Former Jail Transformed Into Home for 164 Hudson Valley Families

A former jail is now home to 164 Hudson Valley families.

If you've lived in the Hudson Valley long enough, you probably remember when the hilltop above Kingston was best known for the old Ulster County Jail. That empty property has sat quiet for years, a reminder of a very different time in local history.

This week that spot finally changed for good.

A Former Jail Becomes a New Hudson Valley Community

Golden Hill Apartments has officially opened in Kingston. The $87 million project sits on the same 20-acre site where the jail once stood, but the view today is very different. Instead of cells and concrete, there are two mid-rise apartment buildings, four townhomes and a community center that will soon be buzzing with families and seniors.

The development includes 164 affordable apartments for households earning up to 80 percent of the area's median income. Nearly half of the units are reserved for seniors, and 48 homes are set aside for people who need on-site support services. Families facing homelessness will have direct access to counseling, care coordination and other programs provided by Family of Woodstock.

Energy Efficient and Connected to Kingston

Golden Hill is also fully electric. Solar panels on each roof generate hundreds of kilowatts of renewable energy, and the buildings are designed to stay efficient throughout the seasons. High performance windows, solar shading in summer, and energy recovery systems are all built in.

The apartments connect to several landscaped outdoor areas. There are five playgrounds, gardens, a plaza and a direct link to the Empire State Trail. Residents will also have access to a new fitness center, a community porch and a child care center that will be open to the public. Ulster County Area Transit plans to add a new bus stop at the property later this year.

A Push to Address a Growing Need

Local officials have been sounding the alarm about affordable housing for years. Under former County Executive Pat Ryan, the county identified the old jail as a key redevelopment site in its 2021 Housing Action Plan. The need has only grown since then.

Governor Kathy Hochul says Golden Hill is part of the state’s larger effort to increase housing supply. The project received support from the Mid Hudson Momentum Fund and a wide range of state and federal programs. In the past five years, New York State Homes and Community Renewal has created or preserved more than 1,100 affordable homes in Ulster County alone.

Golden Hill feeds into that push by offering homes for seniors, families and residents who have struggled to find stable housing. The development is also close to health and community services, including the Ulster County Department of Health, the Boys and Girls Club, pharmacies and downtown Kingston.

A Model for Future Projects

Officials at every level praised the project as a blueprint for how to reuse underutilized property. Kingston Mayor Steve Noble called it a shining example of what can happen when counties, cities and nonprofits pull together. Family of Woodstock says Golden Hill is especially important because it targets the income levels of the local workforce, something many recent housing developments have failed to do.

While Golden Hill Apartments is not the final solution to the Hudson Valley’s housing troubles, it is a major step forward.