Demolition of Albany's Central Warehouse is expected to begin in about a week after some key logistical hurdles were cleared, Albany County officials said Tuesday.
Built in 1927, the 495,000-square-foot building has been abandoned and decaying since the 1990s. Officials had hoped to rehabilitate and repurpose the warehouse before eventually settling on demolishing the aging eyesore within the past few years. Albany County bought the crumbling structure in January 2025 for $50,000.
Until now, the demolition has been held up by court challenges, logistical problems and permitting issues.
Work crews have spent just over a year removing asbestos and thousands of tons debris from the Central Warehouse, delaying the demolition.
Albany County Executive Dan McCoy said the building's final two floors have been cleared of asbestos and are being inspected.
"They thought the asbestos was on the first couple floors, and it turned out every time they turned around, there was more and more and more," McCoy said. "We wanted to get it right. We didn't want to take a building down without making sure it was fully cleared."
Asbestos exposure can cause mesothelioma, lung cancer and other pulmonary issues, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Even after the building was fully prepared to be taken down, county officials hadn't been expecting demolition work to begin immediately because they've been trying to obtain a work permit from Amtrak, which has maintained tracks next to the building since February.
Albany County Executive Dan McCoy said the permit came through Monday evening after he put in a call to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, meaning demolition work can start almost immediately.
"One little phone call, and we got our permit yesterday from Amtrak," McCoy said. "So it's all good news."
There are no formal plans for the site after the building is demolished, but McCoy says he's inspired by a proposal to redevelop the nearby old Erie Canal Lock One.
"Once that building comes down, it's a blank canvas, and we're already looking at having a great place where you'll have retail, residential [and] outdoor activities."
