View as Webpage

A Roundup of Recent Ulster County Business-Related News, Views, and More

July 29th, 2026

Dear Ulster Strong Members & Community Partners,

When local business leaders speak up with clear data and a unified voice, government pays attention.

Over the past several weeks, input from Ulster Strong members and our broader business community proved instrumental in shaping local tax policy. Thanks to your survey responses, feedback, and active advocacy, county officials formally requested key modifications to the proposed Ulster County for Fair Taxes Act. These adjustments raised proposed income thresholds and addressed critical concerns impacting local employers, farms, and entrepreneurs.

While these modifications mark an important victory for local engagement, our work is far from finished. Because state legislation for this tax proposal cannot be considered until next year's legislative session, we have a crucial window ahead. Ulster Strong will continue pushing county and state leaders for greater transparency, rigorous economic impact analysis, and broader public engagement before this issue resurfaces. Sustainable growth requires evidence-based decision-making—not rushed tax policy.

And effective advocacy starts with a strong, connected network. Beyond policy work, building a resilient local economy comes down to staying connected across sectors and communities. We would love to celebrate our recent progress and discuss what’s next together in person.

Join Us Tomorrow (July 30th): Ulster Strong Summer Mixer

When: Thursday, July 30th at 5:00 PM

Where: The Cornell Restaurant + Bar

What: Unwind, network, and connect with fellow business leaders, innovators, and the Ulster Strong team.

Alert: We are nearing capacity! Free tickets are going fast, so please claim your spot now to ensure entry.

Register Here

See you there!

REMEMBER: you can always find this and other recent Ulster Strong Business Bulletins on our website at ulsterstrong.com

(Pictured: Newly opened Lake Sophia swimming facility and bathhouse pavilion at Sojourner Truth State Park in Ulster County. - photo: Office of the Governor of New York)

This newsletter includes the following:

The Business of New Paltz

with Mayor Tim Rodgers and Garvan McColosky

NEW Ulster County Director of Economic Development Announced

Rail with Trail is Feasible, but Costly

A $4.5 million state grant will reshape housing and downtown development in Ellenville

Affordable housing breakthrough: Kingston receives $82.6 million to preserve and develop public units

Kingston Planning Board approves Boulevard apartment project with 20 two-bedroom units

SUNY Ulster launches first-of-its-kind workforce program in New York

Mid-Hudson Valley counties receive disaster declaration over April frost

Hudson Valley Parking Lots Could Become Housing, Parks, and Walkable Communities

DATA BITES

Six years after COVID sent shock waves through its economy, wiping out longstanding businesses and leaving many smaller Main Street storefronts empty, a new New Paltz economy has emerged as a wave of well-heeled downstate transplants join SUNY New Paltz students and seasonal tourists who have long served as the town’s economic lifeblood.

“The business environment in New Paltz is thriving,” said Garvan McColosky, owner of Garvan’s Gastropub on Huguenot Street. “COVID was probably a turning point for a lot of places. New Paltz has become very much a desired place to come and visit, and a desired place to come and live.”

Set amid locust trees in a 1759 Huguenot house, adjacent to a golf course in the town just north of the village line, Garvan’s Gastropub since 2016 has built a dedicated following among local foodies. It has a reputation for fresh, local food served in an elegant environment while also building a clientele among the tourists who flock to the town every summer and fall. Prior to opening the eatery McClosky, who emigrated to the U.S. from County Donegal Ireland, managed former Main Street mainstay Shea O’Brian’s where he saw firsthand the economic mix of New Paltz’s students, tourists and longtime locals.

“New Paltz has a huge advantage over other towns in the Hudson Valley in that every year you have two-and-a-half, 3,000 19-year-olds coming in, and that’s forever,” said McClosky. “If you’re coming here to do business, you’re going to be faced with people who are very willing to try you out, and who will 100-percent support you if you’re good.”

Offering a different view, Town Supervisor Tim Rogers acknowledged “tailwinds” for businesses in New Paltz, including the student population and the seasonal influx of tourists. But, Rogers said,the picture of a thriving business sector was clouded by other post-pandemic economic realities which have made the town more and more unaffordable for longtime-locals.

“With inflation, with the tariffs being levied by the federal government, there is this widening gap between the haves and the have-nots, the people who are actually working in the jobs that fulfill the needs and demands of [students and tourists],” said Rogers. “So, it’s a complicated picture.”

Rogers said that he had observed a number of new businesses open in the heart of town recently, including a smoothie shop and several beauty and wellness-based enterprises while longtime fixtures like the water street market appeared to be thriving. Rogers credits the town and village’s longtime strategy of smart growth for helping create an environment where businesses like Garvan’s can thrive.

For example, Rogers said, all new construction in the village must be multi-story with ground-floor commercial space while the town has sought to combat sprawl and preserve open space by guiding developers to build in places with existing sewer and water infrastructure. Rogers said he had recently read an interview by his friend, Mayor Robert Cantelmo of Ithaca - another college town - who shares his views on the importance of smart growth strategies for creating a healthy economic environment.

“Like, me, he’s also a big proponent of building out the core of your community,” said Rogers. “It’s cleaner, it’s better for you and it gives your small businesses a fighting chance.”

But if careful decisions around land use can be a boon to New Paltz small businesses, McClosky said they can also create hassles. A few years ago, when he tried to get an approval to make his pandemic-era garden dining area permanent, he said, he found the process “clunky” and needlessly complicated.

“It was aggravating,” said McCloksy of the drawn out and contentious approval process. “Generally, I have to say the town has been very good to deal with but that was a situation where I felt we could have been supported a little bit better.”

