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Resident urges reuse of Willow River school as community center, warns of 10-year school-use restriction
Summary
Addison Filiatro urged the council to support converting the soon-to-close Willow River school into a community center, outlining uses (artists'space, nonprofits, commercial kitchen, remote-work hub, senior/children's spaces) and noting a district clause restricting school use for 10 years.
Addison Filiatro told the Hudson City Council that Willow River School will close tomorrow and is on the market; she and a group of residents are advocating that the building be preserved and converted into a community center rather than sold into private ownership. Filiatro said the site has been a downtown anchor for more than a century and described a vision that would include affordable space for artists and nonprofits, commercial kitchen rentals, low-cost remote-work hubs, event rentals using the gym and auditorium, and dedicated areas for children and seniors.
Filiatro said a school-use restriction in the district's sale terms prevents the building from reopening as a school for 10 years, which the group views as an opportunity to repurpose the property for community use. She asked the council for support on zoning and ordinance matters if the citizen group acquires the property and emphasized community interest and volunteer organizing already underway.
There was no council motion on the matter during this meeting; staff and council took the public comment as an informational request and did not place a follow-up date on the agenda at the session's close.
