Albany's Welllington Row - Updates

Wellington Row Developer Building Support

Plan lauded for "remarkable level of preservation" of historic architecture during key meeting in Albany

From Times Union

By Chris Churchill, July 20, 2007

ALBANY -- Preservationists and city officials are cheering the latest plan for the redevelopment of Wellington Row, the forlorn but historically significant string of buildings near the state Capitol.

The new proposal from Columbia Development Cos. -- the Albany firm wanting to build a 14-story office tower on the site -- meets the demands of historic preservationists by mostly retaining four of Wellington Row's five buildings while keeping all of the buildings' facades.

Under the $60 million plan, the buildings on either side of the former Wellington Hotel would be rehabilitated, with retail at ground level and apartments on upper floors.

The Wellington itself would be demolished, but Columbia would rebuild its facade on a new structure that would serve as an entryway to the mammoth, 400,000-square-foot office building.

"Given the circumstances, it's a remarkable level of preservation that Columbia has taken on," said architect William Brandow, a Historic Albany Foundation board member.

Wellington Row has long been an irritant to city officials and downtown boosters, who have watched the prominent site decline into a boarded-up eyesore at the heart of the city center. It has been hard, after all, to argue that downtown is succeeding with a key State Street site in such disrepair.

Columbia raised hopes when it bought the site for $925,000 last November from London-based Sebba Rockaway Ltd. But preservationists quickly objected to a Columbia plan to demolish most of the row and build an office tower immediately behind the historic facades.

Preservationists said the plan reduced the building fronts to window dressing, and they lobbied Columbia to reconsider.

The firm did so, and this week brought its revisions to the city's Historic Resources Commission, which reviews projects in historically significant areas.

"The purpose of the meeting was to make sure we're on the right track," said Columbia's Mike Arcangel, who is overseeing the Wellington Row project. "And it seems to be. It seems we've passed a litmus test."

The proposal has many hurdles to clear. It still needs a host of approvals from the city, and some preservationists are quietly questioning the size of the proposed office building, saying it may overwhelm Wellington Row and other area buildings.

"There's going to be a lot of details to review," said city planner Richard Nicholson. "We're at the big concept stage, which I would say was well received."

City officials are particularly pleased Columbia has added apartments to the project, a move that could further a long-stated goal of having more people living in the city center.

"What's nice about this is that is has all the elements," said Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings. "You're going to have residential as well as retail and office."

Jennings called Wellington Row critical to downtown redevelopment. "There's no reason for us to have buildings that look like that and have them 100 yards away from a beautiful state Capitol," he said.

While four of the site's buildings will not be demolished, it is unclear how much of their interiors will be saved. Some have decayed beyond repair -- that's especially true of the former Berkshire Hotel at 140 State St. -- while others have elements that may not fit into Columbia's redevelopment plans.

Susan Holland, executive director of the Historic Albany Foundation, said the former Elks Lodge, at 138 State St., has a magnificent ballroom. But that space likely will be lost under Columbia's plan, she said.

Rebuilding the Wellington Hotel facade on a new building is the most unusual component of the Columbia proposal, and preservationists said they were awaiting details of how that segment of the project would proceed.

Arcangel said Columbia would carefully remove the facade, catalog and store its pieces, then rebuild it. Yet it wouldn't be a replica: The "new" facade would be several feet higher, as Columbia wants to increase the building's interior ceiling heights.

Such plans have raised hackles in other cities. In Chicago, for example, preservations objected to a plan that reconstructed the facade of the historic McGraw-Hill Building on a new hotel.

Some have called the increasingly common practice a "facade-ectomy."

But in Albany, preservationists say they acknowledge the state of decay Wellington Row has fallen into, and say they are pleased the developer has agreed to save much of what is significant about the site.

"Given the obstacles," Brandow said, "it's a good preservation project."


Albany's Wellington Row plan detailed

From Times Union

By Ryan Hutchins, July 18, 2007

ALBANY - Representatives of Columbia Development Cos. detailed the Wellington Row project tonight night before the city of Albany's Historic Resource Commission.

The plan includes a new 14-story building of about 409,000 square feet fronted by the facades of four existing buildings.

In the center, the Wellington Hotel would be replaced by an eight-story building that would resemble the historic hotel, with pieces of the original building incorporated into the new facade.

