estos beneficio lo cual haria dificil ser beneficiado a estos programas. Queremos un Kingston Libre donde todos no llevamos bien compartinedo nuestro differente cultura.
Gracias por escuchar nuestra opinion y ojala que nos puede ayudar a tener un Kingston mas mejor.
Hits good points
Affordable housing
Broadway Bubble
Increased traffic
People having housing, less homeless.
Lofty goals but why not aim very high?
Support for business connected to the creative economy,
UPAC, the Pauline Oliveros plaza, Tubby's, the Y and its gardens and farmstands, CCE, Masa Midtown, Tanma Rmen and the Little Rye Bakehouse also West Kill.
The hotter an area becomes the more money and high powered entities come into the picture so as a regular citizen I feel my voice could be diminished. I want regular people to always have a voice that matters.
Congestion is already an issue so planning will be important and maybe eventually have a shuttle bus to Kingston Plaza where there is parking available could be put in place in the future. Also it would be great of there were incentives to have some business that keep prices affordable so people from the neighborhood patronize those businesses unlike what often happens when gentrification takes hold.
Midtown is the area of most commercial density and therefore potential to be the heartbeat of the city. It would be great for there to be several late night eating and drinking options. would love to see the diner operate 24 hours per day,. It would make the area more attractive so development that include and requires seriously affordable, well maintained housing is critical. Also providing retail outlets for small business owners at a low cost is important. I very much don't want to see chain stores move in and knock out the beautiful local vibrancy.
Thank you for listening.
I love the emphasis on access, inclusion, and repair in relationship to both land and displaced/vulnerable people. I would like to see decisions about land and development move toward democratic-decision making with at least community input. Kingston does not have a good track record here, and trust between government and the community needs to be reestablished. Government needs to be more accountable to the community when asking for input in order to continue to receive that input and foster an engaged and responsible community base.
Midtown's green spaces need to be amped up. I think this means design that encourages dwelling in a place, higher ratios of planted space to paved space, and access off of Broadway. Pedestrian and bike access across the railroad tracks would also really open up and connect the neighborhood. Midtown feels very segmented because there are so few channels of access. Having a bike/pedestrian bridge crossing the train tracks behind the YMCA and near Dederick St may open up the feeling of the neighborhood, encourage alternative transit options, and reduce the danger and noise pollution caused by people being on the train tracks. In terms of building development, affordable housing is the primary need. The new zoning does not protect the affordability of housing over time and is using an affordability metric that is out of sync with the lived experience of most residents. I hope and expect that affordable housing development through this Midtown Thriving initiative would protect tenants more robustly and be focused on a definition of affordable that takes into account how the averages have been skewed in the last few years. (The average income of folks displaced from Kingston in the last five years is a very useful statistic for illuminating this issue.) I would like to see opportunities for development of businesses that are owned by/serving more immigrant and BIPOC communities. I would like to see more diversity in cuisine. I would like to see the Business Alliance foster dialogue about affordability in offerings so that most/all businesses have somethings that are affordable to lower income folks in addition to things at prices that are really only for wealthy weekenders and folks whose income is not being earned from the local economy.
I already miss the Sea Deli! I would miss the older architecture in buildings like the high school, city hall, and the building at post office park. I love the YMCA and the Y Farm Project.
If business and housing development is not deeply anchored in affordability for folks who have already been displaced from here, I will not feel welcome here much longer. When Kingston feels like a place I want to live, the diversity of people who call this place home are invited to share space and they do. When Kingston feels fancy and the white majority are the only folks showing up, I question being here. When I struggle to afford going out to support a local business, I recognize how few places here are catered to lower income earners. I have a lot of educational and racial privilege and this still affects me. I think a lot of people value that neighborhoods can be quiet here. And in neighborhoods that are not quiet, folks complain about the noise. I think retaining some of that quietness will be important to many folks.
The times I feel unsafe in Midtown are: 1. infrastructural (e.g. bike lane on broadway, the paint job that just got fixed at the corner of east/west chester and broadway) or 2. resource distribution and lack of societal support (e.g. person struggling with addition/houselessness is lashing out in response to some pretty terrible life circumstances) 3. cultural (e.g. currently, the anti-prop 1 flyers are making me feel unsafe and threatened) I believe that new development in Midtown might help all of these areas. When more resources are available for folks, we are less likely to be in crisis and aggressive with one another. Our nervous systems can calm down and we can engage as humans with dignity. By making Midtown's land use more affordable, accessible, and environmentally conscious, the air will improve and more living beings can share space with less friction and more opportunities to build relationships. Relationships are what helps to shift culture and promote the prioritization of resource distribution and support. Creating spaces for these relationships to bud is what I believe this development may have the ability to spark.
Thanks for this thoughtful survey.
Midtown residents have equal access to greenspace and shade trees that can mitigate the impacts of the urban heat island effect. Traffic safety is something all midtown residents have the ability to influence and shape, and traffic violence is reduced to zero, facilitating maximum pedestrian and bicycle use of the corridors surrounding current brownfields, soon to be cleaned up.
