Hudson Housing Authority presents plan to replace obsolete towers with 256 affordable units; board advises more detail on parking, flood mitigation and design

The Hudson Housing Authority presented a two‑phase redevelopment concept March 11 that would replace the aging Bliss Towers and Columbia Apartments with roughly 256 units of affordable housing and a central courtyard park. HHA leaders described a plan intended to preserve on‑site capacity for existing residents during construction and to add commercial and community space on the ground floor.

HHA executive director Jeffrey Dodson and chair Elizabeth Smith told the planning board the authority’s master plan includes 256 units, a publicly accessible two‑acre open space, ground‑floor commercial space intended for services such as groceries or daycare, and sustainability measures including geothermal heating/cooling and solar panels. The HHA said the project is being advanced in phases so existing residents will not be displaced during construction.

Why it matters: the authority oversees publicly subsidized housing in Hudson; the replacement of aging mid‑century buildings is a major municipal housing action with long‑term impacts on affordable housing supply, neighborhood circulation and parkland design.

Project scope and sustainability claims

Architect Alexander Gorlin described lowering the maximum building heights from earlier concepts, shifting from taller towers to four‑ and five‑story buildings placed to create a large courtyard and a two‑acre public open space. The design team said the project anticipates high sustainable performance standards (the team referenced Enterprise/green‑building approaches), rooftop solar and green roofs for cooling and energy generation.

Phasing and resident relocation

Dodson said the project is proposed in two phases so that existing residents can move into the new units as they are completed; the team said no resident would be permanently displaced as a result of the redevelopment.

Parking, circulation and pedestrian connections

Board members and many public commenters focused on parking, in‑site circulation and how the development would connect to downtown Hudson. Project engineers described a range of on‑site parking (roughly 55 to 66 spaces reported in plan views) and additional on‑street spaces along Columbia Street. The design team proposed “pedestrianizing” State Street inside the project footprint (with bollards and removable access for emergency vehicles) to create a safe, semi‑public spine through the complex; service and emergency vehicle access would be maintained.

Several speakers recommended stronger guarantees for pedestrian access to downtown and stressed that ground‑floor commercial tenants, if secured, should be appropriate to residents’ needs (grocer, childcare, community services). The HHA team said they have discussed possible tenants and are pursuing interest but have made no firm leasing commitments.

Floodplain, stormwater and engineering

Engineers presented the site topography and said the parcel slopes roughly 15 feet from east to west toward the river; one board member and multiple residents said adjacent low‑lying areas and parkland have flooded repeatedly. The design team said they would raise first‑floor elevations above the FEMA 100‑year flood elevation cited in maps used for design, include underground detention chambers under parking and would provide compensatory storage in the floodplain rather than expanding flood risk to neighboring properties.

Public comment and tenant engagement

The meeting included HHA tenants and Hudson residents. Speakers raised safety, privacy and long‑term maintenance questions for the new open space and asked about tenant amenities, accessibility and the future of on‑site management. HHA representatives said they are holding regular tenant meetings and that tenant input has helped shape program elements; they described a recent tenant charrette and noted plans for ongoing community engagement.

Procedural steps, escrows and next steps

This session functioned as a presubmission conference: HHA submitted an initial application and a check for required fees and escrow. The board took a motion to accept the payment and invited the authority to return next month with a more complete site‑plan package and elevations. Board members and the applicant agreed to continue design coordination with city staff, the conservation advisory council and the Columbia Land Conservancy on open‑space stewardship and the waterfront interface.

The HHA team said they expect to return with a more advanced submission at the next meeting and to provide more detailed civil engineering, floodplain compensation and elevation drawings for the board’s review.