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Downtown State Street
Schenectady County
lost
threat: demolition
Schenectady’s downtown is like many
in upstate New York. Retail development on the outskirts of cities
has led many businesses to relocate, leaving once thriving “Main
Streets” nearly empty. Schenectady’s “Main Street” is
State Street, which has witnessed disinvestment over the decades,
and a decline in the number of people coming downtown to shop.
The city has made a commitment to reversing this trend, but at
the expense of what gives Schenectady a sense of place and distinguishes
it from any other downtown—its historic buildings. With the intention
of bringing more people into the central business district, the
city has supported the demolition of 11 turn-of-the-century buildings
for a new state Department of Transportation headquarters. Eight
of these buildings are eligible for listing on the National Register
of Historic Places. After much contest from the Schenectady Heritage
Foundation, the Preservation League of New York State, and many
residents, the city has refused to locate the DOT building elsewhere.
And, Schenectady may be gearing up to demolish another eight buildings
which stand on the preferred site of a new City/County Courthouse.
One of the buildings in this block is the former Oddfellows Hall,
a terra cotta-clad structure that was recently restored by Proctor’s
Theater for an Arts Center.
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