A New Documantary Focuses on Urban Renewal Gone Wrong in Kingston

In the early 1960s, an urban renewal project was given the green light in the Rondout neighborhood of Kingston. It was supposed to wipe the slate clean and provide beautiful buildings, new housing, and more amenities for the local residents. What it actually did though was displace families and destroy historic buildings, a process now called Urban Removal.

According to Hudson Valley News Network, a new documentary titled Lost Rondout: A Story of Urban Renewal will be shown this Sunday, October 18 at Bevier House Museum, 2682 Route 209 in Marbletown, from 3:00-4:30 PM, followed by a discussion led by Lynn Woods, co-producer of the film. This screening is free and is being presented by the Ulster County Historical Society.

Here's the trailer for the film.

The Hudson Valley News Network article goes on to state that the hour-long film examines what was promised and what actually happened during the American urban renewal that had a devastating impact on residents. Preservationists, artists and pioneer business people were able to save only a handful of buildings from that era.