Galvan presents plans for former orphan’s asylum

The Galvan Initiatives Foundation unveiled its plans for the former Hudson Orphans Asylum and a nearby building at Wednesdays Planning Commission meeting. Although the plan involves two buildings and two additions, each of two to three stories, Galvan attorney Joseph Catalano said uses have only been identified for a portion of the project, specifically, 10 studio apartments on Seventh Street.

Galvan owns a long-vacant three-story brick building at the corner of Seventh and State streets, vacant parcels adjacent to it on both Seventh and State and a vacant, one-story garage just beyond the vacant parcel on Seventh Street.

The Seventh Street property is just opposite the vacant, 142-year-old Hudson Upper railroad depot on the east side of the street.

Catalano said he didnt know if the project would have targeted tenants. In 2012, Galvan and the Mental Health Association proposed converting 622-624 State into a shelter for 30 homeless people. Since then, the countys number of homeless has dropped off dramatically, and Catalano didnt mention the word homeless Wednesday, although he did say the word hotel once or twice.

The current plans are being designed by architect John OConnell of Arlington, Mass.

The plan proposes building a 2.5-story addition to the three-story building on the vacant land on State Street; a two-story infill addition between the three-story building and the garage on Seventh Street; and adding two stories to the garage.

In 2010, Galvan demolished the then-existing addition at 620 State. At that time, then-Code Enforcement Officer Peter Wurster said Galvan was already at work on a plan to restore the main building, 622-624 State St.

A series of three four-step staircases would be placed on the inclined land on the west side of the 2.5-story addition on State Street, leading down to an open alcove in the midst of the three buildings.

Originally, Catalano said, the plan called for 24 studio apartments, but that number has been scaled down to 10, to be sited in 622-624. The to-be-converted garage, he said, wouldnt have any apartments, but could be a multipurpose building for educational or community use.

Two handicap-accessible apartments are planned for the first floor of 622-624, OConnell said, with large apartments on the second floor and smaller apartments under the eaves of the third story.

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Galvan presents plans for former orphan’s asylum