Hudson Park Restaurant to Host Chamber Holiday Business After Hours

Hudson, NY – Join us as Hudson Park Restaurant hosts a Holiday Business After Hours for Columbia County Chamber of Commerce members and their guests on Thursday, December 11 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. The event is being sponsored by Fingar Insurance. The Chamber will also be introducing the 2009 Board of Directors.

Hudson Park is a proposed 16-field baseball and softball facility for teenagers that will be situated on the Livingston/Greenport border and promises to be a boom for the local economy as well as for the kids who will get to play there. When completed, the 160-acre site will also include twelve dormitories, a restaurant, a retail store, and an indoor training center. Weeklong and weekend tournaments will be held there, and along with those ball players will come people who will patronize local hotels, restaurants and stores.

Though the entire project will take 10 years to complete, construction of phase one of Hudson Park is scheduled to begin in 2009 with a projected opening of four fields on Memorial Day weekend 2010. Phase one fields will be replicas of historic ballparks: Polo Grounds, Hilltop Park , Ebbet's Field, and the original version of Yankee Stadium. The facility will be located along Route 9 between the Bell's Pond intersection and the Rip Van Winkle Bridge.

Fans who want to get a “taste” of what Hudson Park will offer, literally, can visit the newly-opened Hudson Park Restaurant at 3521 Route 9. The baseball-themed “joint” serves a menu of stadium-oriented fare like hot dogs (including specialty dogs like bratwurst, knockwurst, sausage and peppers, sea dogs, corn dogs, mini bagel dogs, and classic foot long chili dogs), burgers, wings, fries, fried onions, shakes, floats, and ice cream, plus specialty sandwiches and healthier offerings like veggie burgers, falafel and fresh salads. Chef Jon Newcomer, a Hudson resident, runs the restaurant.

The restaurant is furnished with sports memorabilia, big screen televisions and WiFi access. Behind the restaurant is a BATCO batting cage (with L screen) that will be available in the spring for supervised local teams to use for batting practice, free of charge. “The restaurant will become part of the park. We've opened it now because the building is there (the former Sunset Meadows market) and we saw the need for a local family-style restaurant/drive-thru,” said St. John , project principal. “Next summer we will open a soft serve ice cream stand. Incrementally, we are building and preparing for the baseball park.” Hudson Park Restaurant is open seven days a week, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., with extended hours in the summer. You can reach them by calling (518) 851-2228.

Business After Hours offer excellent networking opportunities for area business people. All members of the business community are invited to attend this business event. Light refreshments and hors d'oeuvres will be provided. Hudson Park Restaurant is located at 3521 Route 23 in Hudson. Please call the Chamber for directions. There is no cost to attend but guests are encouraged to contact the Chamber for reservations at (518) 828-4417.

The Columbia County Chamber of Commerce, with its 850 members, is the leading voice of business in Columbia County, providing advocacy, promotional and benefit solutions for its members. Those seeking more information concerning the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce and membership can contact the Chamber at (518) 828-4417 or visit the website at www.columbiachamber-ny.com.