500-Acre Park Planned For Banks Of The Hudson River

A sprawling new 500-acre park is planned on the banks of the Hudson River after a local group purchased the land originally earmarked for housing development.

According to a press release from Scenic Hudson, the 508 acres of forested and former industrial land in Kingston and Town of Ulster has been acquired by an affiliate organization called Quarry Waters, LLC. The property includes some 260 acres of woodlands and 37 acres of wetlands to go along with more than a mile of Hudson River waterfront and dramatic cliff and ridgeline. There are also a number of structures on the property leftover from its time as a cement mine and processing facility.

The 1.3-mile waterfront of the property will be a part of the 750 mile Empire State Trail. The trail will enter the property at Hutton Brickyards to the south and continue north to the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge. The trail is expected to be open sometime in fall of 2020.

The land had been slated for construction of a 1,682 unit mixed-use housing development but will now be saved for future generations to use as open space. The property will remain closed to the public until further notice.

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