Items tagged with 'downtown Albany'

Clinton Square, every hundred years or so

Clinton Square Albany 1920s Albany Public Library History Collection

We've had a bunch of items lately about the Clinton Square section of downtown Albany because the city is in the process of figuring out which projects there should get a slice of the $10 million from the state's Downtown Revitalization Initiative.

So we thought you might find this photo interesting. It's Clinton Square -- the area around the intersection of North Pearl Street and Orange Street -- from (we're guessing) the 1920s. The photo is from the Albany Public Library History Collection. If you follow that link you can zoom into the photo and see a bunch of details.

One of the things that struck us about this photo is just how different this part of the city is now. There's no Palace Theater -- the old movie house wouldn't be built until 1930. There's no federal building in the background. And that row of buildings along the east side is now Wallenberg Park.

More than anything, though, there's just something overall about this scene that feels more human scale. At least, it does via the photo. (Also: Streetcars!)

Clinton Square is one one of the oldest major intersections in the city and it's been a topic of debate and discussion regarding development there for 200 years.

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Here are the projects in the mix for that $10 million that Albany has from the state for the Clinton Square area of downtown

Clinton Square The Palace

The city of Albany has $10 million to spend in the Clinton Square section of downtown after winning the latest round of the state's Downtown Revitalization Initiative.

Now it has to figure out what exactly that money should be spent on.

And here are the projects in the mix so far...

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A big chunk of downtown Albany was just sold, and there are some big plans for the buildings

Kenmore Hotel block downtown Albany

A large group of historic properties were sold in downtown Albany this month, and the deal could be a major milestone in the ongoing transformation of the neighborhood.

Over the span of two days last week, Redburn Development Partners closed on "The Kenmore Portfolio," which includes the prominent Kenmore Hotel and Steuben Club buildings on Pearl Street, as well as the Capital Repertory Theatre building.

Redburn is planning apartment conversions for many of the buildings, which it sees as a continuation of downtown's recent shift toward being a residential, "18-hour" neighborhood.

"We think that we have the correct vision for what's needed in downtown Albany," said Jeff Buell, one of Redburn's principals, today via phone. "I think it's an absolutely transformational project that must be done if Albany's going to be a 21st century city."

Here are a few more bits about what's happening.

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Here's another chance to offer ideas for how Albany should spend $10 million downtown

Albany_DRI_meeting_2018-11-07_map_v2.jpg

The zone in which the city is focusing on for funding projects.

Update: This meeting has been postponed "due to the overwhelming number of project forms received" and the need for more time to review. The new date is TBA.

The city of Albany is getting $10 million* from New York State as part of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative -- and there's another public meeting coming up December 12 to talk about how to spend that money.

Meeting blurbage: "Join us to develop a plan that maximizes investment, connects surrounding neighborhoods and transforms Clinton Square into an inclusive destination, and vibrant place to live, work and play."

At the last meeting to gather public input, the team heading up the planning process explained that the city is looking for projects that are ready to go in the following categories:

+ New development or rehab of existing structure
+ Revolving loan and grant funds
+ Branding and marketing
+ Public improvements

Examples of candidate projects cited at the meeting: The proposed Quackenbush mixed-use development, an arts education and employment training program at The Palace, signage for the Capital Craft Beverage Trail, and Clinton Ave streetscape upgrades. A local planning committee will be selecting the projects to fund.

There's still time to propose a project -- the deadline is this Friday, December 7. (If you have a project in mind, you should contact the planning team. It sounds like they can provide some tips on putting together your pitch.)

The upcoming meeting is Wednesday, December 12 at The Palace from 5:30-7:30 pm.
____

* Well, $9.7 million, technically. Of the $10 million, $300k is set aside for planning.

An update on that big project near Quackenbush Square (the one that's currently a big hole in the ground)

Quackenbush Center site 2018-11-09 looking west

How the site looked on Friday.

At the beginning of this year the big mixed-use development proposed for the site just north of Quackenbush Square on Broadway in downtown Albany got approval from the city's planning board and the development company behind the project was looking to get started with construction soon after.

Then in May word surfaced that the project had gotten stuck on higher-than-expected construction cost estimates. And now, 11 months later, there's still just a giant hole in the ground. [Biz Review]

But the development company said this week it's reformulated the plan and it's hoping to get started next year.

Here are a few more bits about what's up for the project, which has the potential to significantly remake that section of Broadway.

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How Albany is figuring out what to spend $10 million on downtown

Albany_DRI_meeting_2018-11-07_map.jpg

The proposed zone in which the funding will be focused. (Here's a larger version.)

Earlier this fall the state announced that the city of Albany is getting $10 million in the latest round of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative for a series of projects centered on Clinton Square.

Now the city has to spend that money. Quickly.

So... how to do that? That was the topic of a public meeting Wednesday at The Palace.

Here are a few takeaways -- about why Clinton Square, what sort of stuff will and won't get funded, and how your project might be able to land some money.

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Here's a chance to provide input on how the city of Albany should spend $10 million downtown

Clinton Square 2017-December

Back in September the city of Albany won the latest round of the state's Downtown Revitalization Initiative and it's now in line to get $10 million for a variety of projects. And next Wednesday, November 7 there's a public meeting at the The Palace to talk about how to spend that money. Blurbage:

The city's DRI application focused on the Clinton Square section of downtown, a gateway into the city off 787 and the intersection of downtown proper, Sheridan Hollow, Arbor Hill, and the area that sits between downtown and the Warehouse District. The application specifically names a bunch of projects that could be in line for funding. The Skyway, affordable housing, and streetscape improvements were among the proposed ideas (see that link).

But, as we pointed out in September, those projects aren't necessarily guaranteed to get a slice of the money. That decisions about which projects get money -- and how much -- will be part of a plan developed by the city and a committee. Here's a list of the members of that committee.

So, if there's a particular project or projects in that area that you think should definitely get funding (or conversely, shouldn't get funding), this is a chance to say something.

The public meeting is Wednesday, November 7 from 6:30-8 pm at The Palace.

CDTA is starting up another free shuttle service around downtown Albany on the weekends

CDTA Capital City Trolley map

CDTA is starting up a free downtown Albany service it's calling Capital City Trolley today. Blurbage:

The Capital City Trolley will begin on Thursday, October 25 and operate Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Service will begin at 5:00 p.m. and conclude at 12:30 a.m. with a trolley arriving every 20 minutes. Schenectady-based software and logistics company, Transfinder has enhanced its CityFinder mobile application that allows users to track trolley location and highlights detailed points of interest.
The service will offer convenient stops near key attractions, including the Albany Capital Center, the Times Union Center, the State Capitol, the Palace Theatre, the Corning Riverfront Park, Quackenbush Square, the Riverfront Parking Garage and the Washington Avenue Armory.

That's the route map above (here's a larger version).

You might remember that CDTA ran a similar service -- the Capital City Shuttle -- during the summer of 2017. The route for the shuttle stretched from the Warehouse District to Washington Park. At the time CDTA CEO Carm Basile said they were thinking the service could eventually be a loop for downtown. And that looks a lot like the new map.

The CDTA press release touts the new service as a link between commercial corridors of Lark Street and downtown Albany.

But another way to think of it is like an extender for other options. You could take a bus, bike, Uber/Lyft, car and then use the trolley service to circulate through a few different spots in the same night.

CDTA advertises on AOA.

A walkthrough of the old Kenmore Hotel and Steuben Club buildings in downtown Albany

Kenmore and Steuben block Albany

The old Kenmore Hotel and Steuben Club buildings landmark buildings on one of downtown Albany's most prominent blocks. They've also sat largely vacant for years.

That could be changing, though. Both buildings are at the center of a huge in-progress real estate deal. Redburn Development Partners is currently working to close the purchase of the Kenmore Hotel and Steuben Club buildings -- along with a handful of other notable downtown properties -- and redevelop them with residential and retail uses. (See recent planning board discussion about the Kenmore and Steuben as well as the old Times Union building on Sheridan Ave.)

We've passed these buildings hundreds -- maybe thousands -- of times. They're anchors of downtown Albany -- but we had very little sense of what they're actually like on the inside. And we were curious about that, especially now that the buildings could be on the verge of their next lives. We figured you might, too

So we got Redburn to give us a tour. Here are a bunch of photos...

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Downtown Albany is in line to get $10 million from the state -- here are some of the projects that could get a slice of that money

Clinton Square gateway rendering

A rendering of a potential gateway at Broadway and Clinton that Capitalize Albany released last year.

A bunch of projects in downtown Albany are in line to get a slice of a $10 million block of money from New York State after the city was named one of the winners in the latest round of the state's Downtown Revitalization Initiative.

Specifically, Capitalize Albany -- the development arm of the city -- put together an application that focused on the Clinton Square area of downtown. It's the section more or less centered on the intersection of North Pearl Street and Clinton Ave. The pitch was that this area is a major gateway to the city, is the interface for multiple neighborhoods, and already has some momentum in the form of real estate development, affordable housing, and the arts.

Albany was in the running against a handful of other cities in this region, including Troy and Cohoes.

So what's up for the cash? Here's the list, along with a few thoughts.

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The Kenmore Hotel and Steuben Club, uproar on Elm Street, and other exciting tales of the Albany Planning Board

Kenmore Hotel block downtown Albany

Exciting Tales of the Albany Planning Board is a program recorded before a live studio audience once a month in which the fates of multi-million dollar projects around the city are (partially) decided.

This month: uproar over infill development in Hudson/Park, the plans for the old Steuben Club and Kenmore Hotel downtown, taking over a street segment, demolitions, and school buses...

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A look around the Maiden House residential + retail conversion in downtown Albany

Maiden House downtown Albany

That latest project in the ongoing shift of downtown Albany toward being a residential neighborhood: Maiden House.

It includes 18 apartments and a handful of potentially interest retail spaces at the corner of North Pearl Street and Maiden Lane in a building that had been vacant or underused for many years. And it's backed by development company that's becoming a key player in the transformation of downtown.

So, let's have a look around...

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A look around the new Bull Moose Club coworking space in downtown Albany

Bull_Moose_Club_2.jpg

Another sign that coworking is starting to catch on in the Capital Region: Downtown Albany now has not one, not two, but three of the flexible shared work spaces.

The latest to open is the Bull Moose Club, right across State Street from the Capitol. (Yep, it has a bust of Teddy Roosevelt.)

As the location suggests, the space is focusing on a crowd of lobbyists, advocates, trade associations, and startups. And it's backed by the same people who created the Troy Innovation Garage coworking space in downtown Troy.

As with other similar setups, Bull Moose offers a typical menu of office services -- desks, internet, printers, mailboxes, conference rooms, and booths for making phone calls. And it has memberships that allow for the occasional drop in at a first-come-first-sit desk or table, as well as private offices available for rent by the month.

Here's a look around the new space, along with a few questions for its founder, Tom Nardacci -- about coworking, other cities, and changing the culture of the Capital Region.

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The Vandal in downtown Albany

Nick Walker Vandal mural Love Goes On Albany NY almost finished

Sunday afternoon we stopped by the Green-Hudson Parking Garage in downtown Albany to check out the new, not-quite-finished mural there by Nick Walker. (It's now finished, as of Monday morning.)

The work is part of the Capital Walls campaign, a collaboration between the Albany Parking Authority, Albany Center Gallery, and Albany Barn. Press release blurbage:

Walker's mural, titled "Love Goes On," represents the universal message of love having the capability to be the everlasting entity in a world of fleeting things and moments. His mural is asking us to be thankful for love and to allow it to last. The red, white, black and gray mural will be 40 feet by 60 feet.

Walker is an internationally-famous artist, with street art that's appeared in the UK, Paris, New York City, Los Angeles, and other cities around the world. That figure in the new mural here in Albany is his trademark character "The Vandal."

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Gym options for downtown Albany / around the Empire State Plaza?

Empire State Plaza concourse 2018-May

Meredith reaches out to us via the electronic mail (links added):

I know that you've had questions about local gyms before, and I know that downtown Albany remains a gym desert, apart from a couple nice but decidedly diminutive downtown office-building options that offer community memberships (e.g. Omni Fitness). I keep hoping that before the weather again turns too crappy/cold for running outdoors to be palatable, some fitness entrepreneur will notice that there are actually a large and growing number of humans living in Center Square/downtown/surrounding areas, and that we, too, might like to have even a low-frills chain gym within walking distance, such as sprout like mushrooms in the suburbs. (Seriously, what is it about Albany? We used to have a couple Ys -- particularly awful ones, compared with the fitness temples in the 'burbs -- but even those have been gone for years now. Even wee little towns elsewhere have gyms; why not here?!)
But whining aside, here's my question for you: I heard rumors last year that a gym was coming back to the Empire State Plaza. The Times Union reported back in December that the rumors were true. ... [D]o you know anything?

We checked with the state Office of General Services for an update on gym developments at ESP, and a spokesman said there wasn't anything new to add to that report from late last year. It is worth noting that the ESP hosts outdoor post-work fitness classes ("Fitness on the Plaza"), though the current season just ended. And there are also lunchtime fitness classes run by Empower State Plaza Fitness weekdays in a rehearsal room at the Egg.

It's been about four years since the gym at the Steuben Club in downtown Albany closed. But the neighborhood has a growing residential population. And a lot of space there is currently in the process of being opened up and repurposed (including, potentially, the old Steuben building).

So... Maybe one of these developers can get together with one of the local chains or orgs and work something out. It sounds like there might be growing demand.

Got a suggestion for Meredith about gym options? Please share.

Laying out a new path for Maiden Lane, one of Albany's very oldest streets

Maiden Lane looking up the hill 2018-09-07

Maiden Lane is one of Albany's oldest streets -- it dates back to the mid 1600s -- with a scale that makes it feel today like it's from a different time.

It's also a path straight from the heart of downtown to the pedestrian bridge leading over to Corning Riverfront Park and the waterfront.

But the current design and streetscape in that part of town don't really do a good job of communicating those ideas or drawing people in.

So the city of Albany is looking to change things up.

Here's what's in the mix...

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Checking out the new mural in downtown Albany that was just finished

Liz Zunon mural downtown Albany

We got a chance to stop in downtown Albany Thursday and see local artist Liz Zunon putting the final touches on her new mural along the wall for the Clinton Ave off ramp near the Quackenbush Garage.

The new work -- "Geraldine's Reverie" -- is the latest in a series of Capital Walls murals, a collaboration between the Albany Parking Authority, Albany Center Gallery, and Albany Barn. One of those earlier works -- the bluebirds mural by Michael Conlin on the side of the parking garage -- is more or less above the spot of the new work. (There's a sidewalk off Broadway that will take you right by it.)

Zunon is an accomplished children's book illustrator. And we got a chance to talk with her for a few minutes Thursday about what it was like to create something on a much larger scale.

Also: A handful of photos of the new mural.

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Another large residential project in downtown Albany that's part of a package of notable projects, and other exciting tales of the Albany Planning Board

16 Sheridan downtown Albany exterior medium 2018-August

This building in downtown Albany is in line to become 133 apartments -- and get another story.

Exciting Tales of the Albany Planning Board is a program recorded before a live studio audience once a month in which the fates of multi-million dollar projects around the city are (partially) decided.

This month: The first in a series of notable developments for downtown Albany, a tear-down-and-rebuild in Park South, and potential new life for a problem property...

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There's a new mural going up in downtown Albany

Liz Zunon Clinton Ave ramp mural in progress 2018-08-14

Check it out: The next downtown Albany mural is being created by local artist Liz Zunon, and she'll be working on it during the next two weeks.

The mural is along south side wall of the Clinton Ave off-ramp at Broadway, near the Quackenbush Parking Garage. Look for the bluebird mural on the garage and the new mural-in-progress is nearby on ground level.

The public artwork is part of an ongoing collaboration between the Albany Parking Authority, Albany Center Gallery, and Albany Barn. The orgs have already teamed up for a handful of other murals downtown (see the links below).

You might be familiar with Liz Zunon's work. She's an accomplished children's book illustrator. (She's also working on a book she both authored and illustrated, Grandpa Cacao, that's inspired by her time growing up in Ivory Coast. It's set to be published next year.) And Zunon also created one of those giant Dutch clogs that were placed around Albany a few years back as part of a public art installation.

Press release mural blurbage:

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Here's the proposed design for the Albany Skyway

Albany Skyway design meeting 2018-August west facing rendering closeup

Over the years thousands of people have driven along the off-ramp leading to Clinton Ave in downtown Albany that's in line to become the Albany Skyway elevated park. But walked the almost half-mile curve? That's probably just a handful.

"It was an amazing surprise to be walking on the Skyway," said Capitalize Albany president Sarah Reginelli, one of the few people to trace the route on foot. "Even with none of the amenities in place, it was still this really enchanting walk because you get all of these vistas and vantage points you wouldn't otherwise."

Last week at The Palace, Capitalize Albany -- the city of Albany's economic development arm -- presented the work of the team that's been designing the Albany Skyway.

Here are a handful of renderings, bits about the design plan and cost, along with a few questions and thoughts.

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There's another Capital Walls mural tour in downtown Albany coming up

Capital Walls mural Water Street Albany NY Rachel Baxter

A mural by Rachel Baxter along Water Street.

Albany Center Gallery has organized another Capital Walls mural tour in downtown Albany for August 4. Blurbage:

The guided tour, led by mural curator Tony Iadicicco, will stop at several public artworks around Albany. Mural artists Rachel Baxter, Michael Conlin, Cara Hanley and Sylvie Kantorovitz will join us on the tour, with each having a chance to talk about the inspiration for their mural as well as their artistic process.

The tour is that Saturday from 11 am to 1 pm. Tickets are $25 and include the tour, a beverage at Loch & Quay, refreshments at the Olde English, and a Capital Walls mural pin. You'll also be supporting a stipend for the artists.

Earlier:
+ Here's how those three new murals in downtown Albany turned out
+ Gawking at the newly finished mural on the Quackenbush Garage in downtown Albany
+ Flocking to downtown

A downtown corner in context

Mechanics and Farmers Bank History of Albany illustration

Albany is an old city, and it has a lot of old buildings. For all sorts of reasons, many of these old buildings are missing their architectural neighbors. And the resulting effect is that sometimes buildings appear like a fragment of conversation heard without context.

The old Mechanics and Farmers Bank building at the corner of State and James in downtown Albany is a prime example. It's a beautiful old building. It also looks odd, standing there all skinny and by itself. (Here's a thing we wrote about the history of the building.)

But it only looks like that way because the buildings around it are missing. And that's why we were delighted to see the above illustration today.

It's from the 1884 The History of The City of Albany, New York by Arthur James Weise. Credit to Albany Archives for surfacing it today on Twitter. (Matt has a "Lincoln in Albany" walking tour downtown this Thursday, by the way.)

From the illustration you can see how the building, designed by Russell Sturgis, once served as the corner piece of two intersecting rows of downtown buildings. It still stands out as a beauty, but it makes a more sense.

Oh, and here's the snippet from Weise about the founding of the bank...

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Gawking at the renovation of the long-vacant buildings on Broadway in Albany near the railroad overpass

800-806_Broadway_Albany_apartments__9.jpg

The renovation of the buildings at 800-806 Broadway in Albany -- a strip of four buildings just south of the railroad overpass between downtown and the Warehouse District -- is now complete and ribbon cutting-official as of this past Friday.

The long-vacant buildings -- which were gutted and renovated -- now contain 15 apartments.

Here's a look around, along with a few bits -- including one about the nearby Church of the Holy Innocents.

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A look around the new CoLab coworking space in downtown Albany

CoLab Albany mural

Ron Grieco, the co-owner of Stacks Espresso, was skeptical when his business partner, Tyler Wrightson, got back from a trip to Florida where he saw a coworking space next to a coffee spot -- and said they should open a coworking space here in Albany.

