By Dave Lucas
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-694620.mp3
Albany, NY – A Free workshop is being held next week in Albany to focus on "Enhancing Main Street"
Capital District Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports
Along the main streets of just about any municipality that comes to mind, upper floors of older commercial buildings are unused, un-occupied---sometimes because of building codes, mostly because of lack of development and lack of interest. But these abandoned floors of downtown buildings can be transformed: remodeled into lofts, condos, new office space sought by businesses that, in light of the gas crisis, want to move back to populated areas where most of their customers are. A free workshop in Albany, N.Y., will offer advice on how to improve and preserve the upper floors of downtown buildings.
"Enhancing Main Street: Making Upper Floors Work Again," will be presented Tuesday, April 15 by the Preservation League of New York State. The workshop will be held 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the WAMC Linda Norris Auditorium, 339 Central Ave.
Scheduled speakers include Buffalo architect Clinton Brown, who will discuss Main Street revitalization and why it matters, and also present a case study of mixed-use project in Medina, Orleans County; ; Joe Fama of the Troy Architectural Program, who will explain how the state's building codes and preservation can work together; Murray Gould of Port City Preservation in Oswego, who will provide information on funding sources and strategies for downtown conversion projects; Sandra Adams of the Community Preservation Corp. in Albany will touch on how financing was assembled for recent mixed-use projects on North Pearl Street.
The "Enhancing Main Street: Making Upper Floors Work Again" workshop and lunch are free but seating is limited. Registrations are due tomorrow... April 11.
If you'd like to attend or for more information call 462-5658 ext. 13 or email upperfloors@preservenys.org