r/Albany • u/Skadoosh2008 • 10h ago
Progress!
https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/state-backs-10-projects-downtown-albany-22412249.php
ALBANY — Gov. Kathy Hochul has announced the first 10 projects backed by $200 million in state funding that’s been allocated to try and revitalize the capital city’s downtown core.
The projects represent the first significant steps in realizing the ambitious vision for Albany’s future that Hochul and Empire State Development, the state’s public-private development arm, laid out in February. The 10 specific projects will receive $18.6 million in funding intended to create roughly 300 units of housing and to support nearly $100 million in development.
Capitalize Albany, the city’s economic development organization, has also selected two developers to implement a “master plan” for wholesale reconstruction of the blighted eight-acre section of land known as Liberty Park, which surrounds the downtown Greyhound Bus Terminal. According to the governor’s office, Galesi Group and Columbia Development will carry out a three-phase plan which will include new office space, housing, “programmable creative space (and) experiential retail.”
The state has set aside $40 million to redevelop the site and the governor’s announcement says Capitalize Albany and the state will finalize the project’s terms “over the coming months.” It would be a dramatic change for a section of Albany known derisively as the “Parking Lot District,” and would include “a pedestrian walkway connected to a community green space.”
The largest single award in the first batch of grants is $6.5 million for the Jankow Companies to assist in the redevelopment of two interconnected office towers at 30 S. Pearl St. and 54 State St. The firm purchased the Omni Plaza this year for $10.1 million. Though the buildings have several well-known tenants, the Times Union reported in April that they were less than 60% occupied. The company plans to turn 54 State St. into a 120-unit apartment building and significantly renovate the office space at the 30 S. Pearl St. building.
The governor’s office says the cost of that project is estimated at $45 million.
Though Capitalize Albany did not select a plan from Redburn Development Partners to develop Liberty Square — even after principal Jeff Buell dropped a proposed minor league soccer stadium from the proposal — the firm was selected to receive grants of nearly $6 million. That includes $4 million for Redburn’s Union Station project. The announcement says that development will yield 50 apartments, a bar and restaurant, and will feature projection mapping on the exterior of the building “transforming it into a living art installation that illuminates the skyline.”
Both the Union Station project and Omni Plaza development received millions of dollars in tax breaks from the city’s Industrial Development Agency earlier this year.
Two Redburn projects on Columbia Street and North Pearl Street will receive $1.5 million and $250,000, respectively, the announcement says.
The governor’s announcement also contained grants to two nonprofits. The Historic Albany Foundation will receive $150,000 to support the multimillion-dollar renovation of the Van Ostrande-Radliff House, the city’s oldest building. The building at 48 Hudson Ave., constructed in 1728, will be getting a new sewer connection, among other upgrades.
Planners have said they hope the $200 million will lead to over $500 million in downtown development over the next decade. Its target is $3 in private investment for every $1 in public funds spent on the effort, a target it appears to meet based on the figures provided in the governor’s office.
In Our Own Voices, Inc., is slated to get $850,000 for a facility the group is calling an “LGBTQ Community Empowerment Equity Hub.” The governor’s office says it will house four affordable transitional housing units and several types of gathering spaces.
Hochul’s announcement also includes commitments of up to $20 million in city streetscape enhancements in the central business district, an area which includes Washington Avenue starting at S. Swan Street east to Eagle Street; Eagle Street between Elk Street and Howard Street; State Street between Eagle Street and Broadway; Pearl Street between Pine Street and Market Street; Broadway between Pine Street and Division Street.
The awards announced Tuesday represent $80 million of the $200 million set aside for redeveloping downtown Albany, which is part of the $400 million Championing Albany’s Potential initiative, designed to drive long-term growth in the city.
The announcement also highlighted a report by the state Office of General Services on the Empire State Plaza and efforts to better integrate the complex into the city’s overall landscape. The state office will receive $25 million in funds to make the 98-acre complex more accessible. The report calls for a more engaging space on the Corning Tower’s observation deck, an expanded visitors center and a “porch” on the west side of the complex that would make its Swan Street entrance more inviting.
