SCHENECTADY — A significant urban renewal project is underway in Schenectady, with plans to tear down eight derelict buildings on Schenectady Street and Albany Street and replace them with affordable housing units.
The project is expected to be completed by 2027, coinciding with the opening of a new supermarket on the site of the former Mohawk Auto Center.
The City Council is currently considering zoning changes for seven rundown properties in Hamilton Hill. This would allow the Schenectady Metroplex Development Authority to proceed with the demolition and make way for new housing and retail spaces.
The city has already won a judgment against the owner of the “Schenectady 40” units on Albany Street, and is set to receive $760,000 from the sale of these properties, which are currently under the control of a court-appointed receiver.
Once completed, the project will introduce 225 units of affordable housing across three Hamilton Hill sites. The new apartment complexes will feature walkways for easy access to the upcoming grocery store at the former Mohawk Auto Center site at 756 State St.
Mayor Gary McCarthy has expressed that this project is a high priority for his administration.
“This is a significant project,” he stated on Monday. “It will have a transformative effect on this part of the city.”
A public hearing on the proposed zoning changes, which would convert seven properties into C-4 downtown mixed-used lots, received no comments from residents during the council’s Monday night meeting. City Council President Marion Porterfield confirmed after the meeting that the zoning amendments would proceed.
“I’m confident they’ll be moving forward,” Porterfield said. “This is a great project that will create more affordable housing and also a supermarket. It’s much needed in this area, which is currently a food desert.”
Schenectady County previously purchased the former Mohawk Auto Center site for $950,000, and has pledged $3 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for the development of the supermarket. Metroplex has applied a $2.75 million Restore NY grant to fund the demolition and cleanup of the auto site, which closed in 2022.
Metroplex Chair Ray Gillen informed the City Council during its May 20 City Development and Planning Committee meeting that revitalizing the rundown properties on Albany Street is crucial for attracting new development at the planned grocery store site.
“When we considered developing the Mohawk Honda site for retail and new development, it became clear that these projects needed to be executed concurrently,” Gillen said. “You can’t successfully complete one project without the other.”
Gillen revealed that Metroplex has a signed letter of intent with an undisclosed grocery chain to occupy the State Street location.
Gillen also confirmed that both the supermarket and apartment projects are expected to open in 2027.
“The key is getting the sites prepared and cleaned up, including the Mohawk Honda site,” he told the council.
The properties slated for demolition and replacement include 302, 306, 308 and 310 State St. and 783, 785 and 787 Albany St.
“This project will provide more quality housing, remove blighted and hazardous buildings, and continue the development that we want to see in this corridor,” Gillen said.
Progress continuing is always a positive sign, especially for those in need of affordable housing.
Agree – This is great news for the community, affordable housing is a crucial need for many families.
Agree – This is an important step towards addressing the housing crisis in our community.