The Metro

The Metro building is a 70,000 sq. ft former factory located at the corner of South Prospect Street and Greenkill Avenue in Midtown Kingston. Both The Metro’s 15,000 sq. ft. Fabrication Center and the remaining 55,000 sq. ft. area of the building are under currently under construction.

The core intention behind The Metro is to offer a supportive space for young people, particularly youth and young adults in Midtown, to gain hands-on education, training, and career opportunities, with an emphasis on the trades and local production. The Metro will offer work areas for entrepreneurs and small businesses, as well as a variety of multi-use spaces and services, based upon community input and interest.

Lead architect Chris Smailer of Midtown-based Dutton Architecture has guided the design of an adaptive reuse approach that prioritizes energy-efficiency and sustainability in every facet. This forward thinking aligns directly with the mission of NoVo in Kingston in creating safe, accessible spaces that contribute to Kingston’s community resiliency. It was also a priority identified by The Metro Youth Design team, a group of local youth who have been serving as an advisory panel for the project under leadership from The Kingston YMCA Farm Project and The Boys and Girls Club of Ulster County.

 Construction Updates

NoVo in Kingston is partnering with PC Construction, a 100% employee-owned company, to complete the work on this project. In the Spring of 2024, geothermal drilling and parking lot repairs were completed. A total of thirty-two geothermal wells were piped to the building and backfilled as part of this pre-construction phase. This significant upfront investment in these innovative technologies will lower long-term operating costs and ensure stability of the building’s operation in response to our changing climate. Other sustainable building measures incorporated in The Metro project include ensuring a carbon-neutral building performance by creating an ultra-high efficiency building envelope. This means continuous insulation is being applied to existing un-insulated exterior walls.

In October 2024, 300 hundred yards of concrete were poured over a four-day period to create the new concrete slab for The Metro Fabrication Center and mechanical spaces. Prior to the installation, over 30,000 square feet of insulation was installed beneath the slab for top thermal efficiency, which will augment the building’s geothermal heating and cooling systems. October also saw the installation of 2,640 linear feet of blocking to facilitate the fitting of new windows on the second floor.

Throughout the design and construction process, preserving elements of the building’s classical midcentury look have been prioritized to respect the character of the neighborhood where it has stood since 1946. Originally designed by locally renowned architect Albert E. Milliken in the 1940’s, The Metro is a local example of trends in construction as national markets transitioned back to peacetime production in the initial years following World War II.

In November/December 2024, construction will include the replacement of single pane, steel-framed factory style windows with premium efficiency triple-pane insulated glass. This will be done by utilizing a stainless-steel thermally broken frame that replicates the building’s original appearance.

Winter 2025 will bring increased construction activity to the site, and exterior building improvements will soon be clearly visible in the neighborhood. NoVo in Kingston is honored to play a small part in helping to preserve the beauty and history of Midtown by bringing this building back to a productive, community-centered use. Please check back here for updates, or follow along on social media at Facebook or Instagram!