Senator Eldridge Secures $230,000 in FY22 Budget for the Town of Hudson
Funds will go towards purchasing the Hudson Armory for renovation
Hudson - State Senator Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton) has secured $230,000 in the FY22 Senate Budget for the Town of Hudson to purchase the Hudson Armory in downtown Hudson. The Massachusetts State Senate unanimously passed a $47.7 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) after adding $63.7 million in targeted investments over the course of three days of robust deliberations.
A community’s downtown is a hub of economic and social development, and a healthy, thriving downtown is important to the long-term success of small towns and big cities alike,” said State Senator Jamie Eldridge. “Purchasing and repurposing the Hudson Armory into a community space will bring more life to the already rising Downtown. The $230,000 earmark that I secured will allow the town to purchase the Armory and begin the renovation process. I’m thankful for the cooperation of the State Senate, Senate President Karen Spilka, and Senate Ways and Means Committee Chairman Michael Rodrigues for their help in passing this earmark.”
The Hudson Armory is a state-owned building located in downtown Hudson. The Hudson Board of Selectmen recently approved a plan to purchase the building from the state for $230,000 in order to convert it into a community space. Senator Eldridge’s earmark will cover the full cost of the sale, allowing the fundraising efforts of residents to go directly towards renovating the building. This project is the capstone of Hudson’s downtown revitalization and will serve as both the hub of Hudson’s Cultural District and an ideal jumping-off point for the newly renovated South Street, the proposed Riverwalk, and the shops and restaurants in and around Wood Square.
“Artists and performing groups in Hudson and the local area have expressed the need for performance, practice, and exhibit space. The Armory's location in Hudson's thriving downtown is ideal for such an arts center,” said Andy Horvitz, President of the Hudson Cultural Alliance. “We look forward to transforming the facility into a community asset serving all ages across a range of uses. This cultural development investment and the preservation of this historic building will pay economic and community dividends in Hudson and the region for generations to come.”
Differences between the Senate budget and the version passed by the Massachusetts House of Representatives last month are expected to be reconciled through a Conference Committee.
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