The report does not include plans for a bus station anywhere in the complex, a proposal that has been advanced since a county-backed effort to build one on North Pearl Street fizzled earlier this summer.
“Not only are we forging a monumental path forward for Liberty Park, but we are also awarding visionary projects, launching vital tools for downtown businesses and continuing to strengthen Empire State Plaza’s connection to Albany’s core for residents and visitors of our historic capital city,” Hochul said in a statement. “I am thrilled to see so much progress in just one year and can’t wait for the next steps for the revitalization of downtown Albany.”
34
u/laughlines 9h ago
I love to complain but this seems positive and overwhelmingly slanted towards housing. Whether they're ticky tacky apt's or not, the downtown needs more people if any retail has a chance at staying.
38
u/Weekly-Law-2544 10h ago
Converting unused office space to residential is always a win. Very nice.
Redburn Development Partners – Union Station – $4 Million Grant (Transformative Projects Fund): The grand lobby of the historic building at 575 Broadway will become an interactive, immersive event and virtual reality venue, complemented by a restaurant and bar. The exterior of the building will feature advanced projection mapping, transforming it into a living art installation that illuminates the skyline. Upper floors will be converted into 50 workforce housing apartments, affordable at 80% Area Median Income, increasing downtown residency. Total Project Cost: $16.5 Million (This sounds pretty cool)
19
u/Function-Comfortable 9h ago
Can't say I have faith the Redburn and their "luxury" apartments. Their ambitions always seem much larger than their ability to execute. Like when they were in charge of the central warehouse demo at one point. Or their long list of property management complaints. Not to mention their racial discrimination case which they settled out on.
1
u/UpstateNY0424 8h ago
I disagree. They've turned around quite a few old, rundown buildings in the area. Most companies that own as many properties as they do, have property management complaints. Unless you know both sides of those complaints, you really dont know the entire story. Yes there was a racial discrimination case, and yes it was settled in court.
3
u/TClayO It's All-bany 5h ago
I love how Redburn gets called a slumlord in here constantly yet actual slumlords like Asaf Elkayam, Roger Ploof, and Judd Feinman never get mentioned
1
u/UpstateNY0424 5h ago
Most serious people know what a true slumlord is. Redburn is far from being a slumlord. Most of the accusations are people just being mean behind a computer screen, that have no direct contact with them.
29
u/Darth_Boggle 10h ago
Converting unused office space to residential is always a win
With WFH being a new norm, this should keep happening.
Sick of talking to boomers who keep trying to tell me that since the offices were built, workers need to use them and WFH is bad. Maybe these massive buildings shouldn't have been built in the first place and people need to start thinking of long term implications of these projects.
17
u/Weekly-Law-2544 10h ago
The thing is, is that Class A office space remains in high demand and that's what companies continue to build. The old school Class B and below is where the massive amounts of vacancy exists and and where companies continue to move away from, and which should be continued to be converted.
20
u/jacqq_attackk State Worker 10h ago
Heeeey that’s certainly a start! I just hope they remember to add a grocery store somewhere in there. (And let it be a Wegmans 🙏🏻)
1
22
u/Dripdry42 10h ago
There’s no grocery store. There are no plans here to bring the basics to downtown Albany so that it can be a livable place. No one wants to live in a high-rise residential building where there is no parking but no ability to walk to the things that they need to get every day
17
u/Fredred315 9h ago
Gotta have enough people to support a grocery store, their margins are very thin and they need a big enough customer base to make it work.
1
u/tramflye 2h ago
What's stopping Price Chopper from putting in something like a Price Chopper Express downtown?
12
u/Unlucky-Thought-6824 10h ago
It’s a start at least. I agree through that a grocery store and even a pharmacy would be needed downtown for those people to go to.