As well as the facades, about 40 to 50 feet of the buildings behind the facade would be kept standing. Some of the space might be rehabilitated for residential or special retail use.
Columbia Development Cos. bought the properties for $925,000 from London-based Sebba Rockaway Ltd. The original plan was to demolish the entire row.

Job: PLNYS - Regional Director of Technical and Grant Programs

THE POSITION:

The Preservation League is seeking an experienced preservation professional who will serve as the League's primary field services staff person for Eastern New York, New York City and Long Island. This is a senior position at the League that requires a trained preservation professional with extensive knowledge of historic preservation theory and practice. The Regional Director will work directly with local communities, organizations, individuals and elected officials on all aspects of historic preservation and community development. The Director will also manage established League grant and assistance programs in their territory. This position reports to the Preservation League's President and works in tandem with the Regional Director of Technical and Grant Programs for Western and Central New York. This is a full-time position located in Albany, New York and requires regular travel within the territory.

EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING:

• A degree in historic preservation or a closely related field; graduate degree preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of professional experience in the historic preservation field.

THE RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide technical preservation assistance to individuals, organizations and municipalities seeking creative solutions to preservation challenges.
• Advise and assist local and regional preservation organizations and citizen groups on strategies to increase their effectiveness.
• Identify statewide and regional preservation challenges and develop tools, programs, and workshops, to address them.
• Administer key League programs including the Preserve New York Grant Program, the Seven to Save Endangered Properties Program and the Preservation Colleagues Program that provides training to preservation groups.
  

SKILLS REQUIRED:

• Ability to work constructively as part of a team.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills.
• Confident public speaking skills.
• A solid understanding of historic preservation principles and practices.
• Strong computer skills.

THE ORGANIZATION:

The Preservation League of New York State is the
private, not-for-profit, statewide advocate dedicated to the
protection of New York's diverse and rich heritage of historic
buildings, districts, and landscapes. Founded in 1974, the League
gives voice to New York's historic resources. We partner with public
and private organizations, agencies, and individuals in communities
throughout the Empire State who are working to ensure the future of
their historic resources. The League advances effective public
policies, provides expert legal and technical assistance, targets
grants to local communities, builds the capacity of local preservation
groups, and focuses public attention on threatened properties.

CONTACT:

Send cover letter, resume, and the names of three
references by Monday, July 9th to:
Regional Director Search
Preservation League of NYS
44 Central Avenue
Albany, NY 12206
Tel: 518-462-5658 ext 13, www.preservenys.org

Update on Albany's Wellington Row

From The Times Union

By Paul Grondahl, photograph by Michael P. Farrell.
05/29/07

ALBANY -- For 10 years, architect William Brandow has walked to work past the five forlorn buildings known as Wellington Row.

Brandow -- a savior of old buildings by temperament -- looked beyond moldering columns, pigeon droppings and moss growing on lintels. He focused instead on two centuries of exceptional architectural history embedded in the derelict structures that command the crest of State Street hill in the shadow of the Capitol.

"These buildings show the evolution of Albany's most important street," Brandow said. "Wellington Row is where the wealthiest citizens of Albany lived in the early 1800s and it's where the street first made the shift from residential to commercial."

Here is where John Taylor Cooper, from the famed Coopers of Cooperstown, settled in a sumptuous town house at 134 State St. In 1832, he hired the noted architect, James Dakin, to remodel the 1820s house into a stunning Greek Revival residence befitting Cooper's social status.

Next door, the first two floors of the old Christian Brothers Academy bear remnants of a Federal-style town house built during the 19th century.

Similarly, at 140 State St., the defunct Berkshire Hotel includes a superstructure built around a Federal town house.

Over the years, instead of tearing down the residences, new commercial buildings were simply constructed above and around them, leaving the low-slung and ornate edifices embedded in the high-rises.

At 138 State St., the Renaissance Revival flourishes of the early 20th century Elks Lodge were created by the New York City architectural firm of M.L. and H.C. Emory.
"There's not a city in the world that wouldn't love to have those two buildings (138 and 140 State) next to each other, whether it be Paris or New York City," Brandow said.

In 2000, the Preservation League of New York State placed Wellington Row on its list of the most critical buildings across the state to be saved.

