Ulster Strong

08/30/2026

Construction on a multiyear, $25 million overhaul of Tinker Street and Route 212 is expected to begin in fall 2027, bringing new bridges, wider sidewalks, additional crosswalks, and curb extensions to the busy street.

The state project would replace four bridges, rebuild sidewalks, require traffic detours, and potentially involve the acquisition of strips of private property.

Construction on a multiyear, $25 million overhaul of Tinker Street and Route 212 is expected to begin in fall 2027, bringing new bridges, wider sidewalks, additional crosswalks, and curb extensions to the busy street. The Woodstock Complete Streets Committee outlined the timeline for the state Depar...

08/29/2026

"CoWork Kingston, an Uptown facility that provides independent workers with corporate-level amenities alongside strong community connections. Founded by Judy and Don Tallerman, who also own Senate Garage in Uptown Kingston, the workspace was modeled after successful shared-office concepts in larger metropolitan areas. Don Tallerman said, “I had been familiar with WeWork in New York City, I had worked at some WeWorks, so I was very familiar with that model. I thought that this could be the time that Kingston, you know, could support that kind of workspace. So we went to several of them and decided what we liked and what we didn’t like, and Judy and I created this.”

The facility occupies a historic building that previously operated as a medical device factory complete with drill presses and fluorescent lighting. Following a three-year adaptive renovation, the space now blends modern office infrastructure with historical features. A prime example is the facility’s triangle room, which originally served as the factory’s painting room. The interior also features local artists’ work alongside colorful architectural details, including little pigeons made and placed on beams. Day-to-day operations and member programming are spearheaded by Melanie Cozzolino, who serves as the lead for operations and community engagement. She acts as a main point of contact for members and visitors, guiding local recommendations while curating community events, from happy hours to specialized gatherings designed to foster organic connections."

The landscape of work across the Hudson Valley has undergone a profound transformation, with remote work shifting from a temporary alternative into a permanent economic driver. But that shift has also sharpened disparities between remote workers, many of whom earn salaries tied to higher-paying metr

08/28/2026

A great visit to in Saugerties - maker and seller of over 600 brands, locally known for its brand. Ulster Strong's team was joined by Ulster County Legislator Lindsey Grossman. With almost 200 employees selling over 70,000 SKUs, with clients such as ABC/ESPN, federal govt. and many many more, this growing employee-owned company sells all things AV cabling and related equipment across the US.

Yes, tariffs are hurting companies like this, as are rising costs in New York compared to other states. AI is also making itself known in this sector as well.

Thank you Tower Products CEO Greg DeCelle for the visit and tour!

08/28/2026

Walking through the Hudson Valley Mall on a Friday afternoon can be a disorienting experience for anyone who recalls the days when it was a bustling retail hub. These days the cavernous interior of the 760,000 square foot space features long stretches of decorative murals depicting local history and attractions, interspersed with vacant storefronts. A handful of businesses, none of them strictly retail, survive.

The NGC Cinema multiplex, a Target outlet, and a Nuvance healthcare facility are the only anchors today. The interior retail space features a children’s parkour gym, and adult fitness center, a bust unisex hair salon, and a Boy Scouts of America store, and that’s about it. Rather than shoppers, the people strolling the long, carpeted corridors are mall walkers who have adopted the space as an all-weather alternative to the track at Dietz stadium.

Continue reading:
https://www.ulsterstrong.com/blog/checking-in-on-thehudson-valley-mall

By Jesse Smith for Ulster Strong Walking through the Hudson Valley Mall on a Friday afternoon can be a disorienting experience for anyone who recalls the days when it was a bustling retail hub. These days the cavernous interior of the 760,000 square foot space features long stretches of decorative

08/27/2026

City of Kingston Now Authorized to Impose Local Occupancy Tax

Governor Hochul signed off on Kingston's home-rule request to implement a NEW bed tax (at the city level) of up to 3%.

The proposal now returns to the City Govt. again for final discussion and approval.

Concerns have been raised about the proposed new tax will put Kingston lodging businesses at a competitive disadvantage to lodging in surrounding towns, and projects an image as a high-tax location, dissuading future lodging investments, as well as limiting future tax revenues and tourism for Kingston.

The lodging sector in Ulster County already pays an additional 4% county occupancy tax, on top of sales taxes. BNBs additionally pay large annual STR license fees to Kingston. Kingston has (as many towns in Ulster today) a strict limit on how many STRs may be open in the city.

For more info on NYS decision: https://www.vitallaw.com/news/new-york-sales-and-use-tax-city-of-kingston-authorized-to-impose-local-occupancy-tax/std01e43788d84dfa4672b0521b5a3242d481?refURL=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F #

08/26/2026

"He proposed a new tax on A.I. use, known as a “token tax,” to make it more expensive to replace people and provide money to help those who do lose work. A token is a basic unit of A.I. computing. The idea of taxing it has gained some traction, including on Wall Street, as a way to increase the cost of using machines instead of human labor.

