Albany County has signed a temporary license agreement with the Albany County Pine Hills Land Authority to establish a presence on the former College of Saint Rose campus.
The $41 million sale of the former College of Saint Rose Campus in Albany to the Albany County-controlled Pine Hills Land Authority is complete. County Attorney Jeff Jamison says the transfer of the shuttered campus was completed Thursday.
“And that agreement provides for temporary use of the campus of the College of Saint Rose, which now is owned by Albany County Pine Hills Land Authority. And so now Albany County and they have an agreement where the use can be for review of the buildings, maintenance and operation of the buildings, helping out with that and assisting with that, as well as temporary use and occupancy of buildings,” Jamison said.
The college shuttered after more than a century last year, leaving scores of buildings and facilities unoccupied.
County Executive Dan McCoy says revitalization plans will now ramp up in earnest.
“Our Veterans Department will be moving in right away," said McCoy. "The sheriffs will be moving into the substation and building probably within the next week or a couple days. You're going to see Aging and you're gonna see [the] Veterans’ office moved here. Probably starting to come over tomorrow, as soon as tomorrow, to get ready to start opening up.”
McCoy would also like to move the county treasurer and finance office on campus. He says people who come in to pay bills and students looking to obtain a certificate of residence complain about lack of parking and accessibility to county’s downtown Albany office. He'd also like to partner with the city treasurer's office so local residents could conduct business and pay fines on campus.
“I don't know about you, but try parking at City Hall, around there, right to go in there, if you got to pay a fine, or if you got to pay your taxes… maybe a partnership with the treasurer's office or different department or agency that'd be willing to come share that space with us, so you have a one-stop shop,” McCoy said.
Saint Rose closed after the spring semester, citing declining enrollment and financial pressure.
Among other possible uses, McCoy wants to establish new senior housing on the property.
Albany County Legislature Deputy Chair Wanda Willingham supports the idea of converting campus space to senior housing.
"One of the one of the largest battles we have right now is affordable housing, and not just for one specific group, but many different groups. And I think the whole idea behind putting senior housing here is that there will be security. Okay, it can be in one specific area where people will be able to walk to restaurants, they have their own little small park. But they'll feel safe, and that's one of the biggest issues that we have been faced with. We have no senior center, but we'll have one now,” Willingham said.