"I was like no way, this is out of our wheel house," he said. But he thought about it, and the idea started to make sense because they already had experience creating places where people like to hang out. And there was an open space just across the hallway from the Stacks in the Arcade Building in downtown Albany -- with the same sort of huge windows that look out onto the street.

"This was the perfect space because we're right there already," he said. "That was a big thing, striving for the kind of atmosphere that we create in the coffee shop, which is a warm, welcoming atmosphere."

And this past Friday their coworking space -- CoLab -- opened its doors.

Here's a look around the place along with a few bits about what's up.

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PearlPalooza 2018 lineup

the band Superorganism

Superorganism is one of the headliners.

This year's PearlPalooza -- the WEQX-organized free music festival on Pearl Street in downtown Albany -- is Saturday, September 15. And the lineup is out.

Without further ado, here's the list of acts with sample video clips...

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Bites Camera Action 2018

Times Union Center exterior video boards 2018-March

The Bites Camera Action series of free outdoor movies in downtown Albany returns in July. And there are a few changes this time around.

The biggest change is that the series, organized by the Downtown Albany Business Improvement District, will be showing movies on the giant LED video boards outside the Times Union Center. (It was in Tricentennial Park in previous years.)

South Pearl Street will be closed to cars from Beaver Street to Hudson Ave. The street space will be used for movie viewers, along with games like corn hole. Nearby restaurants will be open, and the TU Center concessions will also be selling food.

Also: The YouthFX program will be showing its award-winning shorts during the half hour leading up to the screening of the featured films.

And: There will be free parking in the TU Center garage and the nearby Green-Hudson garage.

Here's the schedule...

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Downtown Albany mural walking tour

Quackenbush Parking Garage blue bird mural

There's a walking tour of downtown Albany's murals June 27. And it's free, though the organizers do ask that your RSVP.

The tour is a collaboration between LocalXDesign, Albany Center Gallery, Albany Barn, and ParkAlbany. Blurbage:

The event will begin at the Albany Center Gallery at 5:45PM. After a brief description of the #CapitalWalls program led by curator Tony Iadicicco, we will embark on a walking tour with the mural artists who will share their artwork, process, and perspective. The tour will end at the English Pub's outdoor patio, where we'll continue discussions inspired by the murals.

Downtown Albany has been the site a handful of new and engaging murals the last year or two:
+ The bluebirds on the side of the Quackenbush Parking Garage by Michael Conlin (above).
+ The colorful pattern mural on the other side of the Quackenbush by Hellbent.
+ Murals by Sylvie Kantorovitz and Cara Hanley on the Green-Hudson Parking Garage.
+ And the map-inspired mural by Rachel Baxter on a 787 support wall along Water Street.

The walking tour is Wednesday, June 27 starting at 5:45 pm.

Working out the design of the Albany Skyway

Albany Skyway meeting 2018-05-22 rendering

One of the renderings shown at the meeting giving a sense of what might be possible. It does not represent a final design. (There's larger version inside.)

The Albany Skyway project is continuing to move forward, and this week the engineering team heading up the design work presented a few potential concepts for how to use the space on the new linear park/riverfront connector in downtown Albany.

So let's have a look at those ideas, and also talk about some of the key choices that have to be made...

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Recycled robots

Albany Center Gallery Maiden Lane park recycled robots

We're charmed by these robot sculptures standing in Jim DiNapoli Park, the wedge of grass and sidewalk and trees and benches between Maiden Lane and Pine Street at Broadway in downtown Albany.

The robots are the creation of a youth art project coordinated by the Albany Center Gallery, which looks out into the park from the adjacent Arcade Building. From ACG executive director Tony Iadicicco:

During LOOK! The Art of Recycling in March, we had the pleasure of working with youth in our community to clean up the streets of Albany and teach the value of re-purposing materials instead of throwing them in the trash. We heard from local artists Betsy Gorman, Jason Schultz (Designs by JAS) and Trisha Zigrosser who use repurposed and recycled items in their artwork as inspiration for the limitless possibilities of what we can create with found objects. Community kids drew designs for "recycle-bots," collaborative sculptures made of the found objects they collected throughout the city.

Totally made us smile this week.

One corner, many different buildings

looking up State Street Albany 1920s

Looking up State Street to Pearl Street in (we're guessing) the 1920s. That's the old Ten Eyck Hotel on the northwest corner. / photo via Albany Public Library History Collection

The northwest corner of State and Pearl in downtown Albany is one of the city's most prominent and historic spots. And as Mike DeMasi reported this week, SUNY is buying the office/bank building there. [Biz Review]

The 1970s-era building that's currently on the site is an odd fit -- its size, its style, the way it sits on such a busy corner but is largely closed off to the sidewalk. It sticks out even even more when you view the building in the historical context of what's stood there before.

So, let's take a quick look at that...

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The breakfast sandwich at Stacks

Stacks breakfast sandwich

By Deanna Fox

Breakfast sandwiches might as well be an official food of the Capital Region. We have enormous ones. We have taco-styled ones. We have vegan ones. We have everything in between.

When a new one comes to the market, it has to be really special to be deserving of page space. Make it with Taylor pork roll or smear it with n'juda. Custom-mill grains for a hearty, toasted roll. Use the eggs from backyard chickens.

Or just be this breakfast sandwich from Stacks Espresso Bar. That works, too.

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The Bites Camera Action film series is returning to downtown Albany this summer in a new location

Times Union Center exterior video boards 2018-March

The Bites Camera Action movie series is set return to downtown Albany in July. And this time around the movies will be shown on the giant video screens on the front of the TU Center as part of a block party.

As in the past years, the Downtown Albany BID is looking for input about which films to show. There's an online survey with a bunch of choices (you can pick four). One survey taker will be chosen at random to win a $50 downtown Albany restaurant gift certificate. Voting ends at 11:59 pm on May 1.

Using the TU Center screens like this is an interesting idea. They are really big and bright. We've been thinking it could be fun to use them to show art, or maybe something just really chill and relaxing like nature scenes will ambient sounds. Because they really contribute to the feel of that block.

The Downtown Albany BID advertises on AOA.

At the corner of style

North Pearl and Steuben Albany AS Grant

The building that currently stands at 67 North Pearl Street in downtown Albany is just about the most plain structure along that entire stretch. So this photo from the Albany Public Library History Collection -- of the same spot and a rather much more stylish building (in 1930something?) -- caught our eye. (Here's a slightly different angle.)

A.S. Beck was a shoe store chain that started in Brooklyn in the 1910s. By 1950 the spot was a new, expanded location for the W.T. Grant department store. That Grant store apparently was quite the success for a while.

By the way: The photo above also provides a glimpse of Steuben Street as an actual street.

Ideas for the Albany Skyway

Albany_Skyway_meeting_2018-03-08_slide_rendering.jpg

One rendering of one possible version of the project.

Three million dollars has a way of changing people's perspective of what's possible.

The idea behind the Albany Skyway -- to convert a lightly-used off-ramp from I-787 to Clinton Ave in Albany into a connection between Broadway and the riverfront -- first popped up in plans for the Corning Preserve and downtown four years ago. It was, as mayor Kathy Sheehan said at a public planning meeting Thursday evening, a "sort of pie in the sky, almost dream" idea.

The almost dream is now almost reality thanks in large part to $3.1 million in funding the Cuomo administration announced for the project this week, a surprise boost that now has the planning moving forward.

"We're in a unique position of starting off on a planning exercise that ... doesn't have have us going out at the end of the day and hoping to make this project a reality," Sarah Reginelli told the crowd. She's the president of Capitalize Albany, which has been heading up the planning. "This project will be a realty."

So that's what members of the public, along with all sorts of officials, got together to talk about.

Here are a bunch of bits about what people said they'd like to see happen, along with a few thoughts about this project.

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When the downtown street trees reached wide

State and Pearl Albany elm tree 1849

The photo above is of the northwest corner of State and Pearl in downtown Albany, dated 1849. It's from the commercial streets section of the Albany Public Library History Collection.

State and Pearl is one of the oldest intersections in the city, and in many ways it's still the heart of downtown. During this period, the building on this specific corner was the Boardman and Gray piano company.

But the things that really catches our eye about this photo are the trees -- so tall and stretched out for downtown city trees.

That tree on the corner was an elm and not just any elm. It was the elm, said to have been planted by Philip Livingston in 1735. The tree was a city landmark and the corner was known as The Elm Tree Corner.

The elm was cut down in 1877 as part of a paving project.

Downtown Albany food tours starting this spring

Quackenbush Square Albany 2016-October

The tours start at Quackenbush Square.

The organizer of the Taste of Troy Food Tours is starting up a "Historic Downtown Albany Food Tour" this spring. Blurbage:

Put on your walking shoes for an entertaining and delicious way to experience Albany. New York's Capital City for 320+ years, is undergoing a culinary and craft brewing boom. You'll sip and sample from restaurants that are spicing up Albany's food scene. Discover stunning architecture and cultural tidbits that will help you develop a fresh perspective on New York's capital city. Each Friday, we sprinkle in history, architecture and culture to kick off your weekend in the Capital District. ...
Our tour highlights 5 tastes from different local restaurants, some history of Albany, architectural accents and culture. Our tour lasts 3 hours and we walk about 1.5 miles, one slight climb up State St., with plenty of rests during our tastes.

The tours start in May. Tickets are on sale now -- they're $59 for adults / $39 for kids.

Tastes and Traditions
The new tours fit into a larger series organized by Discover Albany focused on food this year called "Tastes and Traditions." The recent -- and sold out -- Proost brewing/distilling history event at the Ten Broeck Mansion is one example.

What's up with the Albany Skyway, and a few bits about plans to makeover a key piece of downtown

Albany Skyway rendering

A rendering of what the skyway project might end up looking like.

The Albany Skyway project -- which aims to turn a lightly-used off-ramp into a linear park connecting downtown Albany with the riverfront -- is set to take a step forward next year.

And the skyway is potentially one piece of a larger puzzle that officials are looking to rearrange with the hope of creating better links between parts of the city.

Here's what's in works...

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Gawking at the TU Center's new atrium

Times_Union_Center_new_atrium_2.jpg

The makeover of the Times Union Center's Pearl Street exterior and atrium is finished.

The almost-$20 million project included a new facade with huge video boards on the outside the county-owned arena. On the inside, the atrium was enclosed to make it usable during all four seasons (the space hosted a county tree lighting on Wednesday). It also expanded the mezzanine space, and reconfigured the stairs and escalators. Plus: There's a large falling water feature.

The renovation is part of the overall larger plan to link the TU Center with the new Albany Capital Center and the Empire State Plaza into complex that can use be used to host large events such as the NCAA basketball tournaments. (Both the women's and men's tournaments will be making a stop at the arena in the next few years.)

So let's gawk at it, shall we...

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B Lodge & Company is 150 years old and its owner says it's having one of its best years

B. Lodge & Co exterior evening

In a city with roots that stretch back four centuries, it take some doing to be considered old.

That said, it's fair to say B. Lodge & Co. -- or Lodge's as pretty much everyone calls it -- is very old. It's an Albany institution, dating back to 1867 (and maybe even earlier). It's survived booms and busts, and persisted downtown on Pearl Street even as retail stores fled the city over the last half century. (Because no matter what's happening in the world, people gotta have a place to buy socks.)

On Wednesday the Albany County Legislature recognized the 150th anniversary of Lodge's proclaiming it "B. Lodge & Co. Day" in the county.

Mark Yonally currently owns Lodge's with his sister, Sharon Freddoso. They took over the business in 2011 from their parents, who had owned it since the 1990s (and worked there since the 1980s).

We talked with Yonally for a few minutes about being part of an Albany tradition, staying afloat in the age of Amazon, and how things are going downtown.

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The new downtown Albany dog park is ready

downtown Albany dog park mural

The dog park that's been in the works for downtown Albany officially opens today.

The park is in Wallenberg Park, the slice of land that sits diagonally from The Palace, up against the on-ramp for I-787. The 15,000-square-foot enclosure will be open dusk to dawn dawn to dusk, seven days a week.

Here are few more bits and pics...

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Window shopping at the grocery, then

B. Lodge (Lodges)  and Grand Cash Market  North pearl albany ny 1940s

Check out this Pearl Street pic from the 1940s posted from the Albany Group Archive on Flickr. The Albany Muskrat highlighted it on Twitter with a Thanksgiving ad for the grocery, Grand Cash Markets.

Recommended: Heading over to Flickr and zooming in on the photo. You can see into the store itself a bit and gawk at the all the vegetables on display.

Also: There's a woman standing under the B. Lodge sign (same typeface as today!), and she has a "I'm an annoyed you're taking my photo" look on her face.

Here's how those three new murals in downtown Albany turned out

Capital Walls mural Sylvie Kantorovitz

Here's some photo follow-up on those three murals-in-progress in downtown Albany was posted about last week.

The works are part of the Capital Walls project -- a collaboration among the Albany Center Gallery, curator Tony Iadicicco, and the Albany Barn. And it's being funded by the Albany Parking Authority as part of its ongoing effort to make its garages feel more welcoming. (See also: The two large murals on the Quackenbush garage.)

As Iadicicco told us last week, "The goal is to inspire and create community and sense of place."

Here's how they turned out...

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Three new murals for downtown Albany

Capital Walls murals 2017 October in progress Kantorovitz 1

Something you might notice this week: Three new murals are going up in downtown Albany.

Two of the murals are in the Green Street drive-through section of the Green-Hudson parking garage, and the other is on the side of a wall along Water Street and I-787 by the Riverfront parking garage.

The work is part of the Capital Walls project -- a collaboration among the Albany Center Gallery, curator Tony Iadicicco, and the Albany Barn. And it's being funded by the Albany Parking Authority as part of its ongoing effort to make its garages feel more welcoming. (See also: The two large murals on the Quackenbush garage.)

"The goal is to inspire and create community and sense of place," said Iadicicco of the murals.

The works should be finished within the next two weeks. Here's a quick in-progress look at each one...

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The Playdium redevelopment! Downtown residential! Neighborhood critics! And more exciting tales of the Albany planning board


The proposed redevelopment of the Playdium was among the projects up for review.

Despite the fact that they often focus on multi-million-dollar projects that can literally change the shape of the city, Albany planning board meetings are often quiet affairs, attended by few (or no) members of the public.

That was not the case for Tuesday's meeting, which featured a packed gallery, a bunch of neighborhood critics, and even a loud, happy round of cheers.

Here's what had people fired up...

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Downtown Albany Residential Open House 2017

99 Pine Street Albany exterior 2016-April

99 Pine Street is one of the buildings listed for the tour. They upper floors have been undergoing conversion to apartments during the past year.

The Downtown Albany Residential Open House event returns September 28. It's pretty much what it sounds like -- a bunch of residential buildings in the neighborhood will be open for tours, which are free and open to the public.

We went on the self-guided walking tour last year and it was interesting to see how the various buildings had been adapted to residential use. One of the notable aspects of the shift toward residential downtown has been that it's put many buildings back into service after years (decades?) of being unused or underused because they don't fit the style or demand for modern office space.

Reps for the buildings are there to answer questions and hand out info. And if you're just there to gawk, as we were, everyone seems OK with that.

That link above lists some of the participating buildings with more to be announced.

The open house is Thursday, September 28 from 5-8 pm. Check-in is at the Pearl Street Pub.

The Downtown Albany BID advertises on AOA.

Here's the latest outline of a plan for redeveloping the former convention center site in downtown Albany

former Albany convention center site rendering

What could be built on the former convention center in downtown Albany? What should be built?

Those are two questions at the center of a report Empire State Development released Thursday that proposes an outline of a plan for developing the large site on the southern end of downtown -- AKA, The Parking Lot District -- that's sat underused for years, and without purpose since the convention center project moved up the hill.

Here are a few clips from the report -- yep, there are renderings and similar whatnot -- along with a few thoughts.

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A look around the new -- again -- Fort Orange General Store in downtown Albany

Fort Orange General Store downtown Albany

The reincarnated Fort Orange General Store is now open in a storefront on Broadway across from the SUNY administration building in downtown Albany.

Shop owner Schuyler Bull said the store is currently in a soft opening phase. He said they unlocked the door with no announcement on Friday, and Monday posted an opening announcement on Facebook. (There's a ribbon cutting planned for a few weeks out. )

Bull said Monday afternoon that foot traffic into the store has already been brisk.

"It's been overwhelming in a very positive way," he said.

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Gawking at those Nipper statues that now dot downtown Albany

Downtown is Pawsome City Lines closeup

One of the things you notice when seeing the Nippers out and about is the way each artist designed the eyes gives the dogs a different expression.

We got a chance during the past week to check out the new "Downtown is Pawsome" statues in downtown Albany as they sit in their new sidewalk habitats.

The three-foot-tall statues -- inspired by Nipper and decorated by local artists -- are part of the annual public art program coordinated by the Downtown Albany BID. Eight are already in place, two more will be out this week, and another ten are on their way.

Here's a quick photo gawk at the statues, along with a clickable map that we'll update as the statues appear. The pieces are all within walking distance of each other, so you could definitely string them together as part of your own walking tour some day this summer -- with, you know, maybe a stop for a drink or donut along the way.

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Albany testing system for paying for parking by mobile app and license plate

Albany parking by mobile sign

You can now pay to park in part of downtown Albany via mobile app.

The Albany Parking Authority launched a pilot program Monday to test new pay-by-app and pay-by-plate meters along State Street. The initial test includes 12 meters and covers about 100 spots on State between Eagle and Broadway.

The new system is the same one we talked with the APA about earlier this year. The idea behind the switch is to provide easier, more flexible parking options for people.

Here are a few more bits about how it works.

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Bites Camera Action in downtown Albany

Downtown Albany BID Bites Camera Action logoThe schedule for the downtown Albany outdoor movies/food trucks series -- Bites Camera Action -- is out.

You might remember this is the series for which the Downtown Albany BID asked people for their votes to narrow down the slate for the series in Tricentennial Park. And here it is:

movie title | live music act

July 10: Back to the Future | The Graham Tichy Trio

July 17: Jurassic Park | Kimono Dragons

July 24: Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone | The Useless Cans

July 31: La La Land | Bryan Brundige & Crick Diefendorf

August 7: The Goonies | DJ Mercy

August 14: Star Wars: The Force Awakens | Victory Soul Orchestra

Those dates are all Mondays. Food and live music starts each night from 5-8 pm. Movies start at 8:30 pm. Admission is free.

Tricentennial Park is the park on Broadway across from Kiernan Plaza/the old train station.

Waterproofing your dog isn't wise, typically

Downtown is Pawsome Nipper statues prep Tony Iadicicco

But there are exceptions.

While in downtown Albany Monday we happened upon Albany Center Gallery Tony Iadicicco applying a weatherproof coat to the Nipper statutes that have been decorated by local artists for the upcoming "Downtown is Pawsome" public art project. There are a few more pics below if you want a small sneak peek.

As we mentioned a few weeks back, the Downtown Albany BID call for submissions got so many applications that the org decided to do 20 statues instead of the originally-planned 10. They'll start popping up around downtown soon.

There's a garden party in Tricentennial Park to celebrate the project this Friday, June 16 starting at 5:30 pm. Tickets are $60 ahead / $65 at the door. (There's also a $40 ticket if you're under age 30.) Proceeds will benefit the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society and other BID projects around downtown.

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Gawking at the newly finished mural on the Quackenbush Garage in downtown Albany

Quackenbush Garage Hellbent mural finished

Right to the point: Here's a handful of photos the newly finished mural on the Quackenbush Garage in downtown Albany.