1. Several fully stabilized housing developments, no more than 5 storeys, with courtyards, These developments would integrate, at the very least, solar water heater technologies (which all new developments could easily, reasonably integrate). 2. An oasis/amphitheater for live music: A canopy of trees would make all the difference in this area. Yes, people can go to the trails around Kingston Point Beach. If they have cars, they can drive to parks. But midtown residents do not have a shady place to go on hot summer days- not unless they own a home with a backyard. This last summer was brutally hot! We need an oasis. We also lack a regular hub for cultural events outdoors. Even one outdoor amphitheater could change everything for Kingston, and attract more residents. And midtown has the space. 3. Alongside an outdoor amphitheater, also great would be: A new indoor community assembly space where people could meet to discuss such things as climate resilience in the neighborhood, education and youth centered activities, etc. Maintaining and running both of these would create jobs. If they were very successful, they could also attract additional businesses to the area, which would also motivate more people to buy land and build new housing/create jobs. 4. Where full remediation/ tree planting is impossible, a solar field to power Kingston's municipal buildings.
The views from the hilltops near Wynkoop, etc. (Also, the one singular institution of Tubbys, one of the only consistent music venues in town.
It depends upon the type of development. Will it be catered to newcomers with resources, or be more accessible to long-time Kingston residents? A very carefully considered balance is needed.
If it was geared towards youth, and towards making sure they have access to spaces that are not as heavily policed as Kingston High School, etc I'm unclear about what might be lost, so it's hard to comment. There is plenty of empty underutilized space in the corridor identified, and I assume there would be no need to take down any of the classic old factories to make way for housing, etc. Instead they could be retrofitted.
Currently I am somewhat cut off from friends and neighbors who live in places like the Roundout, Ponkhackie, the Studios Stockade, who are not motivated to walk to my house, which is close to Hasbrouck and Foxhall, the Walgreens, and the exposed, treeless sections of East Chester. Especially in the hotter times of year, it is too brutally hot to move. The area does not have enough trees or nice places to walk! I feel this leads my little corner of Kingston to feel stressful and isolated.
Very excited that people are focusing on midtown. Clearly, persistent poverty has ravaged it time and again. People here deserve a break!!
I believe that all of the above requires a sincere search for community engagement in this planning process, and commitment to paying very close attention to collective community wisdom. What is absent from above is a strong and clear commitment to participatory planning. This could also involve a strong participatory budgeting process, with an earnest and thorough effort to get the residents of midtown to turn out to cast their vote. The residents of the area really do know best what the area needs. Finally, because of the amount of space we're talking about, this area is ripe for implementation of a whole new model of Community Land Trust focused on housing, and specifically, making home ownership accessible to those for whom it is currently out of reach. For a solid model, see: https://maclt.org/
If redevelopment occurs in a top-down way, that does not harness the wisdom of long time residents along with the fresh perspective of newcomers, then we can be assured that the real estate speculators who thrive on a boom-bust economy will find a way to make maximum profits in the shortest period of time, without regard for the longer term viability or health of the projects they profit from (after taking advantage of public investment in plenty of cases). Without participatory planning, that will be the default model, profiteers will drive and seek to benefit most from the process. That is how it has inevitably gone in most cases in the past - even those with the best intentions will see this pattern unfold eventually.
I'm concerned about losing control over the definition of "affordable housing", and ground being ceded to developers on this front. The housing crisis is so dire that at this point we need vastly more than 1,000+ ETPA apartments. We need far more ETPA options but we also need accessible home ownership. We know that if developers drive this process, instead of residents, we will not get what we truly need, and we will lose more valued long time residents, working people who kept up their homes as best they could, contributed to trying to keep Kingston a good place to live.
Soliciting community involvement in addressing neglected spaces and needs is vital. It may be challenging, but not as challenging as pushing through ideas that are not community led, and then seeing them fail as a result. Of course you will face backlash if residents of midtown, especially, are not centered in this process, Beyond that you will breed an unhealthy civic culture, as resentful depressed residents withdraw further from their role as citizens. It is on the tip of all our tongues: we fear that Kingston is going into another cycle of decline due to mismanaged and wasted resources- all while real estate speculators cash in on the boom bust economy and take the money and run. We saw that what's broken never seems to get fixed, and what was never broken seems to get attention again and again. Can this redevelopment plan be different? What might make it different? Participatory planning. People have heard of plans to redevelop the roughest, most barren parts of Kingston, many times over the decades. Things seem to get a bit better for a few years, but unless cyclical poverty is centrally addressed, and the community has a say in how to address it, not much will change for long. Simply throwing money at systemic problems will not make them go away… the only way we can address root causes is through putting our heads together and coming up with creative ways forward…. But unless the community is onboard and listened to from start to finish, even the best ideas won't take flight.