Officials in Albany County have announced their appointees to a board that will work to decide the future of the shuttered College of Saint Rose.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation to help create the Albany County Pine Hills Land Authority in June, just after the private college in Albany closed after more than a century.
Albany County Executive Dan McCoy and County Legislature Chair Joanne Cunningham have now announced their appointees to the seven-member body.
McCoy named consultant Dominic Mazza, developer John Nigro, public defender Alejandra Paulino, and redevelopment planner Alison Walsh.
Cunningham tapped community non-profit leader Sarah Reginelli and economic development consultant Jasmine Higgins.
"I have high hopes," Cunningham said, "because what I've seen so far is it's a very nice blend of folks who have a real stock, strong community footprint, community presence in that community, knowledge of the community from, you know, a very sort of on the ground standpoint. I thought the county exec’s picks also complemented those picks in the sense that, you know, there were some experts in economic development and business development and real estate, you know, law, so, you know, you've got a blend of lots of different appropriate skill sets, and I think that's a good thing."
Democrat Pat Fahy of the 109th Assembly district says she is keeping tabs on the Saint Rose situation as it continues to unfold.
"Conversations continue. I'm very pleased with some of the appointments on the board. In the meantime, I still continue to keep lists and have regular conversations with the county, with the attorneys on this. And I remain optimistic there's a lot of encouraging interest here, be it the school district, be it some developers on housing, because of all the residences there, Tech Valley High School, the school district, of course, with pre-K and other central offices that they've needed that are now at Harriet Gibbons. So even now, the Albany Symphony Orchestra has expressed in interest. So I see a lot of very creative public, nonprofit and private interests, and it is an absolute top priority for me that we make, as I say, lemonade out of the lemons that have been handed us here," said Fahy.
Assemblymember John McDonald of the 108th district says the focus should be on the long-term goal: to help satisfy the college's outstanding monetary responsibilities and bring forward financial responsible development to fit well with the neighborhood.
"Saint Rose has hired an agent to help market the property," McDonald said. "In a perfect world it is ideal that they be able to secure one master landlord, master owner of the whole campus that would meet the needs that Saint Rose is struggling with, but also meet the concerns and needs of the community. And that process has been playing itself out for the last month or two, and probably by September or October, which is just around the corner, we might have a better idea if there's one master suitor, or are there other entities that are interested in the property. As you know, we created this past legislative session, the Saint Rose, the Pine Hills Development Authority, of which Albany County is very interested in."
Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan has not named her single board appointee. Board members will serve four-year terms.
None of the new appointees responded to requests for comment.
