Republican members of the Albany County Legislature are calling for the demolition of the city of Albany's Central Warehouse — an eyesore that can be seen from miles away.
In December 2022 the state awarded $9.75 million to kickstart redevelopment of the asbestos-laden, 11-story, 70,000-square foot structure.
Albany County Executive Dan McCoy announced a formal transfer of ownership of Central Warehouse to Redburn Development's Jeff Buell, who impressed politicians with promises to eventually deliver a mixed-use residential-commercial space and a rooftop restaurant.
“I think everyone, it would be really lovely to have everyone on the roof on New Year's Eve ’24,” said Buell.
Buell said work would begin immediately. But in October 2023 Buell told the Times Union that interest rates had more than doubled since the developers first proposed the project.
An Albany Common Council-approved change to the city’s zoning laws increasing the amount of affordable housing required for new housing developments also threw cold water on developer plans.
Then in December, the city spent nearly half a million dollars on the crumbling structure, shrouding it in safety netting to stop concrete chunks from falling onto nearby railroad tracks, as it did two years ago, interrupting Amtrak train traffic. It was announced the developer would be billed. City Hall did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Republican county legislators Frank Mauriello and Paul Burgdorf have written to top officials including Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, Governor Kathy Hochul, Congressman Paul Tonko and Assemblymember Pat Fahy, all Democrats, asking that the warehouse be torn down. Burgdorf is from Latham in District 23.
Mauriello, the minority leader from District 27 in Colonie, says despite environmental, safety and historic challenges, it's time to bring in the wrecking ball.
“I was hoping the recent development would pan out,"Mauriello said. "But the years passed since that project started, and nothing's happened, or that process has started. Nothing's happened. Unless you count the safety netting installed to protect the train tracks. You have to remember this project was given almost $10 million from the state on top of $500,000 in property taxes forgiven by the county. The developers obviously want more funding, but there are no plans or really anything to show for this. That's taxpayer money, which should be used for the sole purpose of tearing down the warehouse. The land also should be returned to the county for disposition. It shouldn't be a big windfall for private developers. The property without Central Warehouse is going to be quite valuable.”
Fahy, an Albany Democrat, says the building is across the street from the original Erie Canal Lock One, which she believes has "tremendous economic development opportunities." Fahy told WAMC Thursday she hadn’t seen the letter, but agrees renovation costs have skyrocketed while the building has deteriorated in recent years.
"I have always said I don't want to see good money go after bad. If the building is no longer viable for redevelopment and it looks like it is not, then we do need to find the money to take it down,” said Fahy.
Fahy says after that, the focus should be on unearthing that historical lock one.
Albany County Legislator Sam Fein, a Democrat from District 6 in Albany, says he too would like to see redevelopment of the site tied into restoration of the Erie Canal.
"I know that they got almost $10 million for a historical grant. So if, if that's not feasible to redevelop A, that's the best, you know, the most ideal option, but it just might not make sense, you know, from a money standpoint. So if that's the case, I would like to see it demolished and I think everyone would. We want to see something happen to it. So if they could use that $10 million to demolish it instead of rehabilitate it, that would be great. I think these are some answers we probably need to get from the state moving forward. But you know, hate to see money thrown at something that you know, if it if that money is going to be thrown away because it's going to be demolished," said Fein.