The artist Hellbent was in town last week(end) working on the mural. His inspirations for some of the patterns in the mural: Dutch porcelain, the orange and blue of the city flag, and some of local deco architecture.

It's part of the same collaboration between the Albany Parking Authority and Albany Center Gallery that produced the bluebird mural on the opposite side of the garage last year.

Let's have a look...

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A few bits about that big, new mural going up on the side of the Quackenbush Garage in Albany

Quackenbush Garage Albany Hellbent in progress

Maybe you've noticed the new mural going up on the south face of the Quackenbush Garage in downtown Albany.

Here's what's up with that, along with a few in-progress pics...

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Downtown Albany's getting a dog park

downtown Albany dog park rendering cropped

The newest development in downtown Albany: a dog park.

The new fenced-in play space for pups is scheduled to open this summer.

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A call to customize Nipper

Nipper building

The upcoming round of downtown Albany public art projects will be decorated statues of Nipper. And the call for submissions is out:

For this year's exhibit, the Downtown Albany BID is accepting submissions from artists who wish to submit proposals to design 36" tall sculptures of Albany's famous canine resident Nipper the Dog. A beloved mixed-breed terrier residing in Bristol, England in the late 1800s, Nipper was immortalized in the 1898 oil painting "His Master's Voice" by Francis Barraud. He became an instantly recognizable mascot for the RCA Recording Company throughout the 20th century, perhaps most familiar to locals via the 28-foot, four-ton statue that keeps guard over the Capital City from a perch atop the former RCA distribution warehouse at the corner of Broadway and Tivoli Street. Celebrating an Albany landmark, a famous American musical icon, and the upcoming downtown Albany dog park, the ten Nipper sculptures will adorn highly visible outdoor public locations throughout downtown Albany's business and entertainment corridors from mid-June 2017 through May 2018.

The BID says the process is open to artists or groups of all ages, and there is no application fee. Selected entries will get a $500 stipend, two tickets to the launch party, and 30 percent of the proceeds when the sculptures are auctioned off at the end.

Here's the application, which includes details about selection process and criteria. The deadline for submissions is May 3 at noon.

This public art series stretches back more than a decade (it was originally called "Sculpture in the Streets"), and has included those large decorated Dutch wooden shoe replicas and the "Play Me I'm Yours" pianos.

The Downtown Albany BID advertises on AOA.

Massaman curry at Emmanuel Thai

Emmanuel Thai masaman curry

By Deanna Fox

If you don't work in the Capitol corridor -- that section of Albany stretching from Dove to Broadway, extending a few blocks north and south, with buildings populated by state-related agencies -- you might miss many of the small eateries that are popular for quick lunches.

The grab-and-go sandwich shops, the small sit-down locations that offer momentary respite from the rigors of government -- and now, Emmanuel Thai, a barely noticeable restaurant that has quickly gained a downtown Albany following.

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Signs of storefronts past

20 South Pearl storefronts 20th century

While talking with Schuyler Bull this week about his plans to re-open the Fort Orange General Store downtown, he mentioned hearing stories from his grandmother about how downtown Albany was at one time the place to shop.

And that's apparent when you flip through old photos of the area, like the "commercial streets" group of the Albany Public Library History Collection.

It's interesting to see how many shops were once packed into buildings around downtown Albany. But the thing we often end up gawking at is the old storefront signage. There's a certain style about it that makes today's signage just seem sort of... plain.

So we thought it'd be fun to go through the APL collection of photos and pull out a bunch of examples of downtown Albany storefront signs from the early 20th century...

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The Fort Orange General Store is re-opening

Fort Orange General Store Broadway pre exterior

The exterior of the shop's new space on Broadway.

The Fort Orange General Store is returning, with a new owner and a new location in downtown Albany.

The new owner is Schuyler Bull. And the new location is a street-level space at 412 Broadway -- the Argus Building -- across from the SUNY administration plaza. He's aiming for a soft opening in mid May.

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Looking along the old lane

Maiden Lane Albany old photo

We stumbled across this old, undated photo of Maiden Lane in downtown Albany in the Albany Public Library History Collection this week. And we were struck by a few things:

+ Love those old retail shop signs. (Apparently it was the place to score some shoes.)

+ Those signs are gone, but the streetscape -- the buildings date to the late 19th century/early 20th century -- is more or less the same as today.

The biggest difference you might notice is in the background -- mainly that the street keeps on going to the west. Maiden Lane is one of the city's oldest streets and for centuries it stretched from the waterfront up the the hill to Eagle Street. (See this 1891 map.) That changed in the early 1970s with the construction of the Ten Eyck Plaza Project. (It was also around that time that Pine Street was extended to Broadway.)

If you head over to the APL's collection on the New York Heritage site, you can zoom reallyclose into the photo to catch a glimpse of the segment of the Maiden Lane that no longer exists, along with the old shops.

Earlier: Today's moment of fenestration and reflection

Another residential conversion proposed for downtown Albany, this one with a few extra layers

48 North Pearl Street Albany 2017-March

48 North Pearl Street

The latest residential project proposed for downtown Albany: A plan to create 26 apartments at 48 North Pearl Street by converting office space -- and adding two floors to the building there.

More details about that, along with other exciting tales of the Albany Planning Board...

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Downtown Albany Restaurant Week 2017

downtown Albany restaurant week 2017-April_logo

Downtown Albany Restaurant Week is set to return April 1-7. (That's Saturday through Friday of the next week.)

Participating restaurants will be offering three-course meals for $20.17. And on the Monday of the run -- April 3 -- students with valid ID can get meals for $17.17 at some of the participating restaurants.

Sixteen establishments are lineup for the week. And that first link above includes links to restaurant week menus for most of them. (We're intrigued by the cauliflower schnitzel with beetroot spaetzel on the City Beer Hall menu.)

As with any restaurant week, reservations are a good idea. And spots often fill up fast.

Gawking at the Albany Capital Center

Albany Capital Center exterior

The new convention center in downtown Albany -- the Albany Capital Center -- officially opened Wednesday.

The $78 million project on Eagle Street has been in the works for a long time, stretching back to an earlier, larger plan at a site on the southern edge of downtown.

The idea is for the new convention center -- at the spot on Eagle -- is to provide a tourism boost not just on its own, but in conjunction with the TU Center and Empire State Plaza, to which it's connected to both by an enclosed walkway.

Here's a look around the new venue, along with a few details...

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Cinnamon buns at Fifth Tier Baking Studio

Fifth Tier Baking Studio cinnamon bun

By Deanna Fox

Fifth Tier Baking Studio is tucked into a section of Columbia Street in downtown Albany that feels like an alleyway, hidden away from the typical bustle of North Pearl Street. It's the sort of spot that requires a bit of sleuthing.

With no seating and a limited menu, the shop isn't focused on creating a comfortable lingering experience for its customers. Instead, the focus is on production, churning out scones of sweet and savory varieties, jumbo-sized cookies -- and massive cinnamon buns that blend warm spice with sweet dough in a masterly fashion.

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Just down the road for Albany: paying for parking by license plate and mobile app

Albany pay and display meter State Street 2017-January

One of the current pay-and-display meters.

Mobile phones are re-centering the way we look at the world, becoming our primary connection to all sorts of aspects of our everyday lives: friends and family, shopping, media, transportation and... parking*.

The Albany Parking Authority is currently sorting through potential vendors for a new system that would allow people to pay for metered parking via mobile app.

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Checking out the new Albany Center Gallery space

Albany Center Gallery storefront Arcade Building

The Albany Center Gallery opens its new members show exhibit Wednesday -- and it's doing so in a new gallery space in the Arcade Building on Broadway in downtown Albany.

We got a look around the new space this week and talked with executive director Tony Iadicicco for a few minutes...

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The new plan for a big mixed-use development near Quackenbush Square in Albany

705 Broadway Albany aerial rendering

A rendering of how the buildings could look within context.

There's a new proposal for a big mixed-use development in downtown Albany just north of Quackenbush Square. The "Quackenbush Center" would include residential, retail, live-work space, and a hotel, potentially.

Here's an overview of what's being proposed...

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A few bits about the proposed Albany Skyway

Albany Skyway rendering

A rendering of the proposed park.

Updated with comment from NYSDOT.

One of the more intriguing Capital Region projects to pop up in the state's Regional Economic Development Council funding announcements this week is a linear park that would take over an off-ramp that connects currently connects Quay Street along the Albany riverfront to Clinton Ave downtown.

Here are a few details about the "Albany Skyway"...

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Opening set for new Albany Center Gallery space

Arcade Building downtown Albany exterior 2016-11-02The Albany Center Gallery recently made the move down Broadway to new its home in the renovated Arcade Building and it's set the grand opening for the new space for January 6.

On that date the gallery's 12th Annual Member Show will open. And there's an open call for submissions:

While Albany Center Gallery (ACG) celebrates its 40th year, the Annual Members' Show focuses on the importance of local and regional artists that live and create work within 100 miles of Albany. ACG highlights and recognizes a wide range of talented members. Each of these exhibits bring together a dynamic cross--section of artists, in material and degree of establishment. Members range from student and emerging artists to established and international artists, from painters and photographers to sculptors and mixed media artists and beyond. ACG sees this show as an opportunity for exposure, promotion, and appreciation of all who have invested their time and energy in making our gallery what it is today.

There are details at that link about how to submit. And if you're not a member, it's $50 to join / $90 for two people.

The grand opening reception will be January 6 from 5-9 pm. The member show will be on display through February 17.

Earlier on AOA:
+ New home for Albany Center Gallery
+ Why Stacks Espresso picked downtown Albany for its next location (it's in the Arcade Building)

About that idea to connect the train station with downtown Albany via a gondola lift...

Capital District Gondola ESP rendering

Maybe you remember a while back the idea popped up of constructing a gondola lift to ferry people between downtown Albany and the train station over in Rensselaer.

Well, the engineering firm that floated the possibility -- McLaren Engineering Group -- released a feasibility study Wednesday that concludes the project is workable, and "retains the potential of being a transformational project that will create a spark of increased mobility, tourism, and economic development in two areas of the cities of Albany and Rensselaer that are currently underdeveloped."

Here's a quick overview and a few thoughts...

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27 N Pearl St planned for residential conversion

27 N Pearl Albany exterior 2016-10-5

The Pearl Street side this past October.

The next downtown Albany building set for a residential conversion: 27 N. Pearl. It's the building at the corner of Pearl and Maiden Lane -- the one with the temporary plywood facade covered in a mural. (It's right next door to Cider Belly.)

The property is on the agenda for the Albany planning board meeting set for November 17. The agenda abstract mentions the developers are seeking to convert the upper two floors of the building into 18 apartments. The ground level would be used for commercial.

The building has been vacant for some time. Internal demolition work has been going on for the last few months.

Fairbank Properties is the developer behind 27 N. Pearl. Fairbank has been involved in a string of recent projects in the city, including the Arcade Building on Broadway that's just behind 27 N. Pearl and the 27 Western Ave school building conversion. It's also set to construct a new 100-unit residential building at 760 Broadway, in the area between downtown and the Warehouse District.

We're hoping to get a few more details about 27 N. Pearl and we'll post an update here when we do.

Why Stacks Espresso picked downtown Albany for its next location

Stacks Espresso owners Ron Grieco Tyler Wrightson

Stacks co-owners Ron Grieco and Tyler Wrightson.

Earlier this year Stacks Espresso Bar co-owner Tyler Wrightson was in downtown Albany looking at office space when someone mentioned the retail storefronts on the street level of the Arcade Building on Broadway, the upper floors of which had recently been converted to apartments.

"It was completely busted," he said of a space in the building's northeast corner, which had been vacant for many years.

But the windows. Really big windows. Windows that provide a view in two directions out, and allow light to stream in. So he brought the crew of Stacks down from Lark Street to see it. The conclusion: "It would be killer to do something cool here."

This Monday, November 7, Stacks Espresso will open in that Arcade Building space. And the plan is to be open from 7 am to 7 pm -- seven days a week -- to serve both the daytime tide of downtown workers and the neighborhood's growing residential population.

Here's a quick peek at the space, along with a few bits from a chat with Wrightson and co-owner Ron Grieco about why they picked downtown Albany for their second location, and why they picked it now.

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Albany Capital Center construction tour

Albany Capital Center construction exterior 2016-October

The Albany Capital Center doesn't open until next March, but the structure of the new convention center has taken shape and, from the exterior at least, it's starting to look like it's finished form.

The road to this point has been a long one, stretching back years. And it didn't event start at this site on Eagle Street -- the first proposed spot, for a much larger project, was on the south side of downtown.

So, we're curious to see how this is all going to turn out. (And we suspect you are, too.) Toward that end, we got a chance to tour the construction site this week.

Let's have a look...

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John W. Emery Inc. -- "the Albany Shoe Hustler"

54 N Pearl Albany John W Emery Inc building looking up

So many times we've passed this building on N. Pearl Street in downtown Albany and admired the facade -- the way it frames the windows, the floral adornments placed along the border, even the straightforward typography of the above the entryway.

And pretty much every time we've walked by this place, we've wondered: What is the John. W. Emery Inc.?

This week we finally decided to find out.

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"Albany's Premier Food Center"

Empire Food Market 119 Hudson Avenue Albany undated

If you head over to the APL's collection at NY Heritage you can zoom in on the photo very close to read the signs in the window.

We stumbled upon this old Albany photo in the Albany Public Library History Collection online. It's the Empire Food Market that occupied a part of the big Lyon Block building on Hudson Ave that once stood alongside the public market space where the TU Center is now. The date of the photo isn't listed.

That big vertical sign -- "EMPIRE FOOD MARKET" -- caught our eye. Wonder what happened to it.

Empire Food Market was a local supermarket chain founded by Henry Schaffer in Schenectady in the 1920s -- it and would later expand to almost 200 stores around upstate and Western Massachusetts, and Schaffer would sell the chain to Grand Union.

Here's a 1932 full-page ad in the Times Union for the Hudson Ave location -- "Albany's Premier Food Center." (And here's another ad, which mentions Fort Orange Toilet Tissue.)

The Albany Muskrat has a post chronicling the history of the open air Albany Public Market area and the Lyons Block building. The building met its end in demolition for the Empire State Plaza project (which, at the time, most people called "The South Mall.")

And over at the Albany Postcard Project, there are cards depicting the old Lyon Block building and the market area.

Ramping up

downtown Albany Broadway pedestrian bridge bike ramps

New-to-us pedestrian and bike infrastructure, a continuing (?) series: Jodi pointed out to us on Twitter this week that there are now bike ramps along the stairs leading to the pedestrian bridge that connects Corning Riverfront Park/Jennings Landing and downtown Albany. That's her pic above.

We hadn't seen ramps like this before. And while it might not be a big thing, it is another way of 1) making things a little easier for cyclists and 2) communicating that, yes, there's a place for bikes here.

Which reminds us... we have to get over Corning Riverfront Park and check out how the pedestrian and bike upgrades project is coming along. We've spotted the (very, very) green bike lane in a few spots lately.

(Thanks, Jodi!)

Earlier on AOA:
+ (blink) pedestrian crossing (blink)
+ Adapting to the Madison Ave Road Diet
+ Connecting Albany's riverfront park

Big new Albany residential construction project get OK to move ahead

760 Broadway Pearl Street side elevation

An elevation for the Pearl Street side of the project.

The plan to build a new 100-unit residential project at 760 Broadway in Albany got the OK to move ahead about the city planning board Wednesday evening.

The has been making its way through the planning process since this past January. Details related to storm water management at the site had been the last item to be squared away before site plan approval. (The project will include the installation of a new sewer line that will keep storm water out of the city's combined sewer.)

In the wider picture of the ongoing boom in downtown Albany residential, the 760 Broadway project is notable because it and another project at 191 N. Pearl Street (18 units) are the first new-construction residential projects in the downtown/Warehouse District area in many years. (Though if you consider the Sheridan Hollow neighborhood as being downtown, the Habitat/Housing Visions redevelopment project would also qualify.)

Here are a few more details about 760 Broadway...

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The TU Center atrium renovation project has (officially) started

TU Center atrium renovation interior

A rendering of the design for the interior.

The renovation of the atrium of the Times Union Center officially started Wednesday. (There was a ceremonial sledgehammering of some concrete steps.) Maybe you've noticed the construction work -- and the narrowing of Pearl Street -- there recently. That's what the activity's been about.

The $19.6 million project will enclose the atrium along Pearl Street to make it usable for events all four seasons, expand the mezzanine space, reconfigure the stairs and escalators, and upgrade the bathrooms. Also: The design includes a large vertical sheet of falling water and new digital billboards on the exterior.

The north side of the atrium is currently the focus of the construction work. The plan is to have it ready by next spring, along with the new streetscape, and then switch the focus to the south side. The arena will be open during the work.

The renovation is part of the larger overall plan to connect the Empire State Plaza, the new Albany Capital Center on Eagle Street, and the TU Center into a chain of spaces that can be used for events both small and very large (the NCAA men's basketball tournament, for example). The convention center is scheduled to be ready in March of next year, and the walkway connecting all three venues will also be enclosed by then.

Here are renderings, along with a few construction pics from Wednesday, if you're curious...

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New home for Albany Center Gallery

Arcade Building exterior

The Arcade Building. / photo: Paul Gallo

The Albany Center Gallery announced Monday that it's found a new home: ACG will be moving to the Arcade Building on Broadway in downtown Albany around the end of this year/beginning of 2017.

The 40-year-old gallery has been located at 39 Columbia Street -- just off Broadway near Tricentennial Park -- for many years. But its lease is up in November and it's been in search of more affordable space. Press release blurbage:

ACG began to explore a new location starting in 2014 due to a 10-year lease with the United Group ending in November 2016. "We toured over two dozen properties and had offers to move to places such as Troy and Schenectady. We thought it was important to stay in Downtown Albany," said Brian Tromans, board member and chair of the ACG's relocation committee. "The United Group has been very supportive throughout our lease. It was not an easy decision to leave 39 Columbia Street, but the Arcade will bring a new chapter for the Gallery's creative history."

The Arcade Building is just about two blocks south of ACG's current location. Its owner -- Fairbank Properties -- recently converted the upper floors to apartments. The street level includes storefront space. (Stacks Espresso is also set to open a location there.)

In addition to showing art work in its gallery space, Albany Center Gallery has also been involved in many arts projects around the city -- including the large mural that went up on the parking garage by the I-787 Clinton Ave off-ramp earlier this year.

ACG Gala: The Albany Center Gallery's 40th Anniversary Gala is November 19 at the Renaissance Albany.

The afternoon September sun

State Street building sun reflection

One of the beautiful things about cities is the way the shadows and reflections from buildings shift and change during the day, or over the course of the year.

There was a moment late Friday afternoon in Albany when tall buildings were casting all sorts of interesting reflections and shadows. Here are a few pics.

Have a good weekend.

That mural going up on the building at Pearl Street and Maiden Lane in downtown Albany

temporary facade mural 27 N Pearl by Rachel Baxter

N. sent along this pic today of the mural that popped up on the boards lining the exterior of 27 N. Pearl in downtown Albany with the message: "This made me smile, and it seemed like something alloveralbany would enjoy, too."

As it happens, the mural is a work in progress by Rachel Baxter called "You Are Here, Too." It's a collaboration between Albany Center Galleries, the Downtown Albany BID, and Fairbank Properties, which is renovating the building. (Fairbank also did the residential conversion of the nearby Arcade Building.)

The mural will stretch down Maiden Lane when it's finished, according to the BID. Blurbage:

Artist Rachel Baxter drew inspiration for the piece, "You Are Here, Too," from her time hiking and camping, and the connection between our environment and ourselves. In creating the piece, Baxter hopes people will be reminded to connect with their surroundings. The mural, one of several recently completed or in the pipeline, highlights Albany Center Gallery's mission to both exhibit contemporary work in their gallery space, as well as expand beyond the gallery walls by bringing art into the community.

