Kirkland Hotel Begins Restoration

(Kingston) - After years of working to secure the funding and other necessary clearances, Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) recently took part in the groundbreaking ceremony for the restoration of the historic Kirkland Hotel in Kingston. The total cost of the restoration to the hotel is $4,275,200, of which $1,066,200 is coming from the federal government.

“The restoration of the Kirkland will play a critical role in the redevelopment of Kingston overall and will help give a real shot in the arm to the local economy,” Hinchey said. “The people of Kingston have been waiting for this day for a long time. We all look forward to the opening of the restored Kirkland and to enjoying all of its wonderful amenities. This is the latest step in an ongoing, comprehensive effort to revitalize Kingston.”

When the restoration is complete, the Kirkland will feature nearly 6,000 square feet of restaurant and pub space, 6,000 square feet of office space and 3,000 square feet of rental housing designed as “work-live” space. The project is estimated to create over 40 jobs in Kingston. In addition to the restaurant jobs, other positions are expected to be created through small business expansion and new ventures the office space. The design calls for the building to be wired for information technology to attract high tech businesses to the office space and technology professionals to the work-live space.

As part of the more than $1 million in federal funds for the restoration project, Hinchey used his position on the House Appropriations Committee to help secure a $121,500 allocation from Congress through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The congressman also helped obtain a $99,900 federal grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This project is also benefiting from hundreds of thousands of dollars that Hinchey previously secured for the City of Kingston in support of community development projects. Those funds come from a series of programs, including through Community Development Block Grants. Additionally, the congressman helped support applications for state grants that total more than $1 million.

The Kirkland Hotel is on the national and state register of historic places. The building was constructed in 1899, but has remained vacant since 1983.