Last November, Wellington Row was bought for $925,000 by Columbia Development Cos. from London-based Sebba Rockaway Ltd. (which had paid $1.75 million in 1987).
Now, hopes are high among preservationists that the historic character of the buildings can be saved.

Columbia has proposed building a $60 million, 14-story office tower with street-level shops and condominiums. The Albany developer has said it wants to preserve the exterior facades of the Wellington Hotel and two other buildings.

Discussions are under way regarding specifics of the project between the developer, city officials and representatives of Historic Albany Foundation. Details of those negotiations are not being released, and Columbia officials were not available to discuss their plans.

"Keeping just the facade is one of my least favorite choices and the buildings would be much more stable keeping three walls as opposed to one," said Susan Holland, executive director of Historic Albany. "I'm an eternal optimist. I believe the city and the developers are very sensitive and will come up with a great project we can all support."

Brandow's boss, architect Jack Waite -- who has won historic preservation honors for his firm's work at Tweed Courthouse, Baltimore Cathedral, George Washington's home in Mount Vernon, Thomas Jefferson's Monticello and other historic structures -- feels a sense of urgency about Wellington Row's fate.

"We can't afford to lose those buildings. There's no reason they can't be saved," Waite said. "Wellington Row forms a very important part of the downtown Albany streetscape on one of the great streets in America in terms of intact architecture."

The site has been both a blessing and a curse for the city as far back as 1980, when the buildings were listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In 1986, the Wellington closed, bringing an end to a downtown fixture that had been home to generations of out-of-town visitors, University at Albany students and future governors Mario Cuomo and George Pataki.

When Sebba Rockaway bought the Wellington and two other buildings, it announced plans to tear them down and to build a new office tower. The London developer and the city squared off and their battle raged for years, while the vacant, boarded-up structures continued to slide into severe disrepair due to the elements and neglect.

Mayor Jerry Jennings' 1994 Capitalize Albany plan, which featured a revitalized Wellington Row as the centerpiece of a tree-lined expanse of stores and outdoor cafes, receded further and further into the background.

With Columbia's new ownership, coupled with a $2.5 million state grant to assist stabilization of the cluster of buildings, a clearer picture of Wellington Row's future should emerge soon, said Michael Yevoli, Albany's commissioner of development and planning.

"The developer is analyzing the structural and economic feasibility of as much preservation as possible," Yevoli said. "Preserving and re-using the buildings back into the fabric of the street would be a win-win for everybody."

Architectural historian Walter Wheeler, who has for years studied Wellington Row out of personal curiosity, wants as much of the buildings as possible to be preserved.

"They're fine buildings with nice proportions, good scale, excellent materials and wonderful use of shadow and light," Wheeler said.

"To settle only for the facades is rather defeatist," he said. "I think we can do better than what you see in parts of Boston, where they preserved little four-story ciphers as facades fronting 40-story buildings. Those facades are token symbols that are basically meaningless."

New Exhibit - "Full Steam Ahead: Robert Fulton and the Age of Steamboats"

From Times Union

05/13/07
Exhibit chugs through steamboat history
By Justin C. Maiman

In front of a crowd anticipating an explosion, Robert Fulton's North River Steamboat of Clermont, set off on Aug. 17, 1807, for Albany from Greenwich Village. Nothing blew up, but the 5 mph steamboat trip proved to be a milestone journey, not just on the Hudson River, but for transportation around the country.

Fulton and his partner Robert Livingston didn't invent the paddle-wheel boat or the steam engine, but they ushered in the steamboat as a popular form of passenger travel, and a faster and cheaper way to transport goods.

"Full Steam Ahead: Robert Fulton and the Age of Steamboats" at the Albany Institute of History & Art offers a glimpse of the 19th-century sights and sounds on the Hudson River.

"He was no fool," said Ruth Greene-McNally, curator of the new exhibit. "Livingston had already secured a monopoly for navigating all vessels propelled by steam on New York state waterways. And after meeting in Paris, he encouraged Robert Fulton to turn his attention to the steamboat."

The exhibit anticipates the upcoming 200th anniversary of the Fulton voyage. Celebrations begin Aug. 17, the day Fulton set out from New York City hoping to become a commercial success, after several of his inventions and designs for steam warships and a submarine never took off in Europe and America.

