Residents of the Albany neighborhood home to the now-shuttered College of Saint Rose are demanding a say in the future of the campus.
The college closed after more than a century following the spring semester, citing declining enrollment and financial trouble. State lawmakers responded by establishing the Pine Hills Land Authority to oversee next steps for dozens of buildings in the center of the city.
Pine Hills Neighborhood Association Vice President and former Common Councilor Leah Golby led the crowd.
Speaking with WAMC Monday, Pine Hills Neighborhood Association President Danielle Melendez says communication has been minimal as the authority gets started.
“Transparency is definitely a major issue with this whole situation, and it's something that the Pine Hills Neighborhood Association has really worked towards. We have held public hearings with the college, and the board of trustees have attended. So we have really pushed for transparency, and we're calling for more transparency moving forward. This is not a process that promotes transparency, so just being able to ensure that our neighborhood knows what's happening and is informed is very important for us,” Melendez said.
She adds having the more than 80 empty buildings in the area is a detriment.
“We strongly urge the Albany County Executive, Chairperson of the Albany County Legislature and Mayor of the of the city of Albany, to appoint members of the authority without delay, to ensure this body is able to fulfill its purpose of maintaining and promoting appropriate use of the College of Saint Rose facilities,” Melendez said.
Buildings making up the campus range from repurposed old homes to the hulking Albertus Hall, the more modern glass-fronted Events and Athletics Center, and the 46,000-square foot Massry Center for the Arts on Madison Avenue, a brick building the college says was modeled on the Victorian home next door.
The authority will consist of seven local members serving four-year terms, with four appointed by the county executive, two appointed by the county legislature chair, and one by the mayor.
Albany Common Council Majority Leader Ginnie Farrell’s 13th Ward includes the former campus. The Democrat says local stakeholders can’t look back.
“With change comes opportunity. So let's see the opportunity. What can really benefit the heart of the Capital Region the most, and our neighbors the most. We are a place that we love our neighbors. We take care of each other, and we'd like to see this campus continue to take care of neighbors, and we'll continue to take care of it,” Farrell said.
Assemblywoman Pat Fahy, a fellow Democrat whose 109th District includes the campus and was lead sponsor of the legislation that established the Land Authority, says the redevelopment planning process has been convoluted.
“We had an exciting hiccup, if you will, when we thought Touro might step in to buy a piece of it. That became more expensive than was expected, and that did not materialize, which is when the authority then was proposed,” Fahy said.
Councilman Owusu Anane’s 10th Ward includes much of the neighborhood. He says action needs to be taken as soon as possible.
“The College of Saint Rose has hired a marketing firm, JLL, to market, and also some of the bids will be closing in September, and they will make a decision by December. But again, we love this neighborhood. We care about this neighborhood, and we want to see it continue to be vibrant and safe,” Anane said.
Ron Szymansky is Neighborhood Association treasurer. He says concerns from former Saint Rose students regarding transparency are founded, given his experience in meetings with the college’s Board of Trustees.
“I have been frustrated not always feeling like they've been forthright with the way that they've proceeded. But. But I also trust that they can't get away with just doing whatever they want,” Szymansky said.
Carol June-Washington is a longtime neighborhood resident. She agrees Saint Rose could have been more transparent before the closure, saying she was disappointed by the outcome.
“It might have been easier for the community that is made up of a lot of really smart, talented people who have a lot of information- that the community could have helped, at least in the decision-making process and in the transition,” June-Washington said.
Ken Stier is a recent transplant to Pine Hills. He says, even though he’s new to the area, concern things will get worse is pervasive.
“It took the board four or five months to hire a real estate broker to look into how to dispense with the buildings, and even now, their priority seems to be to maximize revenue and the community's interests are very much secondary, if they exist at all, on the board's mind,” Stier said.
No members of the authority have been named.
