KINGSTON- State Senator Michelle Hinchey (D, Ulster County) recently visited The Arc Mid-Hudson’s Cornell Creative Business Center to learn how state funding is helping support small businesses, workforce inclusion, and economic development in Kingston.
The center includes nine Economic Development Pods which provide commercial space for local entrepreneurs. The Arc Mid-Hudson, which serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, oversees the center.
In 2025, The Arc Mid-Hudson received a $285,000 Community Resiliency, Economic Sustainability, and Technology Program (CREST) grant. The money was used to replace the roof covering the business pods.
During her visit, Hinchey met with Arc Mid-Hudson staff and entrepreneurs who operate businesses from the pods. Among them was Robert Caravaggi, co-owner of Off the Wheat, a gluten-free bakery.
Caravaggi told Hinchey that the center provides affordable commercial space for small businesses while also creating opportunities for entrepreneurs and people with disabilities to work together and develop job skills.
Hinchey also received fresh doughnuts from Hole in the Wall Donuts, another business operating at the center.
“The Cornell Creative Business Center represents what is possible when we bring together entrepreneurship, inclusion, and community,” said John McHugh, CEO of The Arc Mid-Hudson. He thanked Hinchey for supporting the center through the CREST program.
The Arc Mid-Hudson says the center is designed to bring local businesses and people with disabilities together through entrepreneurship, employment and community engagement.
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