3
u/Key-Quality-4494 3h ago
I’d say that high rise and or mixed-used development is exactly what the city needs. Too much of the city is zoned residential townhome which is difficult to enjoy economies of scale maintenance wise and makes it tough to get the sort of density needed to sustain retail.
5
u/Far_Cartographer9399 9h ago
We don’t know yet what the retail is going to look like. The info we have just says that there will be retail.
9
u/_n0ck_ 9h ago
Ooo, I hadn't seen the reconnect the plaza report before this. I really like the traffic calming measures they proposed on Swan and Madison. Filling in the central reflecting pool seems like a no brainer too. Don't much care for the walkway proposal. Everyone wants to make the next highline, but don't realize the reason the highline works is because it's in Manhattan.
I hope they also redesign the entrance to the arterial below the plaza as part of this so that it stops backing up for blocks at rush hour. Just have to change it back so that people entering the arterial don't need to yield anymore and place some kind divider that keeps people coming around the loop from changing lanes right away.
3
u/Unlucky-Thought-6824 8h ago
I agree. Madison Ave from Eagle Street to South Swan Street is WAY too wide even with parking on both sides. There’s a multitude of impacts from that ranging from speeding, excessive stormwater runoff, and just ugly street scapes. It will be great to have more trees and green space at the Plaza and downtown!
2
u/AlbanyBikeDad 2h ago
I’m actually delighted by the walkway proposal. The current structure isn’t that great, brutally hot in the summer, cold in the winter, always smells of human waste. Has a lot of moving parts always breaking down (escalators and elevators), and I doubt most convention or arena goers know it’s even there.
It would also more publicly show off all the county and state owned parking garages. Hopefully that will stop folks from saying ‘there is no parking downtown’ and get them saying ‘Albany county and OGS are hoarding empty parking spots on nights and weekends.’
6
u/JennAleece Albany Proper 9h ago
based on some of the plaza renderings, it seems like they might being going with one of the city gride plans for 787 👀👀👀
6
u/pathlesstravailed 9h ago
JFC can our state and local governments please stop giving redburn funding and tax breaks to turn cool and/or historic buildings into overpriced, poorly managed and generally mid apartments?
9
u/MikeBofManyBeats 8h ago
Adding more housing to the market is a clear net good imho, even if some of them are “generally mid.” The more supply, the more options renters have
3
u/Accurate_Storm518 8h ago
It's getting borderline obscene the amount of tax payer money is flowing to In Our Own Voices given they serve maybe .0000001% of the population. $850k is a fuck ton of money and every year they get discretionary funds in six figure amounts from Democratic politicians. They are due for an audit.
4
1
u/RustyShackleFord_KG 10h ago
So...will they removing/rerouting the highway or no?
7
u/Weekly-Law-2544 9h ago
That is a project that's like 5+ years away. It took Syracuse 15 years between having initial discussions about removing i-81 through the city before they ever broke ground.
0
u/RustyShackleFord_KG 9h ago
Yeah, I'm sure it will take time, but a promising direction. Excited to see what the future holds!
1
u/Oswaldo_Grey 5h ago
The OGS report states the downtown walkway wont even begin to be in the analysis phase until year 7 of the Plaza redevelopment. So will be a long wait closer to 2040's to see the grand vision come to life.
6
u/Zaiush 9h ago
There are a few options presented that are promising and mostly convert it to a boulevard with a stoplight
1
u/RustyShackleFord_KG 9h ago
Ah okay, I did see those previously, but wasn't sure if that was just completely removed from the plans, but makes sense. Thanks!
3
u/Unlucky-Thought-6824 9h ago
That’s many years down the road but the answer is most likely remove and turn it into a boulevard like what they are doing in Syracuse currently.
1
-3
u/WinterWarlock89 7h ago
Thank God. Does that mean people will stop coming over to East Greenbush for things?
-22
37
u/Unlucky-Thought-6824 10h ago
Getting more housing in Albany in general is great but even better when it’s downtown. I can’t wait to see the Liberty Park/parking lot district developed. It will be a great use of space for more housing, offices, and stores.