Within a few weeks, the heart of the Village of Ellenville is likely to be transformed. Work will begin on projects and buildings that are currently in the “plans and engineering” stage or “Fully Executed Contract” stage of a sale.

And, not to be forgotten, the years long project of rehabilitating the Hunt Memorial Building is moving into its final stages. More on that next month.

The biggest news, and most exciting possibility, is the purchase of the sprawling structure at 130 Canal, which currently houses the Publik House at one end. The 6,292-square-foot building, which, in addition to the Publik House, features a space in the middle that was once occupied by Mimmy’s Cupcakes and then later a Jamaican restaurant, has a much larger space at the end across from the Ellenville Post Office. That space, which once was home to the Wayside Petfood store and then Pleasant Stone Farm Health Food Store, was taken up briefly by the operation that tried to have the Nevele converted to a casino. After that it went dark, too, had a brief occupancy by some artists and then emptied once more.

Now a group of investors is in contract to buy the building, which has a listed price of $529,999. However, the long, white building is only part of the property. The 1.5-acre lot reaches down Bogardus Place towards Maple Avenue and incorporates a second structure, once used as a martial arts school, which fronts onto Hermance Street. In several ways this large property is the most important and mostly vacant property in the village. It was once the site of the magnificent four-story Wayside Inn, which boasted 100 rooms and a 400-seat dining room. That building burned down in October 1967. It had been erected on the site of the equally grand Terwilliger House, which was built in the 1830s and bought by Eli Terwilliger in 1847. That hotel burned in 1904. Anchoring the eastern side of Liberty Square, this series of buildings have, in their way, told the story of the village for 185 years. The back areas of the lot were once stables filled with horses and carriages. The hotels were active, bustling places with carriages coming and going while the village underwent its early industrial boom as the center for Ellenville Glass, and then shifted to hotels, with summer visitors arriving by train from New York City and elsewhere.

Ellenville is poised on the brink of a kind of renaissance. Newcomers are buying houses in and around the village, realtors describe the market as “hot,” and closings have been coming in double figures. Every commercial property in the village that is for sale is either in contract or is being investigated by potential buyers.

The group now on the verge of buying the property have a number of plans for it, but at this stage, as they approach a closing on the sale, there is a natural reluctance to announce anything publicly.

However, the Shawangunk Journal can reveal, having spoken to them, that they have some exciting concepts and ideas for the building and the entire lot. More on this later when information becomes available.

Meanwhile, at 119 Canal, on the south side of Liberty Square, the boutique hotel plan that has planning permission from the village is moving through the stage of drawing up plans, along with engineering research.

Farther south, the Terrace Motel is also in the closing stages of a sale. The new owners there have been very active in the community and the county, and their plans for the long-dormant Terrace are exciting, too.

Other properties with commercial pasts are also in one stage or another of sales, including the former Slutsky Lumber location on Pine Street.

Amidst this bubbling situation, Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress, a nonprofit policy, planning, advocacy and research organization, has delivered its long awaited “Strategic Revitalization Plan,” for the village, which was in the works in 2020, but then was delayed by the COVID pandemic. The plan was funded by a grant from New York State that came in through the Consolidated Funding Application process (CFA).

There are some basic statistics to remember. The village covers just under two square miles on the flat ground beneath the Shawangunk Ridge and the hills of Ulster Heights. It sits within the 133 square miles of the Town of Wawarsing, and lies 20 miles east of the Hudson River. Pattern’s report noted, “The village is nestled into a scenic valley, with the Shawangunk Ridge directly to the east and the Catskill mountains to the north. Aside from providing a scenic backdrop for the village, these mountains also provide a significant number of recreational opportunities in close proximity to the village. These recreational activities include hiking, biking, camping, hunting, fishing, hang gliding, and more.”

Ellenville’s Makeup

According to the report, Ellenville’s population is listed currently at 4,043, a decline from 4,158 a decade ago. The report added that the village’s population has hovered around 4,000 since the early 1990s. The population peaked back in 1960 at 5,003.

Ellenville is younger than Ulster County. The median age is 35.2, contrasting with the county’s 43.7. The village has a larger Latino population than the county as well — about 33 percent compared to 10 percent. The Asian population has been growing in recent years and has reached 276, a 124 percent increase.

The village reflects the area’s patterns of change. The population is falling, as is that of the county. The Ellenville school district enrollment fell by 13 percent over the past decade. Poverty is notable, at a rate of 20 percent, and spending power has been stagnant since 2010. Perhaps the most dramatic population statistic, and a not surprising one, is that 54 percent of the 1,592 occupied housing units are rented, and that 58 percent of the housing stock was built before 1960. Roughly 50 percent of Ellenville households spend more than 30 percent of their income on the cost of housing.

What Lies Ahead

The Pattern report listed some worthwhile goals. Number one was to “change the narrative.” Ellenville needs to look less shabby, and it is quite possible that that problem will take care of itself as the hot property market brings in new owners who will repair and paint houses. However, the problem of abandoned and tax foreclosed properties will remain. There simply aren’t many good solutions for those.

Of note, the campaign “Destination Ellenville,” the second goal in Pattern’s summary, aimed at driving people to patronize the village, is already bursting into life. This summer the “StrEATS” operation will be back. Ellenville’s restaurant row will have outdoor seating, and the block around Liberty Square, Market Street and Ann Street will be cordoned off. Ellenville’s grand Blueberry Festival event has already been approved and will likely take place this year. Though it appears unlikely that Shadowland Stages will open for a regular season, people associated with the theater say they are still examining possibilities.

Plus, the planned farmer’s market, which was officially approved Monday, will be happening on a set of Friday evenings, beginning June 25. The market is now being seen as “The Market on Market,” with the block of Market Street between Center and Canal streets being closed off, as it is already for StrEATS at 4 p.m. on Fridays, and filled with market stalls and shoppers.

The Pattern for Progress plan envisions turning that block into a walkable area, with plantings to soften the architectural look. Under the heading “Integrate Market Street,” the Pattern plan suggest the block is “highly suitable” to become a pedestrian walkway.

For outdoor connections, the report suggested adding a village-run campground to Berme Road Park, along with other ways to boost its attractiveness to visitors who want to climb the Smiley Carriage Road into the Minnewaska State Park, or perhaps park in Ellenville and take a shuttle up to the Sam’s Point Park entrance in Cragsmoor.

For job growth and economic help, the report suggests the village work to entice manufacturing operations back to the village, and even invest in adding a solar farm that could offset local energy costs. One suggestion was to work with the Town of Wawarsing to put a solar farm in the location of the old Schrade knife factory.

Of course, many of the plans cited in the Pattern report require a certain amount of village investment. Investing right now is not easy, as the village is still recovering from the fiscal blow dealt by the 2015 revaluation, which stripped a lot of taxable value away. Grants are being pursued, however, and that is likely to be the primary avenue for such investment monies. Incidentally, if some of these revitalization efforts bear fruit, the village will be worth more in the long run, possibly making another revaluation necessary.

The Pattern report has considerable detail on many other ideas for revitalizing Ellenville and the full report (available at pattern-for-progress.org) is well worth obtaining and studying. It does seem to be prescient as we step into spring at last and witness the beginnings of a serious change in the commercial life of the village, which does now seem to be back on an upward swing.

For a look at what Ellenville residents like and dislike about the village, as well as the proposal for Market Street, chick on the above slideshow.