City to buy select Destination Hudson assets, operate Visitor Center

by Judy Stringer

Feb. 18 city council meeting

The city of Hudson will assume management of the Visitor Center in the city-owned Town Hall building after Hudson City Council agreed, in a 5-2 vote, to terminate Destination Hudson’s lease there and purchase selected assets. The nonprofit organization has managed and staffed the center at its current location for the past decade.

At a Jan. 28 city council workshop, City Manager Thom Sheridan estimated the value of physical assets that the city will purchase in the low $30,000s. Those include Destination Hudson’s inventory of Hudson-themed gifts and keepsakes and some furnishings.

“They would keep the Destination Hudson name,” Sheridan said. “We would call this center downstairs the Hudson Visitor Center, and we would have the items on the walls. We’re working on hours. We’re working on how we’re going to staff it.”

At the Feb. 18 council meeting, council members Patricia Goetz and Nicole Kowalski voted against the legislation. Goetz questioned the rationale behind taking over the Visitor Center and the costs involved. 

Council member Skylar Sutton said that the “unanimously approved comprehensive plan” recommended the city take a larger role in promoting downtown, including management of the Visitor Center. He and other council members also cited the retirement of key Destination Hudson personnel as a driver behind the transition. 

In its consent agenda, council passed a resolution that renews the designation of Republic Services as the city’s preferred trash and recycling vendor and authorizes the city manager to enter into a three-year contract extension that includes a 10.8% increase in the first year and 5% in the second and third years. ∞