Stimulus Watch

• Search for Keywords
• Browse by State/City
• Browse by Program Type

Academy Lofts is a proposed adaptive reuse project for the St. Joseph’s Academy building at the corner of Second and North Swan Streets in the Arbor Hill community of Albany, New York. The vacant and deteriorating building has long been a blighting influence on the surrounding neighborhood and a highly visible symbol of disinvestment and decline.

The Arbor Hill Neighborhood Plan of June 2003 identified St. Joseph’s Academy as key priority to the neighborhood’s revitalization. Subsequently, the Albany Housing Authority used a grant from the New York State Housing Trust Fund to study the feasibility of finding an alternative use and the funding required to rehabilitate the building. A team of architects and financial advisors worked with community representatives to narrow the possibilities to the three most likely to succeed: senior housing, market rate housing, and artist live/work housing.

Of the three, the artist scenario proved to be the most likely to succeed. More than simply succeeding as a project unto itself, it was seen as a dynamic reuse of the building that would also advance each aspect of the neighborhood Plan: Housing, Arts & Culture, Economic Development, and Quality of Life:

• Housing – 25 studio and 1-bedroom apartments would be offered at affordable rents to applicants at or below 60% of the area median income. Apartments would be rented to artists who require affordable housing in order to make a career of their artwork.

• Arts & Culture – The school’s gymnasium will be converted into a 15,000 square foot arts and culture center for the purpose of developing the artistic talents of community residents. The space will consist of a small performance venue with a stage, workspace for various artistic disciplines, gallery, café, and studios for short and long term rental. Artist residents of the building would play an active role in providing artistic programming and mentoring for community members.

• Economic Development – The facility will support the entrepreneurial development of its residents and individuals from Arbor Hill and city-wide. The apartments will be leased as affordable housing and the arts center will act as a small-business incubator. In this supportive environment, artists will be counseled and given the tools to be successful business persons, able to be self-sufficient.

• Quality of Life – The rehabilitation and occupancy of the building will have a positive and profound impact throughout the neighborhood. In addition, the services offered at the facility will fill a gap in what is now available to neighborhood families.

It is intended that the primary beneficiaries of this proposal are the residents of Arbor Hill, as this was their idea and they have continued to demonstrate their support during its development. The community will also be key to the facility’s operational success. The apartments will be marketed to neighborhood residents as a way to retain and grow local talent. Apartments will be offered to other applicants as well, in the hope that they will add value to the neighborhood and call it their home. As residents outgrow the loft lifestyle, it is hoped that the bonds they have forged with the community convince them to stay and become long term homeowners. Artistic programming will be geared toward the development of community talents and interests.

Project partners are Pearl Overlook Corporation, a wholly-owned not-for-profit subsidiary of the Albany Housing Authority and The Albany Barn with consultation by Artspace, a nationally recognized leader in development for the arts. Continued support is provided by the City of Albany, Arbor Hill Implementation Team, and the Arbor Hill community. Primary funding is being sought from the NYS Division of Housing and Community Renewal and the NYS Housing Trust Fund Corporation. Your support is appreciated.

[edit] Points in Favor

There is a strong, ancient historical correlation between economically successful civilizations and the art they produced.

As a restorative practitioner and violence interrupter in Albany NY I have seen the powerful and positive role performance and other art play in transforming relationships.

Instead of relationships ending in violent death and initiation of a new cycle of violence with its associated devastating economic impact, artistic expression grows relationships to self, rivals and the wider community that in turn grow reconciliation and economic productivity.

It is my understanding the stimulus package is targeted at projects that produce both direct and indirect return on taxpayer investment leading to rapid and longer term economic growth. The Arbor Hill community is desperately in need of projects that bring youth and others in contact with things that bring hope and its corresponding economic productivity.

John Cutro jcutro1@comcast.net

[edit] Points Against

There are much more important ways to utilize our money than to put it towards more art / artist projects. This will not stimulate the economy one bit. Please re-think the use of this money.