In little more than 32 hours, the Clermont made it to Albany, where another crowd awaited, also wary of an explosion. Local sloop captains were not pleased with Fulton's innovation. His steamboat was even rammed by a jealous captain.

"There was mixed reaction because sloop captains were being phased out of business and also people were very fearful," said Greene-McNally.

Despite the historic voyage, the Clermont returned to New York City almost empty. Two passengers, a pair of adventurous Frenchmen, went along, paying $3 each.

M. Michaux wrote about his ride in a letter home: "So great was the fear of the explosion of the boiler that no one, except my companion and myself, dared to take passage in it for New York. From every point on the river whence the boat announced by the smoke of its chimney ... we saw the inhabitants collect; they waved their handkerchiefs and hurrahod for Fulton."

"The ride on the Hudson would have been choppy and very loud," according to Travis Bowman, steamboat aficionado and curator of collections at the Clermont State Historic Site. "But Fulton knew he could make it work because of extensive testing. It wasn't until steamboat racing that you saw a lot of explosions."

A national change

After the Clermont, America was changed forever.

Before the steamboat, the 150-mile river voyage was at least a three-day journey by sloop. By stagecoach, the Albany-New York City journey could take weeks. Within weeks of the maiden voyage, the steamboat was making regular trips up and down the Hudson.

Hundreds of passengers bought tickets, paying $7 each way between Albany and New York City. Initially, only wealthy citizens were able to afford this passage.

The service was so popular copycat boats and captains soon followed. Each was met with a lawsuit from Fulton and Livingston, and the two successfully protected their steamboat monopoly for almost two decades.

However, after 1824 when the Fulton/Livingston monopoly dissolved, prices began to drop, making the trip more affordable to average citizens.

The larger story

The Albany Institute exhibit fills two rooms and focuses first on Fulton and Livingston, and then segues into a much larger story, that of the golden age of the steamboat.

That 50-year span was filled with deadly races and wrecks, the rise of the robber barons and posh three-deck floating palaces on the Hudson.

These stories are told through drawings, paintings, letters, models and artifacts, most of which were already part of the institute's extensive collection.

Tammis Groft, deputy director for collections and exhibitions at the Albany Institute, called the Fulton show a prelude to the upcoming Hudson 400, celebrating Henry Hudson's exploration of the river. She said the research is paving the way for the larger exhibition in 2009.

Art exhibit

"FULL STEAM AHEAD: Robert Fulton and the Age of Steamboats"

What: Exhibit commemorating the 200th anniversary of Fulton's first steamboat voyage of the Clermont in 1807 from New York City to Albany.

Where: Albany Institute of History & Art, 125 Washington Ave., Albany

When: through December

Gallery hours: 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday; open Tuesdays to preregisterd groups; closed Mondays and major holidays

Admission: $8, adults; $6, seniors/students; $4, ages 6-12; ages 5 and younger, admitted free

Info: 463-4478; http://www.albanyinstitute.org/

FACTS

Fulton's steamboat the Clermont sparked a transportation revolution when it set sail for Albany from New York City in 1807. Some details about the ship and its Hudson River voyage follow.

Travel time: New York City to Albany: 32 hours

Speed: just under 5 mph

Powered by: Two paddle-wheels, steam engine

Fuel: Wood

Info: http://www.robertfulton.org or http://www.friendsofclermont.org

Enjoy Albany and Troy!

This weekend, and in upcoming weeks, there are many opportunities to explore, celebrate, promote, and support the revitalization of Albany and Troy. A few examples include:

• Downtown Albany's Restaurant Week - Today and tomorrow are the last days of Downtown Albany's Restaurant Week (April 9-14). Twenty downtown restaurants -- fine dining, great pubs, Cajun to classic French -- are offering 3-course meals for 1 low price ($16.09 in honor of Henry Hudson of course; meals valued at $30, tax, alcohol, and gratuity not included). Participating restaurants include: Albany Mansion Inn, Albany Pump Statio, Amo La Bella, Bayou Cafe, Cafe Capriccio, The Comedy Works, Franklin's Tower, Hudson Harbor Steak & Seafood, Jack's Oyster House, Kelsey's Irish Pub, La Serre, Marche, McGeary's, Nicole's Bistro, Pagliacci Ristorante, Pearl Restaurant & Lounge, Savannah's, V&R, Victory Cafe, Webster's Corner.

