KINGSTON – The historic Alms House building at 300 Flatbush Avenue in the City of Kingston will be sold by Ulster County to the Rural Ulster Preservation Company. That non-profit agency plans to create special needs housing units in the historic structure that was once the county’s poor house back in the 1870s, as well as develop more than two dozen senior residences in a new building.
RUPCO will pay $950,000 for the property, which in recent years the county used for office space until it abandoned it about two years ago.
RUPCO CEO Kevin O’Connor said they have applied for money under
the governor’s plan to fund 1,200 units of supportive housing around
the state.
“We have been keenly aware of the need for special need housing here so we have a plan to historically repurpose the old building creating small, one-bedroom apartments, to serve some special need folks and hoping to build an additional 32 units of senior housing on the site as well,” O’Connor said.
The Ulster County Economic Development Alliance Board Monday voted to enter into a memorandum of terms with RUPCO for the housing agency to purchase the property. “Sale of this property will return it to the county, city and school district tax rolls, ultimately helping offset local property taxes,” said alliance board Chairwoman Julie Cohen.
Vice Chairman and County Legislator James Maloney said it is “a great reuse of county-owned property.”
County officials, seeking historic designation for the Alms House, posed in front of it last fall
