Albany is one step closer to eliminating an aging eyesore.
The New York State Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the Advance Albany County Alliance’s selection of Gramercy Group and LiRo-Hill to demolish the Central Warehouse.
Jackson Demolition Services, of Schenectady, had sued the alliance after it submitted a low bid of $14.1 million to tear down the nearly century-old former cold storage facility that has sat abandoned since the 1990s.
The court ruled the alliance was not bound to accept that lowest bid. Gramercy Group and LiRo-Hill had bid $14.6 million.
Albany County Executive Dan McCoy says news that the demolition can proceed creates opportunity to explore several possibilities, including opening up Lock 1 on the Erie Canal, and creating a mixed-use development around it.
" I met with a team made up of a variety people that we've been working with on the Erie Canal to open that up. It's pretty cool, the presentation they put together. They, you know, we, have ideas. We have a blank canvas, and when we knock this down, we have an opportunity," said McCoy.
Advance Albany County Alliance CEO Kevin O’Connor was not available for comment.
In a statement, he praised the supreme court decision, noting that the alliance had selected "the most qualified team for the Central Warehouse project." The statement went on to say "The ruling validates our commitment to transparency, fairness and responsible stewardship of public resources."
The county bought the warehouse in January for $50,000. McCoy says taking down the century-old building is the first step in re-imagining and revitalizing downtown Albany and the riverfront area.
“I would love to think outside the box," said McCoy, "but we got to think in reality, what can get done in a partnership with the public sector. They want to open up that lock, like the one in Syracuse, downtown Syracuse, that they save. They have the old record the bridge in or the old boat in there. It's a great tourist destination. And I think we can build a whole compound around it, you know, housing, commercial space, boating, all connected to that whole quarter, to bring the Central Warehouse district to the riverfront, and that's what people want.”
McCoy believes the initiative will complement the new Livingston Avenue Railroad Bridge, the proposed downtown Albany soccer stadium and other promising development in the city.
“Look what we did with College of St. Rose, what we're doing with Central Warehouse, the old McDonald's building on South Pearl Street. We're going to make some announcement on that probably in the near future, right? You look at what we're doing to with the Capital Center, and what I've done with Amo La Bella and that whole site, because the building was collapsed, it was condemned. We're going to be putting an RFP out on the street shortly to announce what we're trying to attract there,” McCoy said.
