Hopes are high that the ambitious reimagining of an Albany landmark will help curb violence and support an underserved community.
68 Grand Street has been woven into the fabric of Albany's Mansion Neighborhood since it opened in 1908.
The former St. Anthony's Church ceased operating in 1972. Carolyn McLaughlin was a Common Council member when the building was sold in 2003 by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany for $5,000 and began a new life as Grand Street Community Arts, a youth and arts-oriented non-profit. McLaughlin says remodeling and repurposing the building has proceeded slowly but surely.
"They've got a long way to go," said McLaughlin. "But the idea is they haven't given up, you know, from the rooftop to the basement. And maybe this will inspire some resources to be applied, that heretofore have not been thought about for this type of a project."
Larry Becker is Secretary of the board of Grand Street Community Arts and one of its co-founders. He says the key to starting a long-awaited robust building restoration has been American Rescue Plan Act funding.
“We received a grant from the city of Albany, an ARPA grant for $200,000, we've raised an additional approximately 50,000. And we're going to be renovating the basement of Grand Street Community Arts, which is about a 5000 square foot area, it's going to be used for after school programs for, basically youth oriented things,” said Becker.
Architect John Ferraro says the many-faceted restoration project will transform a dank decrepit cellar into community-friendly space. Plans have the organization’s small radio station occupy part of the space in the Mansion Neighborhood.
“So that radio station is currently it's on the upper level, and that's going to be moved down to this lower level, as part of a training to see if any of the local community would like to be interested in radio," Ferraro explained. "There are two other classroom areas, if you want to call them classrooms, they’re [for] vocational educational training, and talking and so forth, guests coming in and lecturing. Then we have this common area, we also have a small performance area, dancing and so forth. And then we have some administrative areas and obviously, all of the requirements for accessibility and bathrooms.”
Officials peg the total cost estimate for completing renovations at around half a million dollars. Renovations will also include updates to HVAC units, disability access and after-school programming space.
David White of StoneArch Development in Schenectady, the builder, shuffled through several pages of blueprints for reimagining the space. "They've been successful in getting some money so far," White said. "And part of this initiative today, for example, is to make awareness so that more funds may be available to do more of this community service work for this project. But downstairs is the first phase. And that that involves mostly the part for the children the arts, the classrooms, the radio station, and getting that piece done first. So right now these drawings are towards that end for the first phase, and we're very close to being ready to submit to the city for the permit. So with that said, we should be completed with this piece of work over the next six or seven months."
State Assemblymember Pat Fahy, a Democrat from the 109th district, praised the Grand Street initiative and its focus on the arts at a ribbon cutting Wednesday.
"Artists, you see the world differently, you think differently. And because of the work of artists, if no one understands the meaning of labors of love than artists, but you are there to help heal our souls, help soothe our souls, help interpret some of the insanity around us. And, and, and put some beauty into it. And I think you heal hearts and minds, and you channel energy, channel negative energy often, and you transform it into positive energy," said Fahy.
Becker is confident that restoration will proceed on schedule and on budget.
"I think we can get the basement really good and up and running for $250,000. And we also just got a grant from the county of Albany for $150,000 to work on the sanctuary level and get the windows taken care of and a better heating system put in place. I'd like to have the kids using that basement by the end of the year. That would be really great," Becker said.
Becker adds that the organization doesn't plan to develop new programs but will instead seek out partnerships with other community organizations to maximize community resources.
