Groundbreaking on the planned 164-unit Golden Hill Apartments on the former site of the Ulster County Jail in Kingston took place last week. The affordable-housing development will be an intergenerational community for families, seniors, and households in need of support services.
Golden Hill, a project of co-developers Pennrose and Family of Woodstock, will include childcare, a garden, playgrounds, a community gathering place, and a fitness center. The property is close to public transit and the rail-trail.
“We are thrilled that construction has begun on this transformative mixed-use development in Kingston where the county jail once stood, and I want to thank NYS Homes and Community Renewal, Pennrose, Family of Woodstock, and the many partners who helped us get here,” said county executive Jen Metzger in a press release. “The Golden Hill development will create more than 160 units of affordable and senior housing, and is exactly what community development should be, reflecting our community’s diversity and serving its diverse needs.”
Half of the apartments will be reserved for senior households aged 62 and older, and a further 48 set aside for those in need of on-site support services, including survivors of domestic violence and the frail elderly. Support services, including case management and care coordination, crisis intervention, and financial counseling, will be provided by Family of Woodstock.
All residents will have free broadband Internet access in the green-design standard all-electric property which will maximize the benefits of solar heat gain in the winter and solar shading in the summer, with high-performance windows and a roughly 700 KW solar photovoltaic renewable energy system.
The projected timeline for opening of Golden Hill is roughly 20 months from the start of construction.
“Today marks an important step in transforming this site into affordable housing for seniors and working families,” wrote county legislature Peter chair Criswell in a press release. “This project demonstrates what can be achieved when we work together to address the housing crisis and prioritize the needs of our community.”
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