Why FoSS supports Bliss Gardens
Current residents of Bliss Towers and Columbia Apartments need safe, dignified new homes. Friends of Second Street believes Hudson should examine every credible way to deliver them. That is why we endorse Bliss Gardens, the alternative proposal being developed by Project7Hudson.
The HHA/Mountco proposal begins with 166 new homes in Phase 1. Current residents would move into those homes, but that move alone would not complete the redevelopment. The later housing phase still needs financing, and Hudson needs a clear, dependable account of how and when Bliss Towers and Columbia Apartments will be demolished.
That is the question Bliss Gardens brings into focus. It proposes one housing build, followed by residents moving into new homes and the removal of the existing buildings, with demolition included in the financing plan from the outset. FoSS believes both approaches should be judged by the complete place they can reliably deliver—not only by the first buildings they propose to construct.
Ariel concept of Bliss Gardens after Bliss Towers and Columbia Apartments have been demolished. It shows the proposed homes, gardens, and park in the context of the surrounding neighborhood. This is an illustrative working design, not a final plan. Image courtesy of Project7Hudson.
New homes, with a plan for what follows
Bliss Gardens proposes approximately 140 affordable homes in one coordinated housing build on the existing Bliss property. Residents would move into the completed apartments before Bliss Towers and Columbia Apartments are demolished. Crucially, the proposal calls for demolition funding to be included from the start, rather than leaving the old buildings’ removal dependent on financing for another housing phase.
Room for daily life
The proposal considers the homes and the spaces around them together: gardens close to residents’ doors, places to gather and play, and a future park where the tower now stands. Across State Street, the existing recreation parcel would continue to serve the community, with its mature trees preserved.
An alternative Hudson can examine
Bliss Gardens is a working proposal. Its design, resident transition, costs, financing, approvals, and construction schedule all require further testing. FoSS endorses the direction it offers and supports a public comparison of the full outcomes each plan could deliver.