The BID says mural is expected to be up for about eight months. And if it's still in good shape by the end of that time, it will be sold to benefit ACG.

(Thanks, N!)

The Downtown Albany BID advertises on AOA.

Downtown Albany Residential Open House 2016

733 Broadway residential conversion doorwayUpdate: Because of possible storms on Friday, the open house event has been moved to August 19. And this Friday's Fork in the Road is canceled.
____

The Downtown Albany Residential Open House event returns this Friday (August 12) from 4-7 pm. Eight properties will be showing residential units during the self-guided tour. Admission is free.

Here are the eight developments:

+ 83 Beaver Street (Beaver Lofts)
+ 370 Broadway
+ 374 Broadway
+ 412 Broadway
+ 733 Broadway (The Lofts at 733 Broadway),
+ 50 S Pearl Street,
+ 60 State Street (Park Place at Sixty State)
+ 20 Park Street

There's been a bit of boom in residential development in downtown Albany over the last few years, as many buildings have been converted to residential units. The Downtown Albany BID reports 340 new market-rate residential units have opened in/near the neighborhood in recent years, another 111 are set to open this fall, and 230 units are in planning.

Fork in the Road
Also this Friday downtown: The Fork in the Road food truck series will be back in Tricentennial Park (on Broadway across Kiernan Plaza/the old train station) from 5-8 pm. Five vendors are lined up for this month's event, with music from Hasty Page.

Earlier on AOA: Thinking about residential development in downtown Albany (2014)

The Downtown Albany BID advertises on AOA.

New outdoor film series in downtown Albany

downtown Albany deja view movie series posterA new outdoor-movie series starts in downtown Albany next week. "Deja View" will be showing films in Tricentennial Park each Thursday evening through September 1. Here's the schedule, which was selected by an online vote:

+ August 11: Up

+ August 18: Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

+ August 25: The Princess Bride

+ September 1: Salt

(Tricentennial Park is the park across from the former train station on Broadway.)

The films start at 7:45 pm. It's a bring-your-own-chair or blanket kind of thing. There will be a concession stand in the park, and a handful of restaurants around downtown will be offering deals (see the link above).

The series is a collaboration between the Downtown Albany BID, the Albany Parking Authority, The Palace, and it's funded in party one of those Amplify Albany grants from Capitalize Albany.

Speaking of outdoor movies... The Capitol Park After Dark series of outdoor movies in West Capitol Park starts August 17 with Big Hero 6.

The Downtown Albany BID advertises on AOA.

The Palace is planning a major expansion

Palace expansion rendering 2016-July from northeast cropped

The Palace Theatre has announced plans for a major expansion that would both significantly add to the venue's capabilities and change the block on which it sits in downtown Albany.

Press release blurbage for the expansion, which is projected to cost $65 million:

The project, which will build out the Palace Theatre's current footprint along North Pearl Street, will consist of multiple elements, including the addition of a new 600-seat theatre, community and educational space, and a video post-production center. Renovations will also occur within the main theatre to expand and enhance the current stage, as well as the lobby, box office and backstage areas.

That the Palace had some sort of expansion in mind isn't too surprising after word got out earlier this year that it had acquired a string of properties north of the theater on Pearl Street. But the scale of the proposed expansion is remarkable.

Here are a few more details, large-format renderings, and few other things.

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Downtown Albany outdoor movie series survey

salt trailer 2 U-Haul

Parts of downtown Albany co-starred with Angelina Jolie in Salt. (The U-Haul building was a little insufferable for a while after this movie came out, always somehow wedging the topic into any conversation: "Speaking of work, you remember that time I worked with Angie in that movie...")

The Downtown Albany BID is setting up an outdoor movie series for later this summer and fall. And it's looking for input on which movies to show via an online survey.

The BID is asking for people to pick five movies from a slate of 20 films -- ranging from Indiana Jones to The Big Lebowski to Salt (partially filmed downtown, of course) to 10 Things I Hate About You. One person who completes the survey will win a four pack of season passes to the 2016-2017 movies series at the Palace.

The deadline for submitting a survey is July 1 at 11:59 pm.

The Downtown Albany BID advertises on AOA.

image: Sony Pictures

A few pics of Alive at Five on Broadway

Alive at Five Kiernan Plaza in the background

Dr. John was the headliner for the first show of the season.

The first Alive at Five of the season was Thursday evening. And, as you've probably heard by now, the free concert series has been relocated to Tricentennial Park on Broadway in downtown Albany for the summer because of construction at Corning Riverfront Park.

If you're curious about the setup at the new/old/temporary spot, here are a few pics from Thursday...

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Alive at Five 2016 road closures and parking info

Alive at Five 2016 street map cropped

This is a clip from the full map, which is after the jump.

The Alive at Five season starts this Thursday and, as you might have heard, the free concert series will be at Tricentennial Park on Broadway downtown this summer because construction at the normal spot on the riverfront.

That means there will be some different road closures and parking restrictions to keep an eye out for on Thursdays this summer. Here's the official list via the city of Albany:

Closed to thru traffic
Broadway from Columbia to Steuben: 9 am - midnight
Broadway from Steuben to Pine: 12 pm - midnight
James Street from Columbia to Pine: 12 pm - midnight
Steuben Street from James to Broadway: 12 pm - midnight

Open to thru traffic
Pine Street & Columbia Street

No Parking
Broadway from Columbia to Pine: 6 am - midnight
Steuben Street from James to Broadway: 6 am - midnight
James Street from Columbia to Pine: 11 am - midnight

There's a full city-released map of of the closures and alcohol-permitted areas after the jump. Also there: Info about parking, CDTA re-routes, and how to get a free event day CDTA pass.

Alive at Five is from 5-8 pm each Thursday through August 4 (with the exception of July 7).

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Flocking to downtown

Quackenbush parking garage mural

We stopped by the Quackenbush Parking Garage in downtown Albany Tuesday to see large mural that artist Michael Conlin recently completed there. There are a handful of large photos after the jump if you'd like to have a look.

The mural -- which is roughly 25 feet by 85 feet -- is part of an effort by the Albany Parking Authority to make its garages more welcoming. The art is the result of a collaboration between Conlin and a handful of local orgs, including the Albany Center Gallery.

City officials have also said the mural's site -- along the Clinton Ave off-ramp from 787 -- also means it can also double as a way of welcoming people to the city. The mural depicts a group of Eastern Bluebirds (the state bird of New York) flocking toward downtown.

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Updates on a few Albany residential conversion projects in the works

960 Broadway conversion rendering

A rendering of how 960 Broadway could look after the planned residential/restaurant conversion.

The area stretching from downtown Albany to the Warehouse District continues to ferment and bubble with residential projects as those neighborhoods slowly change.

Here's a quick update on a couple of projects...

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Flock, in progress

Quackenbush parking garage mural in progress

Quick, in-progress update on that new mural project in downtown Albany: We stopped by for a few minutes Thursday afternoon and it looked like artist Michael Conlin had already made a lot of progress.

The mural will eventually depict a group of Eastern Bluebirds flocking toward downtown. There are a few pics after the jump if you're curious.

The Albany Parking Authority commissioned Conlin to create the mural on the side of the Quackenbush Parking Garage on Broadway (alongside the 787 off-ramp for Clinton Ave) as part of an effort to make its garages more welcoming. He told us earlier this week the mural would probably take a few weeks to complete, depending on weather conditions.

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The parking garage as canvas

Quackenbush Garage mural site

If you look closely, you can make out the mural pattern on the garage.

Over the next few weeks a flock of birds will emerge in downtown Albany. A flock of really big birds.

The side of the Quackenbush Parking Garage that faces the Clinton Ave off ramp from I-787 will serve as the canvas for a new mural depicting Eastern Bluebirds flying into downtown. The Albany Parking Authority commissioned local artist Michael Conlin to create the work.

"There's something great about seeing a fantastic piece of art, for free, on the side of a building as you're coming to a city," APA exec director Matthew Peter said Monday after the public announcement of the project. "It sort of feels like you're supposed to be here."

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Checking out the changes at the former Jillian's building in downtown Albany

Pearl Street Pub interior

The new Pearl Street Pub space.

We stopped in at the former Jillian's building on Pearl Street in downtown Albany Monday to gawk at the re-animation in progress, including the new event venue upstairs.

Here's where things are at, along with a few pics...

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Alive at Five 2016 lineup

The Joy Formidable 2016

The Joy Formidable will be there June 16.

The city of Albany officially announced Monday that this summer's Alive at Five concert series will relocated to Tricentennial Park on Broadway. (As mentioned last week.) Mayor Kathy Sheehan explained that the one-year move was prompted by the construction on the pedestrian and bicycle upgrades at Corning Riverfront Park.

But the thing you probably want to know about is the lineup. And here it is...

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Different location for Alive at Five this summer

Alive at Five 2016 venue map

A map clipped from the info being distributed to tenants in buildings near Tricentennial Park.

Though it's not official yet, it looks like the Alive at Five concert series will be relocated to the Tricentennial Park area of downtown Albany for this summer. The city of Albany has a press conference scheduled for next week in the park to talk about the venue change and this year's lineup.

Word of the relocation has been circulating this week after tenants of buildings near Tricentennial Park started getting notices about street closures for the concert series. A letter from the city explains that construction on the the bicycle and pedestrian upgrades project at Corning Riverfront Park prompted the switch from the typical amphitheater at Jennings Landing. Here's a clip from a copy floated our way this week:

After extensive research and consultation with the City's Police, Fire, General Services and Special Events Departments, it was determined that the ideal 2016 venue for Alive at Five is the block on Broadway between Columbia & Pine Streets. The series was successfully held in this location for more than a decade before the construction of the Jennings Landing amphitheater, and the layout allows for minimal disruption to traffic and businesses. It is a location that has been tested for this purpose and is well-known to the public. Bringing the series temporarily to Broadway will continue the positive cultural and economic force of Alive at Five on downtown Albany, bringing thousands of Capital Region residents to the area for performances by world- renowned musical artists of all genres.

The letter goes on to explain the planned setup -- the stage will be at Broadway and Columbia, facing south -- along with planned road closures and parking restrictions. And it also emphasizes that the city sees this as a temporary, one-year relocation. A copy of the letter and an accompanying map are after the jump.

This summer's Alive at Five series starts June 9. Keep an eye out for the lineup after next week's city announcement.

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Fork in the Road returns this Friday

Fork in the Road Tricentennial Park

Tricentennial Park is the park on Broadway across from Kiernan Plaza/the old train station.

The Fork in the Road food truck series returns to Tricentennial Park in Albany this Friday, May 13 from 5-8 pm.

The truck lineup for this month:
+ The Hungry Traveler
+ Sweet Mama Mia
+ Emack & Bolio's
+ The Chuck Wagon
+ The Hollow will be serving beverages

There will also be music from Morris Code.

This is the second year for Fork in the Road. The Downtown Albany BID has said it averaged 600 people for each event last summer. And the spot seemed to work well, with the trucks lined up along Broadway and people sitting around the park. Here are pics from the first one last May.

The dates for this summer are: June 10, July 8, August 12, September 9, October 14.

The Downtown Albany BID advertises on AOA.

A few more bits about the Nipper Building conversion, and other residential conversions

991 Broadway Albany Nipper Building

The proposal to convert the Nipper Building in Albany's Warehouse District into residential and retail space was up before the city planning board for the first time Thursday evening.

Here are a few more bits about the project, and others like it...

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Checking in on the redevelopment in Albany's Sheridan Hollow neighborhood

Sheridan Ave looking toward east

Sheridan Avenue in Sheridan Hollow, looking east toward downtown Albany.

The most interesting real estate project in Albany -- and maybe the whole Capital Region -- has completed its first phase and is now moving onto phase two.

Habitat for Humanity Capital District and a group of partners recently finished building 14 new homes in the Sheridan Hollow neighborhood, and work has already started on another 10 new homes nearby on Orange and Lark streets. At the same time, an org called Housing Visions is building 57 new residential rental units, along with mixed-use space that will include offices and a cafe.

So, what's next? And how does this fit in with downtown Albany's ongoing residential transformation? We stopped by the project this week for a walk and talk with Habitat for Humanity Capital District executive director Christine Schudde.

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Today's moment of fenestration and reflection

Maiden Lane sunlight 2016-March

While waiting for a donut this past weekend, we took a moment to admire the way the sunlight was striking the buildings on the north side of Maiden Lane in downtown Albany -- and how that sunlight was then being reflected onto the lane by the windows.

Speaking of the windows on those buildings... they are pleasingly arranged and adorned! Bonus pics after the jump if you're so inclined.

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Destination supermarket as development catalyst

south downtown Albany near South Mall Expressway

Over at Politico New York, Jimmy Vielkind pitches the idea of using a Wegmans to anchor development at the former convention center site in downtown Albany. A clip:

The Rochester-based grocery chain has a nearly religious following in the areas of upstate New York where it operates, but there are no outposts in the Capital Region. In locating a store at the vacant site downtown, it could simultaneously provide a needed amenity for the struggling neighborhoods nearby and create a regional attraction that would draw people from the surrounding office towers and suburban communities.
Imagine a supermarket with a street-level cafe opening onto Hudson Avenue, beckoning to pedestrians along Broadway and Pearl Street or people in town for a show at the arena or a convention up the hill. Several floors of rental housing or condos above the store -- perhaps with requirements that some units be affordable -- that will give a further boost to the burgeoning residential options in the old business district and prevent the area between the Pastures and Sheridan Hollow, two predominately residential areas, from seeming lifeless after dark.
Call it the Wegmans effect, a development strategy for lagging urban areas rooted in designer cheese. Wegmans, or something like it, could do for Albany what Fairway did for Red Hook.

To be clear: There's no indication that Wegmans is actually considering this -- a spokesperson for Wegmans says as much to Vielkind, noting the company has looked at the Capital Region in the past but seen more opportunity in places such as Maryland and Virginia. And he figures it would take a push from Andrew Cuomo to make it happen.

The former convention site has been the subject of some intrigue recently because the Capital Region's Upstate Revitalization Initiative proposal included mention of an almost unbelievably big "catalyst" project there -- 1,200 housing units, more than 400,000 square feet of office space, and 295,000 square feet of retail. As you know, the Capital Region didn't get one of the $500 million grants. Before that, there had been a pitch to build an aquarium, which also fizzled. Now it's unclear what -- if anything -- is going to happen at the site.

One of the interesting angles to this topic is the question of whether downtown Albany should by vying for some sort of high-profile development piece like a Wegmans or (insert some other large, big-name retailer/project) -- or if it's better off cultivating the steady bit-by-bit development it's experienced in recent years.

Earlier on AOA:
+ The plan for the former Jillian's building, and cultivating retail in downtown Albany
+ Scanning the Capital Region's bid for half a billion dollars from the state
+ Wegmans? Really? Please explain.

The plan for the former Jillian's building, and cultivating retail in downtown Albany

former Jillians building exterior 2016-March

The former Jillian's building on Pearl Street is one of downtown Albany's biggest and most prominent venues. So as the neighborhood has evolved through a series of residential conversion projects and picked up momentum over the past few years, the site has been conspicuous for its lack of activity.

That's now changing. The building has new owners, and they're working to turn it into a spot for a range of different uses. Here's the plan.

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"It is a highway, it is asphalt and concrete, we get a shovel and we hit it enough times it cracks up ... put it in a truck and there is no more highway."

robert moses parkway conversion gif

The Cuomo admin released these images for the project today (we gif'ed them). Here are more, and larger, images.

Farther afield, but maybe of note because of the ongoing 787 discussion: The Cuomo admin announced today it's directing $42 million toward ripping out a two-mile section of the Robert Moses Parkway along the Niagara River and gorge in Niagara Falls. The project will include reconstruction of a parallel street, along with new bike trails and green space. Local representatives have been pushing for the highway's removal for years. [Cuomo admin] [Buffalo News]

There are a lot of differences between the Robert Moses Parkway and 787 -- including scale. The parkway carries not quite 3200 vehicles a day, according traffic volume estimates. The segment of 787 just north of the South Mall Expressway carries almost 46,000 vehicles.

But if you're a tear-down-787 person, some of the remarks Andrew Cuomo made today might make your ears perk up.

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Mexican street corn at Ama Cocina

Ama Cocina street corn

By Deanna Fox

In our college days, my then-roommate Lyndsay and I had exactly two things in common: Our mutual love of certain bands, and our penchant for margaritas. Jose Cuervo (when you are a poor liberal arts student, it's the "fancy tequila"), a jug of neon-green sour mix, and a $15 Target blender were on standby to whip up a frothy, icy, puckery-sweet libation.

Those margaritas were about as authentic to Mexico as our palates would get, but this year we both turn 30. We're more worldly now, with more sophisticated tastes, and the cash to spend on food that doesn't make our mothers hang their heads in shame.

To celebrate Lyndsay's recent milestone birthday, I suggested trying our hand at Mexican once more, but this time at Ama Cocina, just off North Pearl Street in Albany, a neighborhood that peppered our college years in questionable ways. If all else failed, at least the tequila would be better, right?

Right.

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Apartment living in downtown Albany

Arcade Building exterior

The Arcade Building on Broadway

By Nicole Lemperle Correia / Photos by Paul Gallo

Within the past few years, the downtown Albany apartment and condo options have multiplied. And within the past year, more of my friends have moved farther downtown, closer to the Hudson River than to Lark Street.

Katie both lives and works on Broadway in Albany -- her home and her office are just a block apart. We talked about her reasons for moving downtown, what it's been like so far, and what she hopes to see downtown in the future.

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Fork in the Road 2016

Tricentennial Park is the park on Broadway across from Kiernan Plaza/the old train station.

The Fork in the Road food truck events are set to return to downtown Albany's Tricentennial Park starting April 8. After that there will be one per month through October (the schedule's after the jump).

The organizer of the event, the Downtown Albany BID, is currently looking for feedback from the public about which food trucks and vendors people might like to see there this year, along with any general ideas for improving the event. The BID says last year's series drew an average of 600 people for each event.

And if you operate a food truck or similar business, we get the sense the BID would be happy to hear from you about potential interest in participating -- here's the application info from last year.

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The South Mall Expressway set for a rehab

South Mall Arterial 787 from Corning Tower 2014

The South Mall Expressway viewed from the Corning Tower

The Cuomo admin announced this week that $22.4 million will be spent rehabbing the South Mall Expressway, which connects I-787 to the Empire State Plaza. Work is scheduled to start later this month.

Press release blurbage:

Work on the South Mall Expressway, which carries approximately 21,000 vehicles each day, will occur from I-787 to inside the tunnels underneath the Empire State Plaza. The project will include replacing the concrete driving surface of the four bridges that carry the expressway over 787 and city streets. Work will also involve structural repairs to the bridges, including joint and bearing replacements. Repairs to the pavement leading into the tunnel, work on the connecting ramps and bridge painting and steel repairs are also included in this project.

The project is scheduled to happen in stages -- the westbound side (toward the ESP) this year, the eastbound side (toward 787) next year, and then work under the bridge in 2018. Also: "Consistent with Governor Cuomo's Driver's First initiative, the project has been designed to minimize impacts to expressway traffic. Work that will most affect travel lanes has been scheduled for summer months, when traffic volumes are lower."

He's never going to leave her
The future of 787 is always a hot topic because a lot of people see the highway's placement and shape as a barrier -- between Albany and the riverfront, between downtown Albany and the South End. And if you compare aerial photos of Albany pre-South Mall Expressway and after, you can see the huge path the road plowed through downtown.

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Today's moment of construction

We happened to be near the Albany convention center site Friday so we stopped by to gawk at the progress of the construction. And gawk we did.