• Jackie Baldwin's Tapas Night - Voted "Best Tapas" -- Metroland '06. Sunday, April 15, 5-8 p.m. $40/person including sangria. Daisy Baker's, 32 2nd Street, Troy, 266-9200. Enjoy an exotic array of authentic Spanish tapas prepared by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's executive chef (and Pottery District neighbor and friend) Jackie Baldwin. We can attest that this will be great. This popular event began, and quickly outgrew its original venue at Carmen's Cafe in South Troy.

• Reception to benefit St. Joseph's Church restoration at Albany Women's Club, Sunday, April 15th, 3:00 - 5:30 p.m. For more information, contact 626-0931. This is a project of the Historic Albany Foundation.
  

• Albany's Dining Out for Life - Dine out and fight AIDS. When you dine out on Thursday, April 26 for breakfast, lunch or dinner numerous fine restaurants will donate 25% of your food bill to the AIDS Council of Northeastern New York. Restaurants from Albany, Clifton Park, Cohoes, Guilderland, Hudson, Latham, Plattsburgh, Saratoga Springs, and Troy are participating; Troy's participants include Flavour Cafe, River Street Cafe, and Tosca.

• Gotta Get FUNded: A Masquerade Extravaganza - music, dancing, and delightful food; music by Annie and the Hedonists. This event will benefit the WCA's Building Restoration Fund and the Pick'n 'n Sing'n Gatherin's Performer Selection for the Gotta Get Gone Festival. For tickets and information, please call the Women's Club at 465-3626 or email womansclub [AT] hotmail [DOT] com. Reservations are encouraged. The building is not yet handicapped accessible.
  

• Celebrate Albany and Restore St. Peter's Church - Historic St. Peter's Church cordially invites you to a reception and auction to benefit Lighting Restoration and Music Enhancement on Sunday, April 29, 4-8 p.m. at The State Room, The Dewitt Clinton Hotel, State and Eagle Streets, Albany. $75 per person/$125 per couple. For ticket information, call 434-3502, x. 5. There will be a cocktail buffet ("savor the taste of historic Albany menus"), live auction ("Win an exclusive tour of an Albany cultural treasure. Experience the Dudley Observatory, Washington Park gardens, Olana and other gems from the inside out--attic to cellar"), and silent auction ("Take home the sounds and tastes of Albany as well as antiques and ephemera of Albany's past and present").

• Historic Albany Foundation's Walkabout Wednesdays. Want to learn more about the buildings and people of Albany's historic neighborhoods? The join Historic Albany Foundation as local historian and tour guide extraordinaire Tony Opalka takes you back in time. Each tour begins with a brief lecture and slide show. April 18th - "The Pastures" Tour; May 22nd - South End Tour; June 20th and July 18th TBA tours; August 15th - Ten Broeck Triangle tour; Fee is $5 for HAF members, $10 for non-members. Space is limited. To make reservations, please call HAF at 465-0876, x. 10 or email climniatis [AT] historic-albany [DOT] org.

Check Metroland's advertisements for more ideas, and don't blame us if you're bored!

Neighborhood Revitalization: Stylish Infill Housing

As readers of this blog know, the City of Rochester, New York, has been doing some interesting work in the areas of neighborhood organization, revitalization, infill housing design and construction, and realtor training. This previous post describes some of the programs the city and associated organizations have developed and implemented, and yesterday's New York Times had this small piece in the Currents column in the Home and Garden section (copy by Aric Chen, photographs by James Rajotte, 3/29/07)[I added web links]:

"Last week the Institute of Classical Architecture and Classical America, a nonprofit group based in New York City, and Habitat for Humanity completed the first of several low-cost houses they are collaborating on to “bring better architecture to the realm of affordable housing,” said Paul Gunther, the institute’s president. Although the three-bedroom, 1,400- square-foot house in Rochester cost just $90,000 (it was constructed by a volunteer crew), it has Greek Revival details that allow it to blend into the historic neighborhood, said Richard Cameron, the designer. Nilsa Rivera, 24, the local resident who was selected to live there, will move in this weekend with her 2-year-old daughter, her fiancé and her brother; in June the institute will publish “A Pattern Book for Neighborly Houses,” a guide to building well-designed affordable housing."

