Rensselaer

A nearly two-mile stretch of Hudson River shoreline in Rensselaer, including an historic 19th century mill now vacant and tax-delinquent, could become apartments, shops, a recreational center and hiking trails under an ambitious plan to remake the city's waterfront.

The mostly undeveloped land for what city officials call Kiliaen's Landing stretches along the shore from the Livington Avenue railroad bridge, past the Patroon Island Bridge for Interstate 90, and to the border with the Rensselaer Technology Park in North Greenbush.

"We are pretty excited about what this could mean," said city Planning and Development Director Charles Moore on Friday. The property would be accessed through Forbes Avenue and Tracy Street.

The plan occupies about 75 acres, and calls for a mix of apartments, a recreation center and the rebuilding of the former Barnet-Shoddy mill on Forbes Street, which is now named the Hilton Center.

About half the land at the northern section of the property is owned by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, with the rest held by several private owners, the state of New York, the Rensselaer County Sewer District, and the city of Rensselaer.

A draft environmental impact statement prepared for the city by the engineering consulting firm of Clough Harbour Associates said the land is the "most significant asset and opportunity for long-term revitalization within Rensselaer."

The property is just north of the 25-acre DeLaet's Landing property, where a 96-unit apartment complex is being built on the site of the former Rensselaer High School.

The Kiliaen's Landing plan calls for:

Constuction of 356 apartments in five buildings, between five and six stories tall, at the south end of the property near the Livingston bridge.

Rebuilding of the former mill, which is located next to a public boat launch, to include 60 apartments, along with more than 16,000 square feet of retail and cultural arts space. The property is currently owned by Hilton Management LLC, which owes delinquent property taxes for 2015, 2016 and 2017.

Creation of a two-story, 31,200-square-foot recreation center near the Patroon Island bridge, along with recreational fields.

Building of a hiking and biking path that would connect with a trail network at the Tech Park to the north, and to a planned city bike path to the south.

The area has proved a challenge for past development ideas, which now date back more than two decades, and include Chateau Rensselaer (1995), Patriot's Landing (1999), and Kiliaen's Landing at Capital Harbor (2002).

The land is located within a 100-year floodplain for the Hudson, and to reduce the risk from floods, some areas would have to be raised significantly with fill between nine and 15 feet.

In 2014, the state provided Rensselaer with a $187,500 grant to assist in environmental planning for the Kiliaen project.

Rensselaer officials will hold a public hearing on the plant 6:30 p.m. April 9 at City Hall, 62 Washington St. Copies of the proposal are available at the Rensselaer Public Library, 676 East St.