The steel structure of the building is starting to go up along Eagle Street. And already you can get some small sense how the building will change that feel of that spot. Sort of like the Park South project, this section of downtown is starting to feel taller and denser because of the convention center project and the new parking garage on Howard Street.

The projected opening date of the Albany Capital Center is early 2017.

What if tearing down I-787 could actually improve traffic?

South Mall Arterial 787 from Corning Tower

By Sandy Johnston

The future of I-787 often pops up in conversations about downtown Albany - specifically, the desire that many people apparently have to see the elevated highway torn down.

There's a currently a longterm effort by a group of state and local agencies to study this overall topic. And you're probably already familiar with some of the potential benefits the tear-it-down crowd touts: A boulevard replacement would reconnect the city with the waterfront. It could improve air quality, especially in some underprivileged areas. And it could open up considerable portions of land for development.

Of course, one of the counter arguments is that 787 is necessary to handle the large amounts of traffic that flow into Albany each weekday, and tearing it down would tip downtown into traffic gridlock.

But what if it was just the opposite -- what if tearing down 787 could actually make traffic in Albany flow more smoothly and efficiently?

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The huge mixed-use building that could have stood along Clinton Ave in downtown Albany

1963 Clinton Ave mixed use proposal

Clipped from The Knickerbocker News, January 16 1963 via Fulton History

From the Annals of Projects Proposed But Not Built: While doing research for a different topic, we tripped over this 1963 Knickerbocker News article about a proposal for 15-story mixed-use building that been proposed for downtown Albany on the block of Clinton Ave just east of Pearl.

It caught our eye because, well, look at that rendering. And also because there are echoes today of some of the things people were saying about development in that spot more than a half-century ago.

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The story of that beautiful, odd, skinny building on State Street in Albany

mechanics and farmers building state street albany front

You know 63 State Street. It's that skinny building at the corner of State and James in downtown Albany. It's both beautiful and kind of odd, standing all dressed up by itself there, like it's waiting to meet a group of other fashionably-adorned architecture.

The building has been for sale for a while now, and as the Biz Review reported Thursday, it's going up for auction as part of a package with 69 State Street (the large building just up State Street on the corner with Pearl) -- starting bid $1.5 million.

We've always been curious about 63 State, so here's a quick backstory.

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Next up for downtown Albany residential: 760 Broadway

760 Broadway North Pearl elevation

An elevation for the North Pearl Street side of the building.

Downtown Albany has been experiencing a small boom in residential development over the last few years. The newest project on the board: a 100-unit residential/retail building planned for 760 Broadway.

The team behind the project made a preliminary presentation to the Albany Planning Board Thursday night. Here are a handful of details...

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Steuben Street Market

Steuben Street Market Albany interior

There's a new grocery store in downtown Albany. The Steuben Street Market opened at 58 North Pearl Street for the first time Wednesday, and will be open seven days a week.

The market's opening is notable because a grocery store has been a missing piece in downtown Albany's ongoing evolution into a residential neighborhood. Roughly 1,000 new residential units have been added downtown during the last few years, and residents, developers, and other business owners have all mentioned that the addition of a grocery could mark an important turning point for the neighborhood.

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A virtual spin around the Albany Capital Center

The short clip embedded above is a new promo video for the Albany Capital Center, which is under construction at Eagle and Howard streets. It includes a handful of interior renderings of the convention center that we hadn't seen, yet. (The renderings start around the :45 mark.)

That LED ceiling in the second floor multipurpose space looks like it could be groovy.

The Albany Capital Center is scheduled for an early 2017 opening.

Salmon BLT at Public House 42

Public House 42 salmon BLT

By Deanna Fox

I love bacon. I'm just not a fan of it on a sandwich. Unless it's a BLT. And in that case, I'm not even really that enthused about the idea of bacon on a sandwich. Next to pancakes, or sliced into lardons in sautéed Brussels sprouts? Heck yes, bacon all day long. Otherwise, meh.

The same holds true for salmon. I like most seafood and fish, but salmon can be a bit boring sometimes. And being the empiricist that I am, past experience sampling salmon burgers or other types of salmon sandwiches have conditioned me to avoid salmon-between-bread at most costs.

But while recently having lunch with my friend Craig (of Albany Ale fame) at Public House 42 in Albany, he insisted I try the salmon BLT -- a sandwich he had enjoyed before and thought I might like -- and try to quell my doubts on the integrity of the menu item.

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A quick look at the 733 Broadway residential conversion

733 Broadway

Some quick follow-up on 733 Broadway, the latest residential project in downtown Albany.

The loft-style conversion, the roots of which stretch back to 2005, is aiming for occupancy on December 1, according to Norstar Development.

Here are a few more bits, along with some pics...

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Architecture gawking: Renaissance Albany Hotel

renaissance albany hotel lobby

We happened to be at the Capitol today so we hopped across Eagle Street to gawk at the lobby of the recently-opened Renaissance Albany Hotel in the redeveloped DeWitt Clinton building at State and Eagle. The building dates back to 1927 and some of the original details have made it through to this new life.

Level of swank: High.

If you have a chance to stop in, it's worth a look. The hotel staff was very friendly today, welcoming people into the space and showing off the place. While you're there, you can also gawk at the Albany convention center construction site on the next block and the renovated Wellington Row buildings next door. (There's a lot going on in that area right now.)

Here are a few pics...

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Distilling the next life for Albany's oldest building

Van Ostrande-Radliff House oldest building in Albany 2015-10-01

As the building currently stands.

In a life almost three centuries long, you're going to cycle through a few different careers.

So it is with the Van Ostrande-Radliff House -- AKA, Albany's oldest building -- which has served as a townhouse, a wax factory, and an equipment storage space (among other uses) over its 287-year-old lifetime.

And now there's a plan for the Van Ostrande-Radliff House's next career: as a distillery.

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Downtown Albany Yard Sale

acg haf yard sale sample photo

Maybe not the typical sort of yard sale: Albany Center Gallery and Historic Albany Foundation are co-hosting a "yard sale" in downtown Albany's Tricentennial Park September 19. Blurbage:

The Albany Center Gallery will offer an eclectic mix of old and new items, all donated by supporters, ranging from clothing, tools, jewelry, furniture and more; proceeds will help to fund programming efforts. Donated pieces for the event are being accepted through August 26 and can be dropped off at the gallery, 39 Columbia Street, from Noon to 3:00 PM Tuesday through Saturday.
The proceeds collected from these items will go toward the local non-profits and their programming efforts. Any items that are not sold during the yard sale will be donated to Goodwill and Salvation Army.
At their booth, Historic Albany Foundation will sell items from their Lexington Avenue warehouse, including antique furniture, original windows, and light fixtures, at the yard sale. Proceeds from sale of these items will go toward the foundation's preservation programs.

The sale is from 8 am to 3 pm on Saturday, September 19. ACG has been posting photos of sale samples on that event page linked above.

photo via Albany Center Gallery FB

Like a museum of millinery

Muhlfelders hats Albany Institute

We were thinking about retail in downtown Albany last week when this photo popped up in one of the streams from the Albany Institute of History and Art -- it's a photo of the hat section at the women's clothing store Muhlfelder's around 1905.

There's something about the way the store is staged here, like it's a museum of millinery. It must have been a fun place to browse.

Muhlfelder's was at North Pearl Street and Steuben Street in downtown Albany. The store was founded by Jonas Muhlfelder, who emigrated from Germany to the United States as a young man in the late 1800s and ended up working in a millinery store in Albany. At the age of 21 he opened a women's clothing store in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, with locations following in Troy, Albany (in 1900), and New Haven, Connecticut. (The company would later add a store at the then-relatively new Stuyvesant Plaza in 1965.) He was apparently successful enough that he could retire at age 55. [The History of New York State Biographies, Part 20] [Knickerbocker News/Fulton History]

Over at the Albany Muskrat, there's a great post chronicling Muhlfelder's newspaper ads from the 1910s through the 1960s. It doubles as a tour through women's fashion of the first half of the 20th century. (Julie notes that Muhlfelder's closed in the early 1970s.)

Image: "Muhfelder's Hats 41 North Pearl Street and Steuben Street," Albany Institute of History and Art, from the collection of Morris Gerber

Reading through the Impact Downtown Albany playbook

impact downtown albany zones

The plan identifies four zones downtown.

The "playbook" for the Impact Downtown Albany project is out. It's aimed to be a set of specific ideas and steps the city can take to continue the redevelopment of downtown Albany -- touching on topics such as residential and retail development, taxes, parking, pop-up events, and branding.

"Impact Downtown Albany was designed as a game changer," said Sarah Reginelli, the president of Capitalize Albany, the city's economic development arm. "It was designed as a tactical approach to downtown revitalization."

The report was produced for Capitalize Albany by a team of consultants over the last two years. Capitalize Albany released it this week so that it might help the Capital Region's bid for one of those $500 million Upstate Revitalization grants from the state.

"Downtown has wonderful assets already, downtown has a strong momentum," Reginelli told us Thursday. "Part of it is changing perceptions of downtown and understanding that this momentum has been occurring and that there is potential here for people to reach out and grab."

We read through the report. And there's approximately three tons of stuff in it. So, if this topic interests you -- go skim through it (pdf). But here are a few chunks of it that caught our eye...

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Albany I Spy 2015, game on

AlbanyISpy2015 mapThe clue sheet and map for this year's Albany I Spy, the popular photo scavenger hunt from Albany Archives and the Albany County Convention & Visitors Bureau, is now posted online.

Here's how it works (emphasis added):

Step 1: Download the form
This is your Master Albany I Spy Clue Sheet. Sounds important, right? It is! Be sure to write your name and contact information where indicated because this is how we will contact the winners.
Step 2: Set your course
You'll use the clues on this form to identify the mystery landmarks. Then, set your course each day - or wait for one spectacular day - to head to downtown Albany to spy and write the name of the landmark on your Master Clue Sheet.
Step 3: Get extra clues
Stumped? Don't worry, we're here to help! Each day, we'll be posting a special extra clue on our social media sites: Albany Archives, Discover Albany, Downtown Albany Business Improvement District, and All Over Albany, or search using the hashtag: #albanyispy.

The contest runs through July 18. And there are prizes from Cider Belly, Parish Public House, Wolff's, Bombers, the ValleyCats, The Olde English, and City Beer Hall.

This year's end-of-contest event -- where you can submit your answers -- is at the Parish Public House in downtown Albany on Saturday, July 18 from 1-3 pm with drink specials, and Albany history trivia.

(You can also email your answers -- details at the link above -- but only one entry submitted this way will win a prize in a drawing.)

AOA is a media sponsor of Albany I Spy

Above it all

Albany aerial view 1937

We stumbled across this photo today and found it interesting, so maybe you will also: It's an aerial photo of a large section of downtown Albany from 1937. It's via the New York State Archives, and over on its website you can zoom into the photo for much more detail.

There are so many interesting bits about this photo -- the way the neighborhood replaced by the Empire State Plaza once ran flush up against State Street by the Capitol, the state of the waterfront then, all the open space across the river, and more.

As we've mentioned before, the State Archives photo collection has a handful of old aerial photos of Albany that are worth a look. (For that matter, the State Archives has a bunch of interesting photos online -- aerial or otherwise.)

Earlier on AOA:
+ A view from above, back then
+ Downtown Albany, before and after

photo: New York State Archives. Education Dept. Division of Visual Instruction.

Constructing a new future for Sheridan Hollow

Habitat for Humanity Sheridan Hollow project

The most interesting real estate project in Albany -- and maybe the whole Capital Region -- is in Sheridan Hollow. Yep, that Sheridan Hollow, the neighborhood that has so often been bypassed, overlooked, and otherwise left with the short end of the stick throughout the city's history.

So what's happening? Habitat for Humanity Capital District and a group of partners are in the process of building a new core at the heart of the neighborhood.

Here are a few reasons why that's so interesting...

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Fork in the Road #1

Fork in the Road food truck event albany

Here are a few quick pics from the Fork in the Road food truck event in downtown Albany's Tricentennial Park Friday evening.

Six trucks assembled along the edge of the park. And around 6 pm and there was a solid crowd, especially considering this was the first event in the series. Tricentennial Park seemed to work well for the event, with its small herd of cafe tables and the its steps for sitting.

If anything, it's just great to see people enjoying a public space downtown in the evening.

Fork in the Road is set to return on the first Friday of each month through October (it skips July). So the next one is scheduled for June 5 from 4-8 pm.

On to the pics...

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Fork in the Road lineup

food truckThe first Fork in the Road food truck event in Albany's Tricentennial Park is this Friday from 4-8 pm (as mentioned). Here's the lineup of confirmed trucks for Friday, via the Downtown Albany BID:

Emack & Bolio's Ice Cream
The Chuck Wagon
The Hungry Traveler
Sweet Mama Mia
Wandering Dago

And confirmed vendors for the park:

72 Pearls Thrift Store
Kernal Cravings
Irish American Heritage Museum
Denise Poutre (artist)
Mary Elise Rees Event Design
Meghan Ruch (artist)

Earlier on AOA: Albany food truck pilot program for summer 2015 to include up to 25 trucks

"There'll be good, fresh coffee at the Waldorf Lunch today. It's always the same."

waldorf cafeteria downtown albany 1945

Here's what that corner looks like now.

This photo caught our eye this week as we browsed through the Albany Public Library's growing online collection of historical images. The building -- which housed the Waldorf Cafeteria and Rudolph's jewelry -- was on the southeast corner of State and Pearl in downtown Albany. (Here are two more angles from the Albany Flickr group.) This photo is from 1945.

We kind of love the signage.

Curious about the Waldorf Cafeteria, we did a little bit of research. The "Waldorf Lunch System" was one of the first restaurant chains -- it started in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1904 and eventually expanded to seven states. Here's a clip from some advertising copy for the chain, as highlighted by the trade publication Cafeteria Management in 1922:

HOW A SMALL BANK ACCOUNT -- PLUS A BIG IDEA -- BECAME A $10,000,000 BUSINESS.
More than 17 years ago the first Waldorf Lunch opened its doors to the people of Springfield, Mass. That Waldorf represented an idea, backed by all its founders savings -- the most sum of $1,800. But it was a good idea -- and it prospered because it performed a service the public wanted, and did it well.
Today that idea is represented by the familiar Waldorf Lunch establishments in this city, and in twenty-seven other cities in seven States.
The foundation idea of the Waldorf system is this: the undeviating purpose to maintain worthy dining-laces where they will perform real public service, the purpose to serve tasteful food of unquestionable quality to men and women at such small profit per person that we shall have many patrons to make those small profits profitable to our employees and shareholders.
During the past year the lunch rooms of the Waldorf system have served more than 37,000,000 meals at an average of less than twenty-eight cents each, and at an average profit of a fraction over two cents per meal.
Over $10,000,000 of annual business built up by efficient management, uncompromising standards of quality, cleanliness, courtesy and quick service!
There'll be good, fresh coffee at the Waldorf Lunch today. It's always the same.

The writer of the trade mag article described that last paragraph of the ad copy as "the touch of the word artist."

photo via Albany Public Library History Collection

"Fork in the Road" food truck event in downtown Albany

Tricentennial Park on Broadway in downtown Albany. (It's the park across from building formerly known as Kiernan Plaza/the train station.)

Coming up this summer: A monthly food truck event in Tricentennial Park in downtown Albany called "Fork in the Road." It's set to coincide with 1st Friday, so the dates are: May 1, June 5, August 7, September 4, and October 2.

The Downtown Albany BID currently has an open call for vendors for the event.

Event blurbage from the info sheet:

As an enhancement to the popular 1st Friday Albany event, organized by the Upstate Artists Guild since 2006 showcasing art throughout different venues in Capital City, Fork in the Road will transform TriCentennial Park into a temporary oasis of food options (specifically with food trucks) to tempt hungry office workers at the end of the day as well as the residents and visitors coming out for the Art event.
Tables and chairs will be placed in the park for the public to relax. The park also has a few benches and steps were individuals can sit. Trash containers and lighting are in ample supply for the public at that location.

The info for potential vendors notes vendors will be required to be open from 4-8 pm. The streets by the park won't be closed, but space along Broadway will be set aside for the trucks.

It looks like the city of Albany is aiming to ride the food truck trend. In addition to this monthly event, the Sheehan admin is scheduled to release rules this week for a second pilot program this summer for food trucks to vend in multiple zones around the city.

Earlier on AOA: Albany to start second food truck pilot program in May

You are 20 minutes away

albany_walking_time_signs.jpg

A few weeks back we posted a short bit about Walk [Your City], a project in other cities aimed at addressing the "it's too far to walk" issue.

As it turns out, there are already similar signs here in Albany. Nicole spotted a few of them in downtown Albany this week (that's her pic above).

The signs went up last fall as part of the "tactical urbanism" plan that Capitalize Albany is pursuing, the org's president, Sarah Reginelli, told us this week. The signs in Albany were inspired by Walk [Your City].

"The intent was to show the wealth of approachable opportunities within walking distance of the employment and retail center at Tricentennial Park," Reginelli said to us in an email. "It's all about embracing walkability. This method helps get the public, who may be used to walking directly to one destination, to alter their choice of transportation methods when going between others, or to explore their environment beyond what they are used to."

Reginelli said the current signs are a small test program -- there are seven of them around the Tricentennial Park area -- before possibly making a bigger investment in the idea. She said Capitalize Albany welcomes feedback about them as it thinks about the signage's future.

Speaking just from our own experience, the more you walk or take the bus, the more your mental map of a place -- and that sense of "how far" things are from each other -- changes. You can actually get pretty far in 15 minutes while walking. But that's sometimes hard to internalize until you make the trip a time or two.

Watching the convention center bit by bit

The Albany Capital Center -- AKA, the not-yet-built convention center in downtown Albany -- unveiled a new website today. The site is smooth, and it includes bits such as floor plans.

One of the things that caught our eye is an ongoing time lapse video of the site from above. (We're always a sucker for stuff like that.) The current version is embedded above. The site says the time lapse will be updated monthly.

(By the way: To us, the video looked best when set to 720p on half speed -- click the little gear icon in the Youtube control bar to change the settings.)

So much bunting


Albany Archives shared this photo today. Albany really didn't hold back on the bunting back in the day, as another bunting-filled photo shared by the Albany Muskrat also illustrated.

By the way: The First Trust Company Building at State and Broadway in downtown now serves as offices for the SUNY Research Foundation.

Digital deadwalkers downtown

Back in October we got a few questions from people who spotted a film shoot in downtown Albany and we're curious about what it was for. Well... (after long delay)... the answer is embedded above.

The shoot was for a series of TV spots from a American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons campaign aimed at getting people to be more careful about using a mobile while walking. The org says the injuries from "distracted walking" are on the rise.

The spots were filmed on James Street near State Street, which was made up to look like a big(ger) city. If you look closely, you'll recognize some of the signs and buildings. The production company was FilmHouse, the company based at the Central New York Hub for Emerging Nano Industries near Syracuse that was announced last summer by the Cuomo admin.

Here's a photoset from the shoot by Tim Raab.

Another residential conversion in downtown Albany, this time at 733 Broadway

733 Broadway, February 4, 2015

A pic of 733 Broadway from early February.

We noticed recently signs of progress on the residential conversion at 733 Broadway in Albany. This progress is notable for a few reasons:

+ 733 Broadway has been in the works for a long time, going back a decade in some form or other.

+ It's another bit in the ongoing residential transformation of downtown Albany.

So we were curious to find out what's up with it.

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It won't be the site of the Albany convention center, so what will it be?

the site

What is the next life of the southern edge of Albany's downtown?