The Projects page of Flower City Habitat for Humanity's (Rochester, New York) web site has additional information on this and other projects, including an article (on their News page) from the Democrat and Chronicle about the Institute of Classical Architecture and Classical America's project, which is also being carried out in Savannah, Georgia, and Norfolk, Virginia. By visiting their web site (click link above), I also discovered their blog, The Classicist. I have not had a chance to do much more than skim its most recent postings, but it looks very promising, with many rich photographs of (what else?) classical buildings and interiors, accompanied by thoughtful commentary. I've added a link to the blogroll at right (scroll down!).

Upcoming Historic Preservation Conferences

Many thanks to the Preservation League of New York State and The Attic blog (the "virtual home of the Department of Museum Studies' research students, University of Leicester, UK") for bringing these conferences to our attention.

2007 ANNUAL WORKSHOP & BARN TOUR
April 19-21
Albany, New York

If you're interested in barns and other rural vernacular architecture then this conference is for you! A variety of topics will be discussed, including:

• barn stabilization and restoration techniques

• conducting barn surveys

• forming a local or statewide barn preservation group

• historic barn types, especially those in the Hudson River Valley

• protecting the endangered American barn & other farm buildings.

AGENDA:

• Friday, April 20: NBA Annual Business Meeting – OPEN to all. Find out what other states are doing and talk about the future of the NBA. Dinner: Talk by noted barn historian Bob Sherman.

• Saturday, April 21: NBA Annual Workshop - The latest information from nationally-known timber framers, barn historians & barn organizations. Dinner: Talk by timber framer Rudy Christian on the history of the tradesman.
  

• Sunday, April 22: Barn Tour - We will visit 4 barns in the Albany area, stopping for lunch along the way and returning to the hotel by mid-afternoon.
  

Registration Fees:
Friday & Saturday $225 (Students: $100)
Saturday Only $125
Barn Tour $ 50
Location: Best Western Albany Airport Inn, 200 Wolf Road, Albany
518-458-1000 / www.bestwestern.com
A block of rooms has been reserved at $79/night.

For Registration Materials contact Katie at Woodford Brothers, 800-653-2276


OPEN SOURCE HISTORY - MAKING HISTORY PUBLIC CONFERENCE
April 19-21, 2007
Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island

Join the American Association for History and Computing (AAHC) and Brown University's Public Humanities Program for an innovative look at how technology allows increased dialogue between historians and a broad public audience. This conference will be of interest to anyone concerned with bringing history to a general audience, including museum professionals, archivists, librarians, historic preservationists, filmmakers, as well as academic historians.

The conference will explore:

• The role of technology in breaking down the barriers between historians and the public

• Ways that historians have used technology to communicate with diverse audiences

• How the practice of "academic history" changes when made public

• New forms of collaboration between historians, archivists, librarians, historic preservationists, teachers and students

• New forms of display and historical representation

If you are an historian (academic, public, secondary education, graduate student), or engage history through a related discipline (librarian, archivist, publisher, editor, etc.), this conference will provide a chance to meet other professionals to discuss technology's use in history.

Special Events:

• Brewster Kahle, Director and Co-founder, The Internet Archive, presents the keynote address: "Universal Access to Human Knowledge (Or Public Access to Digital Materials)" - Mark Tribe, professor of Modern Culture and Media at Brown, and founder of Rhizome.org, on The Port Huron Project
  

• Workshops on digital libraries, video in historic preservation, 3-D laser scanning, text encoding, Zotero, and GIS!

• Papers on on-line history, using geographic information systems in historical and historic preservation work, preserving digital collections, archives, and more!

For more information: http://theaahc.org/cfp.htm

Downtown Revitalization: Albany, New York

Another great article in yesterday's Times Union was Chris Churchill's "Downtown homesteading," which describes seven planned, in progress, or recently completed large scale downtown housing projects in Albany, along with the efforts of several smaller scale residential improvement projects. Among the large scale projects are:

• Amos at Quackenbush Square - A $40 million, 11-story tower with at least 100 apartments proposed by Queri Development of Syracuse, New York;

• 733 Broadway - A $35 million, 9-story tower with 122 units proposed by Norstar Development USA of Buffalo, New York;

• Wellington Row - A $62 million, 14-story office tower with 15 condominiums proposed by Columbia Development Cos., Albany, New York;

• 33 N. Pearl Street - A $600,000 conversion and renovation with six apartments recently completed by Mike Urgo (upper floors above Jonathan's pizza parlor), Albany, New York;

• 109 State Street - $650,000 renovation with nine apartments currently under construction by AR Building & Construction, Albany, New York;

• 111-113 State Street, $630,000 renovation with 11 apartments recently completed by AR Building & Construction, Albany, New York; and

• 889 Broadway, undisclosed cost, conversion of four-story building and construction of four-story building with 44 condominiums.

