Ulster Strong

10/13/2026

"Ulster Strong, an Ulster County-based nonprofit that advocates for sustainable economic growth through local investment and smart development, held a gathering in Ellenville on September 30 at Shadowland Stages on Market Street.

The "listening session" was intended to take the temperature of the local business community and solicit suggestions about what might improve the business climate."

Ulster Strong, an Ulster County-based nonprofit that advocates for sustainable economic growth through local investment and smart development, held a

10/13/2026

"The best investment I have ever made in the Hudson Valley economy never cost me a dollar. It cost me a few Tuesday nights.

We usually talk about economic development in terms of sites, incentives and shovels in the ground. That work matters — it is my day job. But look at the list of the largest employers across our nine counties and you will find hospitals, colleges, arts organizations, land trusts and human services agencies sitting right alongside the manufacturers and the distribution centers. These institutions meet payroll every two weeks. They buy from local vendors. They fill hotel rooms, restaurant tables and Main Street storefronts. They are a big part of why a young family chooses Beacon over Charlotte, and why a company looking at a site in Orange County believes its employees will be happy here.

And nearly every one of them is governed by volunteers. Not by a state agency, not by a consultant — by neighbors who agreed to serve on a board. Which means the quality of life we market to the world rests, to a remarkable degree, on who raises a hand."

The Region's Economy (And Your Career) Are Enhanced By Participation On A Non-Profit Board

10/12/2026

The future of Albany and Ulster Avenues
"Residents are invited to share their concerns, ideas, and priorities for the future of Albany and Ulster avenues as planning continues on a corridor management study aimed at improving traffic safety, mobility, and access throughout the area.

The Ulster County Transportation Council (UCTC), in partnership with the City of Kingston, the Town of Ulster, and the New York State Department of Transportation, will host a public workshop on Tuesday, October 20, from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at 5 Development Court in the Town of Ulster. The meeting will take place in the Senior Hub room at the Office for the Aging."

TOWN OF ULSTER- Residents are invited to share their concerns, ideas, and priorities for the future of Albany and Ulster avenues as planning continues on a corr

10/07/2026

"A project narrative, submitted to the city’s Planning Department by Milestone Development, calls for 135 units and 1,485 square feet of retail across 135,707 square feet of “gross floor area” on a vacant 1.8-acre site at 111 Schwenk Drive that previously housed the Romeo Kia dealership before it moved to a new location on U.S. Route 9W in Lake Katrine in 2023.

The city’s Planning Board will get a first look at the project at its next meeting on Monday, Oct. 19, at 6 p.m. at City Hall.

A press release from Milestone said rents will be priced between 40% and 80% of area median income. The city uses 80% AMI as its definition of “affordable housing.”

RUPCO, alongside a private development firm specializing in affordable housing, is proposing a six-story mixed-use affordable apartment building with more than 130 units at the site of a former car dealership on Schwenk Drive, according to…

10/07/2026

ULSTER STRONG OPINION:
"Kingston is having a moment. After years of work by hoteliers, restaurateurs, short-term rental hosts, and the small businesses that ring our historic districts, the city has emerged as one of the Hudson Valley’s most sought-after destinations. Visitors come for the waterfront, the Stockade, the music venues, and the food scene. They stay overnight, if they can find a room. They spend money. They tell their friends.

That momentum is fragile. And the City of Kingston’s proposed occupancy tax — commonly known as a bed tax — puts it directly at risk."

By Michael Oates, Don Tallerman, and Corryn Carey Michael Oates is President and CEO of the Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation. Don Tallerman is Chair of the Board of Ulster Strong. Corryn Carey is the owner of The Strand House in Kingston’s Waterfront district.  Kingston

10/05/2026

Our next Business Listening Session is MONDAY, October 26th in Saugerties!