That's the question at the heart of the request for proposals (RFP) issued today by Empire State Development for the collection of land that had originally been gathered for a convention center. From the RFP:

With its large size and premier location in the heart of downtown Albany, this Project offers a unique opportunity for a major development in the City's urban core. The Site features convenient proximity to the area's transportation access points and is less than a quarter mile or closer to the City's commercial, cultural and governmental destinations. The Project will serve as a key component of the City's initiatives to attract urban re-investment downtown to meet market demand while simultaneously revitalizing the area with a vibrant mix of uses.

So, yeah, this project -- whatever it ends up becoming, if it ends up becoming -- could be an important part of the ongoing redevelopment of downtown Albany.

Here are a few bits from the RFP that caught our eye, along with a few thoughts...

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Downtown Albany, before and after

Institute for for Quality Communities urban change Albany

Head over to the OU site to use the photo slider.

Check out these before-and-after aerial photos of Northeast cities posted by an academic institute at the University of Oklahoma. Albany is among the cities featured -- that's a screengrab above -- in the series of before/after sliding photos.

From the Institute for for Quality Communities post:

60 years has made a big difference in the urban form of American cities. The most rapid change occurred during the mid-century urban renewal period that cleared large tracts of urban land for new highways, parking, and public facilities or housing projects. Fine-grained networks of streets and buildings on small lots were replaced with superblocks and megastructures. While the period did make way for impressive new projects in many cities, many of the scars are still unhealed.
We put together these sliders to show how cities have changed over half a century.

One of the things that struck us as we moved the slider back and forth on the Albany photos was that, sure, the Empire State Plaza took up a lot of space -- but it's remarkable how the wide path was plowed for the South Mall Arterial connecting I-787 and the ESP.

The institute's posted other series of sliding photos for Oklahoma and Texas, the Midwest, and Southeast.

[via @albanymuskrat]

photo compilation: Institute for for Quality Communities at the University of Oklahoma

The Best Dozen: Cider Belly

Cider Belly Albany donuts in box

By Daniel B.

We've enlisted Daniel B. to survey Capital Region donut shops -- and pick his favorite donuts -- for a short series called The Best Dozen.

For denizens of the Capital Region apple cider donuts are a seasonal rite of passage. Can fall even happen without a trip to go apple picking at your favorite orchard, fortified with a sack of freshly made apple cider donuts?

The best apple cider donuts are those made just moments before consumption. They don't travel well, and that has led some to suggest that these donuts are tied to a sense of place. And up until now, that place has always been the apple orchard.

Cider Belly has decided to turn that idea on its head by offering a fabulous array of apple cider donuts in downtown Albany. With so many to choose from, it's tempting to order one of everything.

But trust me, after eating through a box of my own, there's a better way.

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Those beady little pink eyes

Odd wildlife of the day, an apparently ongoing series:

Maybe downtown Albany should have its own enclosed nature preserve.

Earlier on AOA: Behold, the white squirrels at play

The pivot and center of Albany's whirl

At State and Pearl cover

The Wide Awake City.

Local officials are always trying to better sell this area to people from outside the region in an attempt to attract new business and residents. Consultants are hired, reports written, marketing campaigns planned.

But maybe they should try extolling the area's virtues in verse.

A 1916 pamphlet touting Albany -- "At State and Pearl" -- did just, proclaiming Albany "The Wide Awake City." (A tip of the hat to Albany Archives for pointing it out.) The pamphlet is a glimpse at how the city was marketed a century ago. It goes on:

INVITATION TO ALL
Come and Live with us in Beautiful, Historic Albany (Capital City of the Empire State)
For delightful location, satisfactory climate, business facilities and social environment, unexcelled in the United States.

It then launches into multiple pages singing the city's praises. In verse.

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Impact Downtown Albany's vision of what the city's downtown could be

impact downtown albany vision map

The study identified four zones in downtown Albany.

This week Impact Downtown Albany -- the ongoing project to develop a "tactical" plan for downtown development -- released its vision of what downtown Albany could become over the next 5-10 years.

"This is the shared definition of success based on the hundreds of stakeholders that have been part of this process," Sarah Reginelli -- the new president of Capitalize Albany -- explained to us Tuesday afternoon. "This is really what's been identified as the opportunities that we need to take advantage of to make downtown the best downtown that it can be at this point."

Among the identified possibilities: continued growth of new housing units, unique retail, a "high line"-type park connecting downtown with the riverfront, and transformation of part of the warehouse district.

Here are a few things that caught our attention.

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Pop. Pop. Pop. Shop.

Rise and Shine pop up

The Rise and Shine Company pop up is in a shipping container in the park.

We took a few minutes Wednesday afternoon to stop by the pop-up shops that are at Tricentennial Park in downtown Albany this week.

Pop-Place includes six shops set up in/around the park. It's been arranged by Capitalize Albany's Impact Downtown Albany project as way of experimenting with retail in the neighborhood. (Spurring new retail development is one of the aims of the "tactical plan" the org is developing.)

The pop-up shops will be in place through September 23 (here's the schedule). This Thursday, September 18 there's an "Experience: Pop-Place" event with food tasting and music from 5-8 pm.

A few more pics are after the jump.

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Pop-Place in downtown Albany

Google Map of 42.651722,-73.750116

The Impact Downtown Albany project is organizing a week of pop-up shops at Albany's Tricentennial Park September 13-23. There's also an "Experience: Pop-Place" event planned for the evening of September 18, with food tastings and music.

Six shops are lined up for the run (and a seventh for the September 18 event). A list is after the jump -- it includes South End Pallet Works and the Rise and Shine Company (finalist in this year's Startup Grant competition).

Pop-Place blurbage:

The project introduces new business concepts and engages pedestrians. This effort allows people to visualize unique types of retail spaces and offers the kind of stores that serve the retail strategy recommendations emerging from the Impact Downtown initiative.

Impact Downtown is an initiative from Capitalize Albany, the development arm of the city of Albany. The initiative has hired consultants to study downtown Albany and pull together a development plan on multiple fronts, including retail. The shops will be open from 11 am-7 pm.

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Albany Capital Center rendering

Albany_Capital_Center_rendering_2014-August_cropped.jpg

At Howard (to the left) and Eagle (to the right).

Now that the old Wellington Hotel annex is gone (and how), here's the latest rendering of the Albany Capital Center. The Albany Convention Center Authority released this image on Friday. Here's a larger version.

An architect for the firm designing the center told the Times Union the project's brick facade is intended to fit with the former DeWitt Clinton Hotel across Howard Street. The DeWitt Clinton is itself going through a major renovation to become the "Renaissance Hotel."

That whole 2-3 block area of downtown Albany is set for a major transformation. In addition to the Albany Capital Center and DeWitt Clinton projects, there's also a plan for mixed-use buildings behind the currently empty Wellington facade along State Street. Also proposed for that block: a new 337-space parking garage off Howard Street, for which Columbia Development is seeking $1.2 million via the state Regional Economic Development Council (the rendering above appears to include a glimpse of the garage).

The Wellington Hotel annex implosion

Updated Monday morning.

The old Wellington Hotel annex in downtown Albany was imploded Saturday morning to make way for the new convention center. A video clip is embedded above.

There were probably a few thousand people gathered on the Empire State Plaza, along with others in a few other spots around downtown. The were some on-building fireworks. A few loud booms. A slight pause. The building collapsed. Cheering. And then lots of dust.

After the jump, a collection of tweets, instagrams, and pics...

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Wellington annex implosion road closures (updated)

wellington annex albany convention center site 2015-05-15

Soon to go boom.

Update: The implosion has been moved to Saturday, August 23. The information below has been updated.
____

The city of Albany has given to the OK to the implosion of the Wellington annex building in downtown Albany for this Thursday, August 21 Saturday, August 23. The big boom is apparently going to happen sometime in the morning.

The implosion has prompted of a bunch of road closures (for cars and pedestrians) and parking restrictions for that day. There's a list and a map after the jump.

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Eating six donuts at Cider Belly

cider belly shop interior

The new Cider Belly Doughnuts opened this week on Pearl Street in downtown Albany. We've been curious about the shop after first hearing about plans for it more than a year ago. That curiosity was further stoked this week after seeing a bunch of people tweeting about trying the cider doughnuts/donuts.* And it's hard to not get behind the idea of being able to easily stop in for a still-warm cider donut right in Albany.

So we stopped in today to try a bunch of the donuts. You know, for work.

Here are six quick takes after eating (parts of) six donuts...

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Lineup for Pearl Palooza 2014

pearl palooza crowd 2012

The crowd at Pearl Palooza a few years back.

Updated with scheduled set times.

This year's Pearl Palooza -- the WEQX-organized free music festival on Pearl Street in downtown Albany -- is set for Saturday, September 13.

The lineup of national and local acts -- with video clips -- is after the jump.

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New parking system for state employees in downtown Albany

state parking lots downtown Albany

Lots and garages in downtown Albany in which the state controls parking spaces. There's a clickable version of the map over on the state's parking portal.

The state Office of General Services has announced the rollout of a new system for allocating parking spaces to state employees who work in downtown Albany.

The new system starts today with open enrollment via a website: parking.ogs.ny.gov.

OGS is touting the new system as "clear and understandable," something that couldn't be said for the previous system. From the press release:

Historically there has been a confluence of parking systems meshed together. In the past, each agency controlled the majority of its employees' spaces through "agency allocations" using a variety of methods for granting parking, while the remaining spaces were allocated by OGS through a complex waiting list system. Conversely, the new OGS Parking System puts the vast majority of parking spaces into a single, transparent, and equitable general pool, with a small number of spaces being provided to agencies for distribution to executive staffs and for unique operational needs.
Under the new system, State employees who currently have parking will be "grandfathered", meaning they will be able to keep their current space (except for those who obtained their spaces through the TPAI program) or they can choose to compete for a new space based on their State service. Those who do not currently have parking, or who hold a TPAI permit, will also be able to compete for parking based on the length of their State service.

About 1,800 spots in various garages and lots will be up grabs (based on seniority) under the new system.

And a heads up: The system will be using a "parking service date" to determine a state employees seniority. The date will be available by logging into the parking portal -- and if you'd like to contest that date, you must do so by July 25. (OGS says the system includes a field for service date discrepancies.)

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Today's moment of summer

steuben st rose downtown Albany

We noticed two large rose bushes blooming in the pedestrian-only section of Steuben Street between Pearl and James in downtown Albany Thursday afternoon.

It's the segment running along the building that formerly housed Jilian's, and there doesn't seem to be much going on there now. But these bushes were overflowing with blooms, their scent gently filling the air, as people walked by on Pearl a short half-block away.

Sculpture in the Streets 2014

play me i'm yours suny admin

This year's Sculpture in the Streets in downtown Albany officially opens Friday -- there's a garden party then to celebrate the opening -- but the pieces were in place Thursday, so we took a few minutes to check them out.

This year's installation is "Play Me I'm Yours," a series of actual, playable pianos that have been decorated by local artists. The pieces are part of a series created by artist Luke Jerram that's appeared in 45 cities around the world.

There are 13 pianos in the Albany installation. That link includes a map and artist information.

The series is a fun idea. Even in just the few minutes today while we snapped a few photos people were stopping to check out the pianos and play a few notes.

A handful of pics are after the jump.

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What would it take for a downtown Albany supermarket?

shoprite Albany produce dept

Maybe at the ESP? Maybe somewhere else?

By Alison Bates

Urban planning and development often prompt a lot of discussion here at AOA, so we thought it'd be interesting to have an actual urban planner look more closely at some of the topics that bubble up. Meet Alison Bates, who takes up the issue of a downtown Albany supermarket today.

As the discussion of downtown Albany's redevelopment progresses, the call for a neighborhood supermarket has become central to the conversation. A place close at hand to get good food if you live or work downtown, a way to avoid driving to a strip mall each week to do your grocery shopping -- many of us would like this.

Not only would it be a convenience, but it would speak loudly about downtown Albany. Downtown grocery stores are an important piece of a city's redevelopment. They're a classic urban amenity that sends a message that your downtown is doing well, and that breathing new life into your city is not only possible, it's already happening.

So what would it take to make this a reality? There are some sizable economic, political, and logistical challenges. But there is hope.

Let's look at some of the economics -- because urban planning usually comes back to the numbers (and because everyone secretly enjoys econometrics) -- and some different ways of thinking about the situation.

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About retail in downtown Albany, and other local downtowns

angelas_bridal_albany_storefront.jpg

Angela's Bridal on State Street has been touted by officials as a recent retail success in downtown Albany.

A frequent topic in conversations about the Capital Region's downtowns is retail -- or, more specifically, the lack of the sort of retail many people, including many residents and potential residents, seem to be seeking.

Downtown Albany is no exception, and retail is one of the focus areas for the downtown "tactical plan" that Capitalize Albany and a team of consultants are currently working up for the zone. That focus was the subject of another community meeting about the process, like the one about downtown residential a while back. And again, it was interesting to hear about how the people involved -- both consultants and a few downtown business owners -- framed the issues and described the challenges.

Mike Berne -- a New York City and San Francisco-based retail consultant -- was the main speaker Thursday night. He says he's spent about a month's-worth of time in the area, and he had a lot to stay about downtowns and shopping around the Capital Region.

We talked with him for a few minutes afterward -- about the state of retail in downtown Albany, how to spur retail, what downtown Troy has that downtown Albany doesn't, Lark Street, and... hipsters.

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Architecture gawking: a not-boring parking garage

SUNY admin parking garage

Speaking of not-boring parking garages: We were thinking today that this parking garage in downtown Albany has to be one of the best-looking parking structures in the area. (Tip of the hat to Carl for pointing this out a while back.)

Yeah, that's not exactly a high bar. But if we're going to have parking garages, why not have structures that are a bit interesting and/or beautiful. (Of course, the more intricate the design, the more expensive it is usually.)

This particular garage is for the SUNY administration building. The 670-space structure sits next to I-787, by the pedestrian walkway -- you can't miss it. Envision Architects designed it.

Sure, the building reads as a parking garage, but it's not just one boring layer stacked upon another. And we like the detail on the metal screens that cover the openings.

Anyway, a few more photos for architecture gawking are after the jump.

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"Play Me, I'm Yours" applications

play me I'm yours Times SquareThis year's Sculpture in the Streets project for downtown Albany will be "Play Me, I'm Yours." Blurbage:

Touring internationally since 2008, Play Me, I'm Yours is an artwork by British artist Luke Jerram. More than 1200 pianos have now been installed in 45 cities across the globe, from Paris to Santiago, bearing the simple invitation Play Me, I'm Yours. The project has already reached more than four million people worldwide.
The Downtown Albany Business District is presenting Play Me, I'm Yours from June 13 until July 27 2014. Ten pianos, decorated by local artists and community groups, will be located in parks, squares and other public spaces in Downtown Albany for anyone to play and enjoy.

The Downtown Albany BID is accepting applications from artists who are interested in decorating one of the pianos. Here's the application. The deadline is this Friday, April 25. (Yep, we should have mentioned this sooner.)

The Downtown Albany BID has advertised on AOA.

Thinking about residential development in downtown Albany

impact downtown albany map

The Impact Downtown Albany project is focused tightly on core of downtown.

The number of residential options in downtown Albany has been steadily growing over the last few years. And as mayor Kathy Sheehan at an Impact Downtown Albany event Tuesday at 60 State: "We really are gifted with a lot of the great bones that we need to fulfill the promise of downtown living."

So, how does the city move from promise to actual development? What are the challenges? What's the potential?

The Tuesday event focused on some of those questions. Here are a few bits from the discussion...

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Tempeh burger at The Hollow

the hollow tempeh burger cross-section

A cross section of the The Hollow's tempeh burger.

By Jeff Janssens

Few foods are as satisfying as a classic hamburger. Lately, though, I've been making an effort to eat less red meat.

So even though I'd heard that The Hollow Bar + Kitchen in downtown Albany has a very good beef burger, one featuring a fried egg and habanero ketchup, I was more interested in their tempeh burger, curious to see if I could leave satisfied even after opting for the vegetarian option.

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And a new term for the building, too?

kiernan plaza albany inauguration event 2014-01-01 small

One more pic from Wednesday's Albany inaugural ceremony at KiernanPlazaNanoCollegeSmartCityThingStation, though it's really more of the building than the ceremony.

As you know, Kiernan Plaza is the former Albany train station, and it's now part of the NanoCollege -- slated to become the "Smart Cities Technology Innovation Center." The announced tenants so far are: SEFCU, the engineering firm CHA, and Windstream (a telecom company).

Anyway, it's a beautiful building. And every time we get a chance to gawk at the inside, we wish there could be a way to open it up to the public more often -- either for events or some sort of other use. Maybe someone can leverage some synergies to make that happen.

Here's what the interior of the station looked like in the 1930s, via the Albany Group Archive on Flickr.

After the jump: The photo above, in large format. And a circa 1904 exterior photo of the station.

Earlier on AOA: Gawking at Kiernan Plaza

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Cuomo admin has OK'ed Albany convention center

proposed Albany convention center Eagle and Howard 2013-11-25

A rendering for the Eagle Street side.

Updated

So, this is news: "A government official involved in the project's negotiations" tells the Biz Review's Adam Sichko that the Cuomo administration has approved the scaled-down version of the Albany convention center. That's a big deal because buy-in from the Cuomo admin would open the way for the release of about $70 million in money that's already allocated/promised/set aside for a convention center project.

The new scaled-down plan was introduced in November. It would site a 82,000-square-foot facility at Howard and Eagle in downtown Albany. The Albany Convention Center Authority has touted the new plan -- about a third the size of the of the originally proposed project -- as a "hub" between the Empire State Plaza and the Times Union Center, with all three connected by a covered walkway.

The ACCA said the $66.5 million project could be paid for with the already-allocated money. It estimated that it could be completed by July 2016.

The Cuomo administration confirmed the approval in a press release later on Tuesday. The release included a name for the facility -- "Albany Capital Center" -- and a start date for construction -- June 2014.

Oh, and there's important bit tucked into the administration's announcement:

Furthermore, the land accumulated by the Authority for the first proposed location would be conveyed to the Office of General Services (OGS) and would be made available for appropriate development through a Request for Proposal managed by OGS and Empire State Development (ESD), with the goals of expanding the local commercial tax base and the creation of jobs and opportunities

That land is the chunk on the south side of downtown Albany near the bus station. Earlier this year an idea was floated for the land to be used for an aquarium/science center/something or other. The fact that the state will directly controlling the land prompts a lot of questions -- including what state officials consider "appropriate development" for the site.

Earlier on AOA: Renderings, a footprint map, and more details about the new convention center proposal

image: ACCA/CHA

The proposed -- and scaled-down -- Albany convention center

proposed Albany convention center Eagle and Howard 2013-11-25

A rendering for the Eagle Street side. That entrance is style is called a "porte-cochère." / image: ACCA/CHA

The Albany Convention Center Authority revealed a bit more about the revised plan to build a scaled-down, $66.5 million convention center at Eagle and Howard streets in downtown Albany. An ACCA slide deck about the project is embedded after the jump -- it includes some renderings and details. Also there: an clickable map with estimated building print.

This new plan replaces the original proposal for much larger facility on the southern end of downtown Albany. That plan fizzled over the last few years under concerns about cost and whether the project could float financially over the long term.

The authority is touting the new project -- about a third the size of the of the other project -- as a "hub" between the Empire State Plaza and the Times Union Center, with all three connected by a covered walkway and 2) feasible under the approximately $70 million already allocated/promised/set aside for the original convention center. It projects a timeline that includes a possible completion date of July 2016.

There are still a handful of questions and uncertainties about the project. This article from the Biz Review's Mike DeMasi covers a lot of them, along with other details about the project.