The article reports that a market study commissioned by the Downtown Albany Business Improvement District and recently completed by Zimmerman/Volk Associates Inc. of Clifton, N.J., found that a market exists for about 2,400 housing units. As is true in many places where downtown housing is being constructed or renovated, it is hoped that increased choice and better quality of housing will help bring more people downtown.

The target markets are "empty nesters" and young professionals. Among the latter category is Matt Baumgartner, proprietor of Albany's popular Bomber's Burritos Bar (158 Lark Street) and Noche Lounge (895 Broadway) -- one of many young entrepreneurs creating notable arts, music, dining, and retail establishments in the Capital District's historic downtowns. He recently paid $225,000 for an old industrial building on Learned Street and plans to rehabilitate the building into two apartments, one of which he will occupy himself.

The article compares the Albany housing activity to similar situations in Denver, Colorado (Lower Downtown neighborhood), Boston, Massachusetts (Fort Point Channel area), Hartford, Connecticut, and Providence, Rhode Island. It also states that in "the Capital Region, Albany has fallen behind cities such as Saratoga Springs, where hundreds of new apartments and condos have been constructed, and Troy, which has seen significant rehabilitation of older apartment units." The article continues:

Some say the Albany lag results from redevelopment decisions that brought Empire State Plaza and ubiquitous highway ramps.

"What you see there now is a consequence of years of tragic decisions," said James Howard Kunstler, the Saratoga Springs-based author of "Geography of Nowhere" and other books on the urban environment.

Added Saratoga Springs developer Jeffrey Pfeil, who is converting a former department store in Troy [the former Stanley (Gay) building at 3rd and State Streets] into apartments [to be called The Conservatory because of its proximity to the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall]:

"the incentive (for developing housing) in Troy is that it's got a wealth of fabulous architecture, and, unlike in Albany, most of the architecture wasn't torn down over the years."

The J.W. Pfeil Company also recently completed a project involving adaptive reuse of a former textile factory into the Powers Park Lofts condominiums (387 Third Avenue) in the Lansingburgh section of Troy. Available units sold out quickly.

Turpin Bannister Chapter, Society of Architectural Historians, Spring 2007 Events

The Turpin Bannister chapter of the SAH has scheduled numerous events for spring:

• March 14 (Wednesday) - Kimberly Kloch, "Breathing New Life Into Abandoned Houses of Worship," at the Cohoes Public Library, 169 Mohawk Street, Cohoes (in the former 1895 St. John's Episcopal Church). Reception at 5:30, presentation at 6:00 pm.

• March 22 (Thursday) - State Education Building - Tour of the restored spaces led by George Webb and viewing of the recently restored original architect's model of the building at the State Education Building, Washington Avenue, Albany. Reception at 5:30 pm (5th floor), tour and viewing of the model at 6:00 pm. (2nd floor).

• April 10 (Tuesday) - Bill Connor, of the architectural firm Woodward Connor Gillies & Seleman, will speak and lead tour of the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library, which opened in December, 2006. The library is certified as a "green" facility as part of the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Program. Location: Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library, 475 Moe Road, Clifton Park. Presentation at 6:30 pm, followed by a tour.

Future events include a "drive yourself" tour of Dutch Houses in and around Schenectady on Sunday, April 22nd, a presentation about "Roman Catholic Church Architect Patrick Keely" at St. Peter's Church in Troy by Building Conservation student Kevin O'Connor on May 22nd, and the SAH's annual dinner at Tosca's in Troy on Wednesday, May 30th.

For more information, contact Ned at 432-0220 or email nedpratt66[AT]aol[DOT]com.