Some jobs, Mr. Gates said, should be prohibited from being replaced by A.I. — an idea he called “Human Reserved” — because the role is deeply personal, like a caregiver, or the people in those jobs are unlikely to find new employment.

He argued for new international agreements to set clear criteria to monitor and restrict extreme risks like bioterrorism. He said it could take only a few people with access to advanced A.I. to develop new pathogens.

He said he would happily debate anyone who argued against mandatory reviews of any A.I. system that could be weaponized to make new molecules and unleash a pandemic. Mr. Gates added that he was dumbfounded by the kind of voluntary measures that the White House and industry leaders were developing.

“Self-regulation on the most dangerous tool ever invented?” he said incredulously. “No, thanks!”

Mr. Gates said he was in a “state of shock” as to why there was not more urgency on these issues. Many of his concerns echo those raised by the Anthropic co-founder Dario Amodei, but Dr. Amodei’s warnings have put him at odds with the Pentagon, the White House and much of the tech industry."

In an hourlong interview, he said his industry was downplaying the risks, which he believes include mass unemployment and bioterrorism.

08/25/2026

"Ulster County stands out within that growth. After years of stagnant population figures before the pandemic, the county grew from about 181,800 residents in 2020 to roughly 183,300 today. More significantly, it was the only county in the region to record a net population gain purely from migration activity, adding 279 people and $169.2 million in adjusted gross income through migration.

Demographic estimates indicate that between 2019 and 2022 alone, anywhere from 80,000 to 100,000 New York City residents permanently relocated to the Hudson Valley. That influx has altered the social and economic fabric of communities across Ulster County, including Kingston, New Paltz, Saugerties and Woodstock.

But regional planners, municipal leaders and economists warn that the migration gains coexist with deeper demographic problems. Birth rates across most Hudson Valley counties have fallen by roughly 25% over recent decades, while young adults frequently leave in search of lower housing costs or different job markets. The result is a shrinking youth population."

The demographic map of New York state is increasingly defined by a striking paradox, pitting a sweeping statewide population drain against isolated pockets of local growth. New York continues to rank near the bottom of the nation in domestic migration, losing hundreds of thousands of residents each

08/23/2026

"The Ulster County Legislature has unanimously passed Resolution No. 454, calling on Congress to pass HR 1340, also known as the More Homes on the Market Act. When passed, this bill will raise the threshold before capital gains taxes set in on home sales from $250,000 to $500,000 for an individual and from $500,000 to $1,000,000 for joint filers following the sale of a primary residence."

KINGSTON - The Ulster County Legislature has unanimously passed Resolution No. 454, calling on Congress to pass HR 1340, also known as the More Homes on the Mar

08/22/2026

*The proposed subdivision would place 30 homes on about 106 acres of a 624-acre property spanning Ulster and Woodstock.

*The (WLC) conservancy expects a challenge to the environmental determination to cost at least $70,000 over the coming months, Mossey (executive director) said. He said the organization has spent $86,891 on legal work related to the project, including its unsuccessful effort to contest the Planning Board’s authority.

*Kleinberg and fellow developer Eddie Greenberg said about 500 acres of the property, all in Woodstock, would be left undeveloped if the subdivision moves forward.

*Kleinberg said the developers have offered several times to sell the undeveloped land to the conservancy. According to Kleinberg, the conservancy rejected each offer. Mossey said the conservancy’s “number one goal” is to buy the property in its entirety, including the 106 acres slated for development in Ulster.

Opponents of Zena Homes are weighing two potential court challenges and focusing on Eastwoods Drive, the development’s proposed access route through Woodstock, after the project cleared two hurdles in the Town of Ulster last week. The Woodstock Land Conservancy and Stop Zena Development, a communi...

08/21/2026

NoVo Foundation’s Metro complex in Kingston to open in late 2026
"A former manufacturing facility on Greenkill Avenue known as The Metro will open in phases as soon as the end of 2026, the complex’s owner, the NoVo Foundation, announced during a construction tour Thursday.

The 70,000-square-foot building will have spaces for gathering, eating food and creating a wide array of objects, as well as places for learning and creativity, foundation officials said.

NoVo Foundation Executive Director Megan Weiss-Rowe said the project represents a $55 million investment in Kingston during a tour that was also led by Peter Buffet, who controls the foundation and its Kingston-focused arm, NoVo in Kingston, with his wife, Jennifer.

While the Metro project was originally focused on young people, Buffett and Rowe pointed out during the tour a number of facilities that will also offer projects for all ages.

Buffett said the project will open in phases over a course of more than a year."

https://www.dailyfreeman.com/2026/08/20/novo-foundations-metro-complex-in-kingston-to-open-in-late-2026/