Sign up today!
https://luma.com/ulsterstrong?utm_id=97758_v0_s00_e0_tv2_a1demo0boepw5i&fbclid=IwY2xjawUwttBleHRuA2FlbQIxMABwZG9mAWJyaWQRMXVIOHNjUnRlNUJ5UUtvckpzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeV-SnAn7eLXEWXeYU0njwm6nRljycpnwYnxN_JvVebh_kCOG5YE6BvxU-tTQ_aem_EhbjdUEO3zwffOiCj5vPyA

10/04/2026

"The city has chosen a consultant to update a 1992 plan for Kingston’s waterfront. The move comes as a swath of Rondout waterfront parcels owned by the late Robert Iannucci have begun to attract interest from developers.

The Local Waterfront Redevelopment Plan (LWRP) was adopted by the Kingston Common Council back in 1992. At the time, the city’s Hudson River and Rondout waterfronts were a jumble of abandoned industrial infrastructure, junkyards and contaminated brownfields. The LWRP was intended to guide the transition from a post-industrial waterfront to one centered on tourism and recreation as the city sought to regrow its tax base following the departure of manufacturing businesses from Kingston in the mid- and late 20th century.

Today, much of that original vision has been achieved. Old oil tanks and incinerator chimneys have been replaced by luxury campgrounds, marinas and waterfront dining. Now, the city is working on an updated version to build on past accomplishments and set new goals. To help, the city turned to Rochester-based consultant LaBella Associates. The company is expected to build a multidisciplinary team to study and make recommendations for future development, working in conjunction with city officials and an appointed Waterfront Advisory Committee. "

https://kingstonwire.com/news/2026/09/29/city-working-up-new-redevelopment-plan-for-downtown/064PPB/?fbclid=IwY2xjawUvUfRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBwZG9mBXNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR759nYgeLxEL3ILtd4g1Rqys9UbFtnYRBCOq6iLmqxBJx3TkPaG4n_pgOFmwA_aem_1iAd25ywVNBFu38wcVvcQg

The city has chosen a consultant to update a 1992 plan for Kingston’s waterfront. The move comes as a swath

10/04/2026

"Customers flocking to orchards in the Hudson Valley this fall may see fewer apple varieties or a smaller selection than usual after a frost hit large swaths of the state in April, harming fruit buds and damaging crops.

On April 20 and 21, temperatures across upstate New York fell into the low-to-mid 20s, just three days after a bout of unseasonably warm weather had caused crops to bud ahead of schedule. The overnight temperature drop caused widespread crop loss — anywhere from 15% to 100%, according to some estimates — at orchards across the region."

Orchard owners say that although they may have fewer apples this year, foot traffic is still strong.

10/03/2026

Midtown Kingston residents are getting a lot of new neighbors thanks to the official opening of the Barrel Factory, a 100-unit apartment complex at 110 Cornell Street that is already filling up quickly with tenants.

At a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, developers cited Kingston’s zoning changes and nearly $5.6 million in state grants — $840,000 through the Restore New York program and roughly $4.75 million from the Mid-Hudson Momentum Fund — as key to bringing the project to fruition.

“To try to hit this retail-focused, mixed-income kind of development is very, very tough to do,” said Danny Sirotkin, partner at MHV Development. “We just got really lucky to find the right space in the right city at the right time and to connect with so many partners as part of the process.”

Midtown Kingston residents are getting a lot of new neighbors thanks to the official opening of the Barrel Factory, a 100-unit apartment complex at 110 Cornell Street that is already filling up quickly with tenants. At a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, developers cited Kingston's zoning changes

10/03/2026

The Kingston Common Council is poised to vote Tuesday on implementing a 3% occupancy tax on motel, hotel and short-term rental stays.

The Common Council’s Finance and Audit Committee voted 4-1 to send the proposal for the 3% tax to the full Common Council for a vote at its October meeting. Teryl Mickens, D-Ward 5, cast the sole no vote.

The Kingston Common Council is poised to vote Tuesday on implementing a 3% occupancy tax on motel, hotel and short-term rental stays.