Upcoming Events, Conferences, and Educational Opportunities

A number of announcements about upcoming lectures, conferences, and educational opportunities have come our way, and we wanted to pass them along:

-- Thursday, February 8, 6:30 PM, Troy Public Library: A presentation on The Capital District's Underground Railroad Story. Learn through pictures and documentation about the citizens who assisted those seeking freedom from slavery and about the freedom seekers who settled in or passed through the Capital District. Presented by Paul and Mary Liz Stewart of the Underground Railroad History Project of the Capital Region, Inc. The program is free and open to the public, but prior registration is required. To register, stop by the information desk in the Main Library or call 274-7071. The Underground Railroad History Project of the Capital Region is also holding a conference, whose theme will be Uncovering the Voices of Women, on February 23-25 at the College of St. Rose in Albany (details are on the web site).

-- March 7-10, Hynes Convention Center, Boston, MA: Traditional Building Exhibition and Conference "the only national trade show and conference for historic homeowners, architects, designers, contractors and developers, planners, building owners and craftsmen involved in historic restoration, renovation, and traditionally-inspired new design and construction." Includes 80 seminars, workshops, panel discussions and tours of Boston's famous historic landmarks as well as hundreds of exhibitioners and suppliers of historically accurate products and services.

-- March 8-11, PSFS/Loews Hotel, Philadelphia, PA: 2007 American Institute of Architects Historic Resources Committee conference. This will be AIA HRC's first conference collaboration with the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA). Entitled "Fresh Air," the conference will feature sessions on historic preservation and provide a window into the future of architecture education and practice.

-- March 9-11, New York City, NY: Historic Districts Council Preserving the Past, Planning the Future conference. The conference will address the question of given the ambitious housing and development plans currently being pursued and the expected population increase in the next few decades, what will happen to the historic neighborhoods of New York City over the next generation? A distinguished group of preservationists, planners, artists, architects, educators and developers from New York City’s five boroughs and beyond will be presenting their views in a series of three panel discussions: “The Greening of Preservation,” “Smart(?) Growth: Brooklyn in the 21st Century” and “The Future of New York: With Preservation or Without?” Additional information is on the HDC's web site.

-- June 5 - August 8, Nantucket, MA: Preservation Institute 2007 - Summer Program in Historic Preservation. For those who would like to spend their summer learning at the beach! The curriculum is "project oriented, addressing current community concerns. Off-island field trips to New Bedford and Newburyport are included and students earn nine graduate credit hours of course work in preservation theory and practice; graphic and photo archival documentation; and historic research and building analysis. Resident faculty are supplemented by numerous guest speakers.

Historic Albany Foundation Events

The Historic Albany Foundation has two upcoming events: a lecture and book signing to celebrate the Landmark Society of Western New York's newest book, Historic New York: Architectural Journeys in the Empire State (Tuesday, November 14th, at the NYS Education Building) and a Holiday House Tour (Sunday, December 10th). The tour encompasses a new selection of "uniquely decorated private homes in the Center Square, Hudson/Park, Washington Park, and Pine Hills neighborhoods", and includes stops at "the elegant Fort Orange Club, law offices in the Harmanus Bleecker Building, and the historic Israel AME Church - with a choir concert at 1:30 p.m. Assemblymember Jack McEneny will be signing the new release of his book, Albany, Capital City on the Hudson, from 1:30 - 3:00 at the Albany Institute." For more information and ticket purchase information, call (518)465-0876, x. 10.

You can also visit Historic Albany Foundation's fabulous Parts Warehouse at 89 Lexington Avenue in Albany, Wednesday - Friday, 12 noon - 5:00 p.m. and Saturday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. The Parts Warehouse accepts donations only of historic salvaged parts that otherwise would have been destroyed or lost, sells to architects, contractors, designers, and do-it-yourselfers, and can make recommendations about craftspeople who are appropriate and available for your restoration project. Please note that Historic Albany Foundation strongly advocates the preservation of all historic buildings and encourages the retention of parts in their original settings. The Parts Warehouse includes doors and windows, decorative ironwork and stained glass, lighting fixtures, clawfoot and other tubs, plumbing accessories, sinks, toilets, mantels and fireplaces, radiators and heating, spindles, stair rails, newel posts, moldings, woodwork, flooring, and hardware, hardware, and more hardware.

Now doesn't that sound juicy and tempting????? What are you waiting for? It's Saturday...Go! You'll be glad you did!