Clunky permitting processes aside though, McClosky said he remained bullish on New Paltz as a place where a smart business owner who understands the town’s population and its needs can thrive. McClosky said he was especially hopeful that a few more higher-end establishments, like the Gastropub, would pop up to compliment New Paltz’s many dining options for cash-strapped collegians and make the town as much a destination for food tourists as rock climbers and leaf-peepers.

“It’s a very special place, people are so welcoming,” said McClosky of his adopted hometown. “And it’s very much a town that will support a good business.”

Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger has appointed Leslie Wellington as interim director of the Department of Economic Development. Wellington is an Olivebridge resident and the current board chair of the Ulster County Economic Development Alliance. She brings nearly two decades of experience in community and economic development to the role. She succeeds Joshua Stratton-Rayner, who is leaving to pursue other opportunities. “I want to thank Joshua Stratton-Rayner for his service as director and prior service as deputy director, and wish him the best as he pursues other opportunities,” Metzger said.

As UCEDA Chair, Wellington helped advance redevelopment projects, shaped lending policies for the county’s soon-to-be-launched Revolving Loan Fund, and supported local businesses. She is also helping plan the 2026 Ulster County Economic Futures Summit, set for October. “Leslie has already made a tremendous impact in Ulster County through her leadership at UCEDA and her work shaping the Economic Futures Summit planned for the fall,” Metzger said. During the interim period, Vice Chair Brian Cahill will serve as UCEDA Chair, and Wellington will remain a board member.

"Developing a 1.8-mile stretch of the county-owned rail corridor between state Route 28A and Basin Road for use by both rail and trail is feasible, but would cost four times as much as for rail or trail only, according to a recently released study.

According to a 68-page draft study by the engineering firm Barton & Lojudice, it would cost up to $16.31 million to convert the undesignated segment of the former Ulster & Delaware for use by both rail and pedestrian trail. By contrast, it would cost $4.45 million to refurbish the corridor for rail use and $4.08 million to turn the stretch into a pedestrian trail.



“Each alternative is feasible to be constructed without environmental factors providing a significant roadblock,” the draft states. “In ALL cases, care to protect the environmental resources in this corridor must be a top priority. The designs proposed in this study do their best to protect these resources.”

The Village of Ellenville is poised for a major economic and community transformation following its selection as the Mid-Hudson regional winner in the fourth round of New York state’s NY Forward program. The state grant delivers $4.5 million in state funding directly to the Ulster County village.

For Village Mayor Evan Trent, the funding represents a monumental opportunity to refine the village’s original development vision and home in on high-impact projects. “We are incredibly excited to get started,” Trent noted, emphasizing that the focus will remain on initiatives that deliver a deep, meaningful impact for the community.

At the core of Ellenville’s revitalization strategy is a robust housing push designed to bring more high-quality, affordable housing options to this region of the state. To maximize the layout of the downtown district, which centers on two major parallel main streets, the village intends to leverage mixed-use development models.

In a major boost for public housing in Kingston, state officials on Thursday announced $82.6 million in financing for new construction and redevelopment at three existing public housing complexes owned by the Kingston Housing Authority. The money will preserve 158 affordable apartments and fund new construction of affordable units. All are planned to remain affordable to residents earning at or below the area median income, and 30 will offer support services.

The award is Kingston’s share of nearly $1 billion in housing bonds and subsidies announced by New York State Homes and Community Renewal. It falls under Governor Kathy Hochul’s $25 billion, five-year Housing Plan, which aims to create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes across New York....



The authority manages hundreds of rental units across several Kingston properties, including Colonial Gardens, Wiltwyck Gardens and Rondout Gardens.

SUNY Ulster will become the first community college in New York to enroll in a national program that will reimburse the college for student support programs while helping low-income students complete their education.

The college announced on Wednesday that it has partnered with Ulster County to launch a SNAP Enrollment and Training program, which offers funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for services like cost-free transportation, childcare, career coaching and workforce training.

Under the agreement, any SNAP-eligible student enrolled in the college’s workforce programs can access those support services through the Ulster County Department of Social Services. The college will then receive a 50% federal reimbursement for eligible costs.

“This is federal workforce funding that is coming in, and it provides a way to reimburse the college for some of the important work we already do for our students,” SUNY Ulster President Alison Buckley said. “What SNAP Enrollment and Training does is provide a pathway where the college receives federal funds to reinvest in this work.

Great news for our local farmers and community!

A disaster declaration for Ulster, Dutchess, Columbia and Greene counties was granted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in response to a catastrophic spring freeze that severely damaged early-blooming crops like apples, cherries and other stone fruits.

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the declaration on Saturday morning, July 25. The designation enables farmers affected by the frost to apply for low-interest emergency farm loans to cover their losses and could pause repayment requirements on already existing loans."

The parking lot at the Hudson Valley Mall in Kingston was built for a version of the future that never quite arrived. Or perhaps one that already passed.

On a gray weekday morning, the asphalt stretches outward in every direction, a cratered plain of faded striping and empty spaces. Near the surviving businesses—Target, a Muay Thai gym, the cineplex—a few cars cluster close to the entrances. Beyond that: acres of pavement, mostly vacant. The lot was designed to accommodate the retail peak—the holiday surge, the era when enclosed malls functioned as the commercial and social centers of suburban America.



“Those parking lots were built to accommodate Black Friday, not next Friday,” says Adam Bosch.

Hudson Valley June 2026 Unemployment Rate

(source: HVEDC from the New York State Department of Labor | Research & Statistics)