And what of the south side downtown land gathered for the original project? JCE reported in the TU today that the authority is planing to issue a request for proposals for a mixed-use project on the site.

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Six short takeaways from six short talks

impact downtown albany pecha kucha sheehan

From Kathy Sheehan's 5 minutes (or so) at the podium.

We stopped by the Impact Downtown Albany event Wednesday evening to check out the "Glimpse of the Future of Downtown Albany" Pecha Kucha-style presentations. We were kind of curious about both the format -- basically a quick succession of very short talks -- and what some of the speakers -- including Albany mayor-elect Kathy Sheehan and SUNY chancellor Nancy Zimpher -- would have to say.

It turned out to be pretty much what you might expect if you've been following the discussion about downtown Albany for a while -- talk of residential, retail, the waterfront, leveraging things.

But, in the spirit of the format, we figured it'd be interesting to pluck one quick takeaway from each talk -- whether it was a fact, an idea, an impression, whatever. And here we go...

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Impact Downtown Albany

lower state street albany.jpg

What would you like to see in Downtown Albany?

Capitalize Albany, one of the forces behind the increase in residential living in downtown Albany, is about to launch a new project, and it's looking for input from you.

On Tuesday Capitalize Albany be down at Ten Eyck Plaza interviewing people and collecting stories and ideas for improving downtown Albany. It's the launch of a twelve month public/private collaboration called Impact Downtown Albany.

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Albany aquarium study: there's potential demand here

Tennesse Aquarium Chattanooga

The Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga continues to serve as an example of proponents say an Albany aquarium could be. / photo: Tennessee Aquarium / Todd Stailey

The company that's been pushing the idea of an aquarium for downtown Albany -- Omni Development -- released the first phase of a feasibility study for the idea yesterday. And the very short story: the report concluded there appears to be demand for something like an aquarium here.

After hearing hearing a presentation about the study, and going over the materials distributed from the first phase, here are a few bits, observations, and thoughts...

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Dali Mamma

dali mamma albany exterior

A downtown lunch spot aiming to set itself apart by sourcing local ingredients.

By Elisabeth Draper

When Katrin Haldeman conceived the name "Dali Mamma" she wasn't exactly sure what it would be. She just knew that she liked the name. Over time, Haldeman decided that her love for, and the healing power of, food would be best channeled into a cafe --and the Dali Mamma was born.

Upon entering the Dali Mamma, a small cafe on Maiden Lane in downtown Albany, you're almost immediately greeted by owner Katrin Haldeman and her crew. "I strive to create a personal connection to my customers and I try to learn everyone's name," said Haldeman.

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A short campaign for the longest-living building in Albany

Van Ostrande-Radliff House streetscape 1930s HAF

The scene surrounding the Van Ostrande-Radliff House in the 1930s. It's a bit different now.

Earlier this summer the Historic Albany Foundation got ownership of the (probably) oldest surviving building in Albany -- Van Ostrande-Radliff House, at 48 Hudson Ave downtown. Now HAF has a campaign to raise money for the building's preservation. The goal: $10,000.

From the Indiegogo page* for the campaign:

Historic Albany Foundation needs to raise $10,000 for immediate repairs to the roof of the Van Ostrande-Radliff House at 48 Hudson Avenue. Historic Albany recently acquired the Van Ostrande-Radliff House at 48 Hudson Avenue in Albany, New York. Built in 1728, it is documented to be the oldest surviving building in the city. It has been vacant since the 1990's and is in immediate need of roof repairs. Water is cascading through the east wall through a leak in the roof and is causing substantial damage to this precious resource. Historic Albany must repair the roof so that the building will continue to stand while a plan to restore the building is developed.

There's a short HAF video about the building embedded after the jump.

The campaign deadline is September 27. As of Thursday afternoon (August 29), it had more than $3,300 in pledges. Donation perks include sketches of the building, books, and tickets to events.

When HAF acquired the building back in June, it said its goal is to eventually make the building "habitable and possibly used as offices for likeminded agencies and organizations in the future."

* Indiegogo looks like Kickstarter, and sometimes it works like that. But this campaign is set up as "flexible funding" -- which means the money donated will go to HAF even if it doesn't meet its goal. (If they do meet their goal, the pay a lower fee to Indiegogo.)

image via Historic Albany Foundation

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Development company: We're paying for a closer look at a potential Albany aquarium

omni development aquarium convention center site concept

The concept floated by Omni Development earlier this summer. (larger)

Omni Development announced today that it's hired a consultancy to "study the potentials and challenges for an economically rejuvenating project to be located in downtown Albany." In other words: Omni wants to see how feasible it would be to build the proposed aquarium/science museum/IMAX theater/thing at the site of the land gathered for the Albany convention center project.

From the press release:

Omni decided to take the lead with this investment in the future of the Capital Region after receiving weeks of enthusiastic public support to their proposal for a destination-caliber project to transform downtown Albany economically and culturally. In June, Omni provided numerous examples of how such a venue -- featuring an aquarium as the hub of an educational, scientific and entertainment attraction -- would be a regional stand-out and generate extensive visitation and revenue for the area. The study now initiated by Omni will be specific to Albany, with expert analyses and projections of current and future demographics, revenue potentials, competition, trends and "right-sizing" of facilities.

Earlier this summer Omni pitched the idea of a large development at the convention center site that could include an aquarium, museums, entertainment venues, and parks. And, of course, the Albany Aquarium group has also been rallying attention and support along its own track.

So, this could be a good thing for the conversation. It's one thing to toss an idea like this out there for discussion, it's another to put a team of people to work on figuring what might it actually end up involving. (And yet another to find the money to pay for the project if it moves ahead.)

The consultancy that Omni's hired -- ConsultEcon in Cambridge, Massachusetts -- worked with a bunch of aquarium and museum clients around the world, and helps clients with "determining concept definition and refinement, establishing market proof of plans and concepts, determining financial viability, supporting project funding or creating sustainable operating strategies," according to its website.

Omni says it expects something back by the end of September, and that it will share the results with the public.

Update: Here's some good follow up by the Biz Review's Mike DeMasi about whether the consultancy would actually return a study reporting an aquarium is a bad idea, and skepticism from Albany mayoral candidate Kathy Sheehan.

Earlier on AOA:
+ Soapbox: Thinking differently about what a destination museum in Albany could be
+ Push continues for Albany aquarium

image: Omni Development / MLG Architects

Re-modernizing the DeWitt Clinton

dewitt clinton location albany 1926

State and Eagle before The DeWitt Clinton was built in 1927.

The Cuomo admin and Columbia Development announced today plans to renovate the vacant DeWitt Clinton Hotel building at State and Eagle in downtown Albany (streetview). (You know the building -- it's the one that looks buttoned up, but in a "I forgot what I was supposed to be doing" kind of way.) In its new life, the DeWitt Clinton will be a 204-room "Renaissance by Marriott Hotel." Press release:

The Renaissance Albany will have the feel of a boutique hotel and will include the building's original breathtaking lobby. Located at the corner of State and Eagle Streets, the Renaissance will offer intimate meeting space for private events, 204 rooms, a full-service restaurant open to the public, a lounge and coffee shop. It will be the first time the region has had a full service Renaissance by Marriott Hotel.

The $48 million project's not all that surprising. Columbia is already re-building next door at Wellington Row, the hotel is literally right across the street from the Capitol, and the proposed downsized Albany convention center thing would be just behind it.

Anyway, part of the press materials today included a photo of the DeWitt Clinton site from before the DeWitt Clinton was there (above, large format). We were struck by the circa 1926 photo, which shows a drug store on the corner and an excellent old-school traffic signal. Attached to the building and its adjacent (now-gone) neighbor, a big sign that read:

Upon this site and adjoining Corner through to Howard Street
A 15 STORY MODERN HOTEL
WILL BE ERECTED

That modern hotel lasted about 50 years, until the building stopped operating as a hotel in 1975 (it's had various other uses since then). And now it will be modernized. Again.

Cat guest: Albany Archives dug up a great story about the opening of the DeWitt Clinton in 1927 -- the first guest to stay there was a cat. Really.

Asleep at the wheel

Today's moment of LOOK OUT!: The Albany County Sheriff's Office says a taxi driver reported falling asleep at the wheel Tuesday afternoon before crashing into the Albany County Justice Center on Chapel Street in downtown Albany, almost hitting a pedestrian. Thankfully, no one was hurt. The incident was captured on a security camera (above).

From the ACSO press release:

The operator reports that he had little sleep the night before and was exhausted and was going to contact his employer, Black and White Taxi, to see if he could leave work early. He further reported that he had just dropped a passenger off. The Albany County Sheriff's Office investigated the crash and fortunately nobody was injured during the incident. The operator was ticketed for Failing to Keep Right and is scheduled to appear in Albany City Traffic Court to answer the charge.

Drowsy driving causes more than 100,000 crashes a year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which notes the problem is probably underreported. There was a case just this summer in Halfmoon in which a man walking along a road was killed when a driver fell asleep and veered off the road. The driver didn't face any charges beyond failure to stay right because of a precedent set by a 1985 Saratoga County case. [NHTSA] [TU] [Saratogian]

Most states -- including New York -- don't have a "driving while drowsy" law. But there's been a bill circulating in the New York legislature for the last few years that would make it a misdemeanor, and a felony if the crash results in a person's death.

The problem has been getting more attention recently as prosecutors have pushed to charge sleepy drivers in crashes, though it's often a hard case to make. [NYT] [FindLaw]

Lineup for Pearl Palooza 2013

pearl palooza crowd phantogram 2012

The crowd at last year's Pearl Palooza.

Updated: Dirty Heads and Palma Violets were switched out by EQX for Portugal The Man and Crystal Fighters.

WEQX announced today that Pearl Palooza will return September 28 in downtown Albany.

The headliners for the free day of music on Pearl Street this year are The Dirty Heads is Portugal. The Man. The full lineup includes nine bands -- five out-of-town acts, and four locals. Here's the lineup along with song videos...

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Push continues for Albany aquarium

Tennesse Aquarium Chattanooga

The Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga. It's being pointed to as a model project for what's proposed in Albany. Also: There was a penguin born there recently. (photo: Tennessee Aquarium / Todd Stailey)

A few more bits about the push for an aquarium in downtown Albany:

Omni and the convention center site
Omni Development continues to advocate for an aquarium/science museum/IMAX theater on the site of the land collected for the stalled Albany convention center project -- despite a cold shoulder from the convention center authority. ( The authority's executive director says it's staying the course of trying to build a convention center until directed otherwise by the state.) [Biz Review] [TU]

Omni has been using the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga as a model for what an Albany aquarium could be -- and today in a press release it urged Jerry Jennings to talk with the mayor of Chattanooga and schedule a trip to see the aquarium there (it even said it would pay for the trip). Jennings told JCE he'd call, but he's not making the trip. [@JCEvangelist_TU]

More details about Omni's preliminary proposal -- along with concept renderings -- are after the jump.

Albany Aquarium
The Albany Aquarium group -- which has been rallying support for the idea on Facebook -- announced that it's organizing a public meeting July 15 at the Albany Public Library main branch. The goal: to "outline their vision and solicit public feedback."

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On restoring Albany's ghost signs

Bond Ghost Sign - Chuck Miller.jpg

The Bond Clothing sign the prompted the idea for the project. (From a photoset by Chuck Miller of local ghost signs.)

This year the Downtown Albany BID's Sculpture in the Streets project is titled "All Signs Point to Downtown" -- the BID is aiming to restore a handful of "ghost signs" around downtown. The announcement of the project and its call for artists prompted some interesting discussion about the idea this week, both critical and supportive. And the interest is understandable: this work will be on display for thousands of people all around downtown.

Among the people with a reaction: Samson Contompasis, a mural artist and the organizer of the Living Walls mural project. He reached out to AOA with some strong objections -- both artistic and practical -- and we thought it'd be interesting to share them here. We also talked with the Downtown Albany BID to get its perspective.

First up: Samson...

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New spirit for ghost signs

ghost sign state street albany by chuck millerHow about this: For this year's Sculpture in the Streets, the Downtown Albany BID has decided to restore ghost signs. From the info/application form (doc):

This year's exhibit titled: All Signs Point to Downtown will restore old retail signs, also referred to as ghost signs, on the sides of our historic buildings retelling the story of downtown Albany as the commercial hub for the Capital Region prior to the creation of suburban malls.
Now through April 12, 2013, the BID is accepting submissions from artists interested in participating. Painting will take place between mid-April to mid-June and an honorarium will be paid based on the size and complication of the retail sign.

We've converted the doc to a pdf for easy scanning -- it's post jump. It includes info on requirements, guidelines, and other details.

There are at least a handful of preservation efforts around the country aimed at keeping ghost signs from totally fading away -- especially out west, where the signs are apparently still numerous (see Butte, Montana and Fort Collins, Colorado). Interestingly, there are some people who think the signs should be allowed to fade out.

Be sure to check out Chuck's photoset of local ghost signs. He created a book from the set. (That's one of Chuck's photos on the right, from State Street.)

[via Biz Review and @AlbBizMikeD]

Earlier on AOA:
+ Last year's Sculpture in the Streets was the giant Dutch clogs
+ So, how do you create a giant clog sculpture?

photo: Chuck Miller

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Full circle after three generations

william kennedy dana kennedy and grandkidsIn the latest episode of Duncan Crary's A Small American City podcast, William Kennedy talks about growing up in North Albany, how the city changed, how his family ended up in the suburbs -- and about his grandkids living in... a city.

I never wanted to do that, you know. I always resisted the idea of moving any part of my life to the suburbs, and especially because of how strongly I loved the city, the center of the city. Albany was a vital, vital city. I mean, it was just full of people all the time, everyday, lunch hour you couldn't walk on the sidewalks. And Thursday nights everybody's shopping, and the weekends everybody's at the movies. There were seven movies downtown: it was the Palace, the Strand, and the Grand, and the Ritz, and the Leland, and the Royal ... the Paramount ...
And all that vital life, there was departments stores, and bowling alleys, and social clubs. And everything started in the late 40s/early 50s to close down. The federal tax on nightclubs, and they went bust. And then television came in, and everybody stayed home, they didn't go to the movies. And the movies went crazy trying to figure out how to ... get people to come back to the movies. But the movies were everything for us -- 3,000 people at 11 o'clock at night outside the Palace, coming out of these various theaters ... And they'd go all over the place ... The place was full of night clubs, great restaurants -- all night restaurants -- and pool rooms. (laughs) I was especially fond of the pool rooms because my uncle and my father, he was a good pool player...
Anyway, but that whole urban environment was in decline in the years when I was just coming into manhood and starting to work at the Times Union at my first reporting job on the city side of the news ... and then suddenly the city just sort of imploded, you know. And the '60s came...
I went away in the middle '50s... I went to Puerto Rico to work on a newspaper. I was bored with the town. It was boring. There wasn't enough action.

While in Puerto Rico, Kennedy met his wife and got married, moved to Miami, moved back to San Juan. And they came back to Albany in 1963.

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What is that sound?

fog horns by flickr joelmutateSean emails with a question that's not really an Ask AOA question -- it's more of "What the heck is that?" question:

I have lived in Center Square for about three years and I work downtown (right off N. Pearl St). About 2-3 times a week I hear a random sound that sounds a bit like a high pitched fog horn. It's usually 3-5, short (2 or 3 seconds) blasts which distinguish it from the the longer, deeper pitched fog horn you would associate with an active harbor. It almost has an alarm like quality to it.
The strange thing is, I can hear it at home and at work. While it is hard to miss, it is not particularly jarring either. What's even more curious is that I have heard it all times of day, each season and in variable weather conditions.
Is it associated with the Port of Albany? The Hudson River? The rail line running under and between 787? Something different all together?
Please tell me I am not alone!

Anyone have the scoop -- or just a good guess?

photo: Flickr user joelmutate (cc)

Clubs that are 18+?

disco ball club lightsChris emails:

When looking for events and things to do in downtown Albany, its been hard to if there are any nightclubs that are 18+ instead of 21+. being a college student and new to the region, I was wondering if you guys knew of any 18+ clubs in downtown albany?

We suspect there might not be a lot of options. But maybe you have a good suggestion for Chris -- even if it's not downtown Albany. If so, please share!

Earlier on AOA: Ask AOA: Where to shake it?

photo: Flickr user dichohecho (cc)

A look inside the new Sciortino's, and talking with Matt Baumgartner about Albany's potential

Frank Sciortino's grandson, Matt.

At first glance, the old diner car still looks like the Miss Albany -- well, a scrubbed and polished version of the Miss Albany. The booths are the same - the classic diner floors, counters and tile. But the walls are the first give-away that you're not in the Miss Albany anymore.

The famous signs warning patrons about unruly children have been replaced by classic old photos. They're from the families of Matt Baumgartner and his business partners, Jimmy and Demetra Vann. Sciortino's is named for Baumgartner's mother's family -- specifically for his grandparents, Frank and Rachel Sciortino, whose pictures occupy a prominent space behind the front counter.

The latest in Baumgartner's string of Capital Region business ventures -- and his continuing effort to bring life into to Albany's warehouse district -- opens on Wednesday.

Here's a look inside...

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Crowding in for Phantogram

pearl palooza crowd phantogram 2012

Just a quick pic from Pearl Palooza this past Saturday. There was a big crowd for Phantogram. (Then it rained. A lot.)

Video of downtown Albany underground explosion

Boom goes the manhole.

Here's a video clip via the Albany County Sheriff's Office of the underground explosion in downtown Albany Wednesday afternoon. The explosion knocked the cover off a manhole and shot flames into the air.

The camera that captured the explosion is pointed down Steuben Street toward the intersection of Steuben and Chapel. You can see dark gray smoke first billow from the street, then BOOM! (Actually, you have to supply your own soundtrack -- there's no audio.)

There are a few stills from the video after the jump.

National Grid says the explosion was caused by an underground fire on an electrical wire. It says no one was hurt. The company is investigating what caused the fire.

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Reports: underground fire, blown manhole covers in downtown Albany

downtown albany underground fire 2012-09-19 andrew gregory

Update: Here's video of the explosion.
____

Around 3:30 pm Wednesday afternoon, mentions of an underground fire in downtown Albany -- with exploding manhole covers -- started popping up on Twitter. Albany County exec Dan McCoy posted on Twitter at 3:53 pm: "Fire in electrical network underground. Manhole covers blew. Work underway." [@DanielleSanzone] [@MCCoyCountyExec]

The Albany County Justice Center was evacuated because smoke was drawn into the ventilation system. Albany City Hall was closed. And there were reports of other buildings being closed. [Albany County] [@LeifEngstrom1 (city auditor)] [@jessicabakeman]

Streets near the county justice center were closed for crews to work on the problem. [@MCCoyCountyExec]

The photo above -- at North Pearl and Pine -- is from Andrew Gregory (@lunchboxbrain).

Update: 8:44 pm: From National Grid spokesman Patrick Stella:

At 3 p.m. today we detected a power interruption on an underground line at North Pearl Street in Albany. We immediately dispatched crews who have been working through the evening to assess and repair damage caused by an underground fire on our electrical wire.
One manhole cover was dislodged due to the fire and no injuries were reported.
There were no outages associated with the fire since the downtown area has multiple electric feeds to each customer.
We expect to make those repairs tonight and have the street open for traffic.
We will investigate the incident in an attempt to determine an extact cause.

This sounds familiar...: Something like this happened in downtown Albany in 2009.

