RI Op-Ed: The Cost of Getting It Wrong at the Hudson Waterfront
Ron Bogle says the future of the waterfront is at a tipping point.
The following letter comes in response to the article "Hudson Mayor Joins Call for Limits on Industrial Use at City Waterfront," published by Rural Intelligence on May 28. If you are interested in submitting an op-ed about an issue in your area, that impacts the community email editor@ruralintelligence.com.
Ron Bogle is a resident of Hudson and president/founder of the National Design Alliance. He is the former president of the Washington DC based American Architectural Foundation and managing partner of the Mayors’ Institute on City Design in association with the National Endowment of the Arts and United States Conference of Mayors.
In the coming weeks, the Hudson Planning Board will decide whether to impose conditions on a gravel hauling operation at the city’s riverfront dock. This may sound like a narrow land use question, but it is, in fact, a pivotal economic issue—one with serious implications for Hudson’s financial future and the long-term health of the waterfront economy.
For the past 15 years, Hudson’s riverfront has undergone a quiet but remarkable transformation. Since Basilica Hudson opened in 2010 — and even earlier, with the Antiques Warehouse housing over 40 businesses — a wave of cultural, hospitality, and service-oriented businesses has taken root along the riverfront, including Kitty’s, The Caboose, Grapefruit Wines, and The Wick Hotel. On the drawing board: the game changing Kaz redevelopment and Dunn Warehouse renovation and transformation. These aren’t just boutique projects — they’re economic drivers, bringing with them jobs, tax revenue, cultural energy, and tens of thousands of visitors every year. And that activity doesn’t stay at the waterfront; it ripples into restaurants, shops, galleries, hotels, and public services across the city — and to every corner of Columbia County.
As Hudson resident and waterfront business owner Ben Fain recently noted, “If the waterfront thrives, we all thrive.” Fain’s businesses currently employ over 82 full-time employees and had a $4 million payroll in 2024, with hundreds of thousands paid in property taxes to the city. In stark contrast, the Greenport based Colarusso paid just $58,000 in Hudson city taxes — and employs few Hudson residents.
The numbers tell the story: businesses rooted in Hudson, investing in its future, are providing more jobs, generating more revenue for the public good, contributing more to the local tax base, and helping build a sustainable future for our town and region.vThis economic momentum isn’t theory—it’s math. In 2023 alone, the Hudson Valley region generated $5 billion in tourism spending, resulting in $614 million in state and local tax revenue. Communities like Hudson don’t just benefit from that spending — they help drive it. And with municipal budgets under pressure, this is no time to make policy decisions that undermine the very businesses that are taking the lead to build a more economically sustainable and vibrant future.
Consider this: according to state tourism data, the average traveler spends hundreds of dollars per day on lodging, dining, shopping, and experiences. A single weekend visit to Hudson can generate thousands of dollars in direct spending—and when multiplied through the local economy via the tourism multiplier, that figure grows significantly. Now scale that across thousands of visitors per year, and we’re looking at millions in economic activity benefiting not just the waterfront, but small businesses, farms, galleries, tradespeople, and city services throughout the region. This isn’t abstract—it’s measurable, recurring revenue that helps fund Hudson’s present and shape its future.
Tourism doesn’t stop at the city line—and neither do the consequences of undermining it. And the threat is real. Colarusso’s current operations already generate heavy truck traffic through Hudson residential and commercial neighborhoods. Residents and property owners have documented the visible impacts: dust, diesel fumes, noise, and regular disruption. But the greater concern is what could happen without enforceable limits.
Planning Board data shows truck traffic could increase by more than 1,200% compared to 2015 levels. Permitted at full capacity, the dock could see over 100,000 truck trips per year—with no existing annual cap. And without conditions, there’s nothing to stop future changes in materials, hours of operation, or barge volume. Even the identity of the operator could change. In effect, Hudson would be granting a blank check for expanded industrial use in its most valuable and vulnerable public space.
This is not anti-business. No one is calling for Colarusso to shut down. But co-existence depends on balance—and the law is on Hudson’s side. As Basilica Hudson co-owner Tony Stone reminded the board, the city’s zoning code gives the Planning Board both the authority and the obligation to act. Reasonable conditions are not just allowed — they are required to protect public health, safety, and welfare.
What should those conditions include? Caps on truck volume and hauling days. Restrictions on materials. Pedestrian and cyclist safety measures. Air quality protections. These are not extreme demands. They are the kinds of measures that allow our city to honor its past while protecting its future.
These conditions are necessary in the short term—but in the long term, Hudson will need a more comprehensive solution. One that expands public access to the riverfront and supports compatible uses, while allowing longstanding businesses the opportunity to thrive in ways better suited to the city’s evolving landscape. That conversation lies ahead. But the decisions made now must set the stage for a more transformational vision.
And what’s at stake is more than economics. Our riverfront is a public place of rare beauty. Like many river towns, Hudson once turned its back to the river, lining its shores with industry. But today, like other cities that have reimagined their futures, we now embrace this treasure—not with nostalgia, but with vision. As former Charleston Mayor Joe Riley often said, people of limited means may never see the Pacific Ocean or the Grand Canyon—but they deserve places of beauty in their own communities. Our waterfront is where people gather. It’s where families walk, children play, and all of us can reflect and be inspired. It’s where community is built. And it’s where Hudson can continue to grow—if we’re wise enough, and brave enough, to protect it.
Now is the time to get this right.