That (anti) fracking rally in downtown Albany

anti-fracking rally capitol park Albany

A crowd of about 1,000 people showed up in downtown Albany Monday to rally against hydrofracking. The crowd gathered in the Corning Preserve, then filled the block on Broadway in front of the the DEC building, moved up the middle of State Street, and finally to Capitol Park for a lineup speakers. [LoHud Albany Watch] [@JonCampbellGAN] [@JonCampbellGAN] [@_1134] [@AmandaSavarese]

The anti-fracking movement is fired up right now because the Cuomo administration's decision on whether to allow the natural gas extraction method is reportedly near -- and the word circulating is that the admin will allow some fracking in the state. (Cuomo played down those rumors recently.) Not surprisingly, much of the anti-fracking message today was directed at Andrew Cuomo. [CBS News] [TU] [Reuters]

The decision -- whenever it comes out -- will be a big deal.

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Closing the "reassurance gap" in downtown Albany

north pearl street 2012-08-08

Yesterday Jerry Jennings and a group of downtown Albany business people stood in Albany City Hall to reassure everyone that the Pearl Street area is on the edge of a major change that will turn the city's downtown into a 24/7 community.

You probably know the reason for this affirmation session: the comment from Ralph Spillenger -- the owner of the Bayou Cafe and the soon-to-be-closed Jillian's -- that his business had failed, in part, because people are afraid to go downtown because of crime.

So, who's right? This situation is complicated because so much of it depends on perception.

But there are ways to make it clearer.

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Lineup for Pearl Palooza 2012

matt and kimUpdated with scheduled times

Update: Phantogram has been added to the lineup on the main stage, and Conehead Buddha on the second stage.
____

This year's Pearl Palooza -- the music festival in downtown Albany hosted by WEQX -- is September 22. EQX announced today that the headliner is the indie pop duo Matt and Kim (that's them on the right).

The full lineup -- which covers two stages -- is post jump (with clips).

Pearl Palooza runs from noon to 9 pm that day (a Saturday). The festival is on Pearl Street between Sheridan and Pine. It's free.

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Living in downtown Albany

real estate week downtown albany living composite

It's Real Estate Week on AOA.

In a lot of cities -- New York, San Francisco, Chicago -- apartments and condos in the heart of "downtown" are totally normal. But in Albany that hasn't been case. For a long time its downtown has emptied out after the work day. Sure, there are crowds along the entertainment strips like Pearl Street. But the city's downtown has had very little residential stock -- and, as a result, very few of the open-after-work services and amenities that go along with residential: coffee shops, retail, a grocery store.

Over the last couple of years, though, a handful of developers have gutted and rebuilt the interiors of historic buildings, turning them into luxury apartments and condos.

And here's the thing that surprised us: there appears to be strong demand for those units. Every one of the existing apartment buildings we checked out was full, and many of those still under renovation have a waiting list.

So, what's changed? And what does all this downtown living look like?

AOACrisbroSmallV2.jpg

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So, how do you create a giant clog sculpture?

giant clog by liz zunon

The clog by Elizabeth Zunon.

It's hard to miss the giant Dutch clogs that now populate downtown Albany as part of this year's Sculpture in the Streets installation. They're fun and kind of whimsical. (We've seen people attempting to "try on" the shoes, which has been funny.)

Curious about how one goes about decorating an enormous replica of a Dutch wooden shoe, we asked talented local illustrator Elizabeth Zunon to share how she created her clog, which sits outside the Olde English on Broadway.

It's interesting to hear about her inspiration for the piece, and some of the other projects she's working on...

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Albany parking permit zones and streets

The Albany Common Council approved the final slate of streets for the new residential parking permit system Monday night. A map of the three zones is above. After the jump: a list of the designated streets with individual zone maps -- along with a copy of the resolution designating them.

Not every parking space in the designated areas will be subject to the permit system. But there many be some whole blocks designated within the zones, according to councilman Richard Conti, who headed up the design of the system. The state law allowing the system limits it to no more than 2,750 spots.

The target start date for the permit system is October 1. The spaces will be subject to permit parking from 8 am-6 pm on weekdays -- though two-hour parking will be allowed for people without permits. The permits will cost $25, and permit holders will get guest passes.

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Sculpture in the Streets 2012

oversized clog near Hudson River Walkway

On Broadway, near the Hudson River Walkway.

The new series of Sculpture in the Streets pieces have been popping up in downtown Albany this week. This year's theme: "Stand in the Sole of Albany." The pieces are all giant Dutch clogs. You know, wooden shoes.

Thirteen artists have decorated the oversized clogs -- some big, some really big -- for this year's series. Photos of a handful of them are after the jump, as is a list of this year's artists.

The clogs are fun. And this afternoon they definitely had people stopping to take a look. A brief "What the heck..." moment was usually followed by a smile. Some people even tried them on (so to speak).

This year's Sculpture in the Streets series will be officially unveiled at a garden party hosted by the Albany Downtown BID Friday evening. Tickets are $50.

Maps of all the sculptures will be available from the BID and downtown merchants starting Monday (June 18). The clogs will be on display until May 2013.

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HBO Ali movie shooting in Albany -- parking, traffic restrictions, action

muhammad ali 1967The crew for the HBO film Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight will be shooting in downtown Albany Thursday and into Friday morning. There will be significant parking and traffic restrictions on Thursday -- for example, sections of Washington Ave will be shut down for chunks of time. The list is after the jump.

Incidentally, you can also use the restrictions a guide for when/where to gawk at the filming.

A description of the film via the Albany County Convention & Visitors Bureau (link added):

The film centers on the cultural icon's battle with the United States government over his refusal to serve in the military due to his religious beliefs and opposition to the Vietnam War. Ali was arrested and found guilty on draft evasion charges, and later stripped of his boxing title and had his boxing license suspended. While not imprisoned, he did not fight again for nearly four years while his appeal reached the U.S. Supreme Court.

The film is directed by Stephen Frears (The Queen, Dirty Pretty Things, High Fidelity). It includes stars such as Christopher Plummer, Danny Glover, Frank Langella, and Benjamin Walker (OK, not really a star yet, but he's Abe Lincoln in the upcoming Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Yes, that's a real movie.) It looks like Ali will be appearing in the film as himself through archival film clips (which sounds a little odd).

Here's more about the story covered in the film from screenwriter Shawn Slovo. [Spectator (UK)]

photo: Ira Rosenberg via Wikipedia

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Planning for a new Sheridan Hollow

Interesting: a coalition of groups, orgs, and firms is holding a charrette -- "a multi-day collaborative planning event" -- this week to create a plan for transforming the Sheridan Hollow neighborhood in Albany. From the blurbage:

The goal of a charrette is to identify the priorities for a community redevelopment project, create practical designs that address these priorities, incorporate feedback from local residents, and serve as a kick-off for the project. This planning session will help create strategies for eliminating blight and promoting re-investment in an important and historically significant Albany neighborhood.
In order to encourage as much community participation and input as possible, the charrette will be open to the public each day, with several specific public meetings focusing on transportation, housing, sustainability/environment, urban design/historic preservation, economic development, and parks and recreation.

Here's the schedule of events -- many are open to the public. The charrette is organized by Capital District Habitat for Humanity, the Touhey Home Ownership Foundation, the City of Albany, 3tarchitects, and Housing Visions, Inc. (Press release is embedded after the jump.)

Sheridan Hollow is the neighborhood in the ravine between the Capitol and Arbor Hill. It has a long history -- much of it downtrodden. There was an infamous garbage incinerator there during the 80s and early 90s.

More recently, though, there's been a lot of development at the eastern end of the neighborhood, including residential. There are the 24 condos at 17 Chapel, the 43 apartments planned as part of the Boyd Printing Co. building conversion ("The Monroe") at 47 Sheridan, and 13 units at 4-6 Sheridan.

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Good lunch spots in downtown Albany?

downtown albany lower state streetPerhaps feeling left out during last week's discussion about good lunch spots in Troy, Rebecca asked in the comments:

[B]eing that this isn't "All Over Troy" I think it's only fair and right that AOA rebuts with "good places for lunch in downtown ALBANY"!!

Our lunch time experiences in downtown Albany have included an unfortunate number of misses. But we're guessing people who work there all the time have the scoop.

So, what are the good lunch spots in downtown Albany? Please share!

A peek inside Carmine's Brazilian Grill

carmines brazilian exterior

Just up from the corner of Pearl and Sheridan.

We stopped by Carmine Sprio's soon-to-be-open restaurant in downtown Albany late Friday afternoon to peek in the widows. Ethan had mentioned he saw furniture being moved in, and we were curious to see how things were shaping up.

As it turned out, Sprio was there and he was nice enough to give us a quick tour and tell us a little more about the restaurant's concept, which sounds like something a bit different for the Capital Region.

Here's a quick look, along with a few details.

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Beahive Albany

beahive albany exterior

It's in the building between Franklin Tower and Coulson's.

The downtown Albany location for Beahive, a string of coworking spaces in the Hudson Valley, recently opened. We were in the neighborhood this week, so we dropped in to check it out.

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Ice skating at the Empire State Plaza

empire state plaza ice skating 2012

Fun.

The ice skating rink at the ESP re-opened this past Saturday for the first time since 2008. So, of course, we had to take a few turns.

Here are a few details if you decide to go. (And you totally should.)

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Carmine Sprio opening Brazilian steakhouse in downtown Albany

carmine sprioUpdate March 12, 2012: A peek inside Carmine's Brazilian Grill

Chef Carmine Sprio is resurfacing in downtown Albany with a Brazillian-style steakhouse, the city of Albany says. The aptly named "Carmine's Brazilian Grill" is scheduled for a February 2012 opening at 4-6 Sheridan, a mixed use building that's being developed with apartments on the upper floors. (It's the former Big House/Skyline building.)

The restaurant will apparently be modeled on churrascaria -- in which people pay a fixed price and servers walk around with platters of various grilled meats. From the press release:

Carmine's Brazilian Grill will offer fixed price menus for lunch and dinner. The grill menu will include many different cuts of meat, the typical dinner selections will be beef (3-5 different cuts), lamb (chops or leg), pork (loin, ribs, homemade sausage) and chicken. The dinner menu will also include a full starter bar, offering a wide variety of appetizers.

The full press release is after the jump.

Sprio had run an Italian restaurant called "Carmine's" on Central Ave near Everett Road for 13 years -- it closed in 2009. He's also been involved in various TV projects (here's an audition video for a show on OWN). [Biz Review]

Tangent: That spot in downtown Albany is forming a cluster of residences. There are the 24 condos at 17 Chapel, the 43 apartments planned as part of the Boyd Printing Co. building conversion ("The Monroe") at 47 Sheridan, and now the 13 units at 4-6 Sheridan. [Places and Spaces]

Yep, 17 Chapel advertises on AOA.

photo via Carmine's TV Facebook

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Ice skating rink returning to ESP

ice skaing rink ESP

Cool.

Update Jan 3, 2012: Here are details about skating at the ESP rink.
____

Update Dec 14, 2011: OGS says it's aiming to open the rink the first week of January -- and skates will be available for renting (it will be free to skate).
____

The state Office of General Services announced over the weekend that the ice skating rink will be returning to the Empire State Plaza this winter. The ESP has been rinkless since the winter of 2007-08 because of budget cuts. (Full press release pasted after jump.)

OGS says it's aiming for an early January opening. The rink will be open afternoon and evenings, 7 days a week. Skating will be free. The exact date and operation times are still being worked out. (Also: some colder weather might speed things along.)

The rink's comeback is being funded in part by a $100,000 contribution Lake Placid Regional Winter Sports Committee, which is a "non-profit focused on supporting and developing Upstate New York as a sport destination for international and national winter sport events."

In the grand scheme of things, the skating rink isn't a big thing. But the news a few years back that it wasn't coming back because of budget cuts was a bit of a "gulp" moment about the economy and state budget. And there's just something beautiful about the scene created by people skating on the ESP. It's great the rink will be back.

If you've never seen the ESP rink -- or just want to remember what it looks like -- a few more photos from early 2008 are after the jump.

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Jeffrey and Me

Jeffrey's flagpole Rob Madeo.jpg

Jeffrey's flagpole

By Rob Madeo

I first met Jeffrey a while ago.

He stopped me on the street and asked for some money, told me his story, and kept me much longer than I wanted. I know some of you think it's a bad idea to give money to panhandlers. You may be right, but I'm sorry, if somebody asks for a couple of bucks they're going to get it. Maybe that makes me a sucker.

So, the next time we met it was much the same. "How's things Jeffrey," I asked. He was completely blown away that I remembered his name and gave me a hug. I could have done without the hug. After that, I think he was keeping an eye out for me, knowing I was good for a donation. One time I was in a hurry to my car and dodged him.

Then one day, Jeffrey intercepted me outside my building.

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Lineup for PearlPalooza 2

company of thieves letters

It's official: Company of Thieves can't stay away from the Capital Region. They're completely powerless to its draw.

WEQX released the music lineup for this year's PearlPalooza (you know, sort of like LarkFest, but... more east? more downtown?). There are two stages -- one for national acts, the other for locals.

PearlPalooza is September 24 from noon - 9 pm. It's free.

Lineups after the jump.

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The September in the City Art Fair is back

Olivia Quillio

Olivia Quillio

If you work in downtown Albany, this could be the perfect way to break up your work week. The city of Albany has released the details of this year's September in the City Art Fair, an annual street fair that falls on the Wednesday of each week in September.

Each week, art will be displayed in Tricentennial Park at Broadway and Columbia, while local musicians will play two one-hour sets between 11:30 am and 2 pm. This event has been happening in Albany for the past several years, and we're glad to see it continue, because there's nothing like live, outdoor music in the middle of a weekday.

The music schedule is after the jump.

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A Fourth of July dinner for two, with a view of the fireworks, at Taste

Taste penthouse terrace

It's a great spot for watching the fireworks.

Update: The winner has been notified. Thanks for entering!
____

Taste, in downtown Albany, will be offering a four-course dinner on its penthouse terrace with a view of the ESP fireworks on July 4. And we have a table for two to give away.

To enter the drawing, answer this question in the comments:

What is your favorite summer memory?

We'll draw one winner at random.

Highlights from the Fourth of July menu at Taste by chef executive chef Paul Ozimek:

A duet of crab stuff Maine half lobster, stone fruit salsa, char seared 8 oz. filet mignon, with summer berry demi
Your choice of one dozen shrimp cocktail or heirloom tomato salad, buffalo mozzarella, fried basil, arugula
Gourmet salad and artisan bread station
Grilled asparagus and long-stemmed artichokes
Roasted purple potatoes
Red, white and blue dessert montage and deluxe coffee station

The price per person is $99 and a reservation is required (694-3322).

Important: All comments must be submitted by 11:59 pm on Friday (June 24, 2011) to be entered in the drawing. One entry per person, please. You must enter a valid email address (that you check regularly) with your comment. The winner will be notified via email by 10 am on Monday and must respond by 9 am on Tuesday (June 28, 2011).

Yep, Taste does advertise on AOA.

Sculpture in the Streets 2011 is kinetic

sculpture in the streets 2011 composite

Looking for the George Rickey sculptures on the streets of Albany is a little like playing a giant game of Where's Waldo, or trying to find the toaster in the tree. Once you see them, you don't understand how you could have missed them, but at first they're oddly hard to spot.

The five moving metal sculptures are this year's edition of Albany's Sculpture in the Streets project. If something about them seems familiar, think about the Empire State Plaza -- there's been a Rickey sculpture on the ESP for years. There's also one on the RPI campus (where Rickey spent three years teaching in the architecture program), at the Albany Institute of History and Art and on the second floor at Albany International Airport.

Maybe it's the size or steel gray color that makes them blend into the background a bit -- another large metal object in the middle of a city. They kind of disappear into the landscape. But then the wind catches one and you find yourself standing in the street trying to figure out how it does that.

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The Earl of Pearl

State and Pearl signs .jpg

It all started at State and Pearl...

By Rob Madeo

We're pulling out the AOA soap box each Sunday for people to praise, complain, suggest, joke, or make an observation about things they see going on in the Capital Region.

soap box badgeIt's been a long, hard winter, but now that spring is getting a grip on the ice and snow, things are finally looking up. Some people are waiting for the crocuses to peep their heads out, others for the red winged blackbirds to hit town.

Me? I'm looking for a squirrel, known downtown as the Earl of Pearl.

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Interesting wedding spot in downtown Albany?

champagne flutesLooking for an interesting wedding spot in Albany, Annie emails:

We aren't getting married until December of 2012, but we wanted to start browsing around for a ceremony site. We aren't religious, but if we could get married in a beautiful, old church by a Justice or something like that, that would also be ok. We are shooting for the reception to be at Jack's, so I'd ideally like to be in down town Albany.

Any suggestions for Annie? Please share! As we understand it, she's looking for something a little different, so she'd probably love creative or unusual ideas.

photo: Flickr user _FXR

Downtown Albany time-lapse

We're pretty much a sucker for any time-lapse video. The one embedded above is of the construction at 17 Chapel, the new condo development in downtown Albany -- you can see the new structure go up, the snow come down, and the DEC building light up. The video was shot from the roof of Zone 5, the marketing firm across Orange Street.

Earlier on AOA: A tranquil time lapse of Albany

[via Places and Spaces]

Yep, 17 Chapel advertises on AOA. Did we mention the thing about time-lapses?

The holiday decorations have to go somewhere

enormous wreath

Sadly, there wasn't a correspondingly large plastic Santa.

We spotted this today the garage for one of the office buildings along Broadway in downtown Albany.

There's something about seeing the enormous wreath hung up like this that made us smile -- like we all have to find a place to stuff holiday decorations the other 10 months of the year.

Barber Poll: Mensroom

barber poll mensroom exterior

On Columbia Street, around the corner from B. Lodge.

AOA Greg was in a long-term haircutting relationship for the better part of the last decade. And then he wasn't. Suddenly unattached, Greg was at a loss for where to get his hair cut. So he asked the AOA crowd -- and it had a bunch of good suggestions. Now he's playing the field, in search of a new shop.

I had heard some good things about Mensroom -- and it describes itself as "a contemporary barbershop with an 'old school' feel." So, it sounded like a good candidate and I was looking forward to checking it out.

The before/after pics and more after the jump...

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Sculpture in the Streets 2010

sculpture in the streets 2010

The piece outside 30 South Pearl.

Sebastien has put together an excellent photoset, post and map of this year's Sculpture in the Streets exhibit in downtown Albany. He comments:

This body of work by Seward Johnson, an American artist known for his hyper-realistic imagery, is part of a collection of 250 cast bronze figures depicting people of all ages engaged in day-to-day activities. I invite you to take a nice, long walk downtown Albany and take a closer look at these intriguing sculptures. Bring metaphorical hiking shoes because you are about to embark on a trip down the Uncanny Valley.

Each sculpture is sponsored by a local business or organization (among, them We Want Trader Joe's in the Capital District). One of the sculptures, "Crossing Paths," was "community sponsored."

The series of sculptures will be in place until October.

Earlier on AOA:
+ Sculpture in the Streets 2009
+ Sculpture in the Streets 2008

photo: Sebastien B

Eating the $25 burger at dp Brasserie

dp 25 dollar burger second

Pretty much the opposite of the dollar menu.

By Daniel B

It's Lunch Week on AOA! All this week we'll be featuring items the midday meal. Be sure to snap a photo of your lunch on Wednesday and send it to us -- you could win $25 for lunch at your favorite local spot.

It does not come with cheese.

And even though dp Brasserie offers its eponymous dp Burger on both its lunch and dinner menus, at the end of the day a hamburger is a sandwich, and sandwiches are for lunch.

Without a doubt, it is a decadent treat. And you will probably need a glass of red wine to keep you heart pumping while you are eating the thing.

The trick to enjoying it is not letting expectations get the best of you.

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The Scoop

For a decade All Over Albany was a place for interested and interesting people in New York's Capital Region. It was kind of like having a smart, savvy friend who could help you find out what's up. AOA stopped publishing at the end of 2018.

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