2024 Gratz Grant Funds Assessment of River Street Buildings by TAP Inc.
TROY, NY, 10/14/25 — The Preservation League has awarded TAP Inc. a $12,600 grant from the Donald Stephen Gratz Preservation Services Fund. This grant funded a pre-construction evaluation of five vacant buildings in downtown Troy. Included on the League’s 2025-2026 Seven to Save list of endangered historic places, the mixed-use buildings on Troy’s Lower River Street have been vacant for over 15 years and have faced deterioration and demolition threats. The buildings were nominated for Seven to Save by TAP Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community design center that provides design and planning services to low- and moderate-income property owners, neighborhood groups, and other nonprofit organizations wishing to improve their homes, buildings, and neighborhoods.
Gratz funding supported TAP’s assessment of the buildings’ conditions and development potential, providing critical data for funding requests and informing potential rehabilitation plans.
Barb Nelson, Olivia Brazee, and Walter Wheeler from TAP, Inc. in front of 221-223 River Street.
“We are very grateful to the Preservation League for making resources like the Gratz Fund available for preservation efforts,” said Barb Nelson, President of TAP Inc. “The grant allows groups like TAP to do the investigative and creative work that will help people to see the potential in a project and hopefully jump start a preservation solution.”
The inclusion of 213-223 River Street in Troy on the League’s Seven to Save list will bring statewide attention to these Lower River Street buildings, which are important within the larger context of the early commercial and industrial history of the Capital Region. The facades of the three buildings fronting River Street reflect Troy's commercial growth in the 19th and early 20th centuries, while the rear buildings fronting on the Hudson River are rare survivors from among the early 19th century stores and warehouses that once lined the Hudson River and propelled the city's early growth. These buildings have been vacant and left to deteriorate while the owner threatens demolition for a shovel-ready development site. This listing is emblematic of the need for economic revitalization of post-industrial downtowns statewide.
Established in 2010, the Donald Stephen Gratz Preservation Services Fund is funded through a permanently endowed charitable contribution from Thomas J. Schwarz. The goals of the Gratz Fund are to support professional services for preservation projects that: illustrate the benefits of the NYS Historic Tax Credit; leverage other public and private investments; and enable the League to react quickly to preservation opportunities with financial resources. The Gratz Fund gives priority to projects in the Utica, NY area whenever possible.
About TAP Inc.
TAP is a private 501(c)3 nonprofit community design center governed by a board of directors. TAP was founded in 1969 to provide professional technical assistance to disadvantaged citizens and others in need of affordable building design services. Among its far-seeing and idealistic founders were students and professors of architecture, local attorneys, religious leaders, neighborhood residents and activists concerned with the livability of urban neighborhoods. Learn more at tapinc.org.
About the Preservation League of New York State
Since its founding in 1974, the Preservation League of NYS has built a reputation for action and effectiveness. Our goal has been to preserve our historic buildings, districts, and landscapes and to build a better New York, one community at a time. The League empowers all New Yorkers to use historic preservation to enrich their communities, protect their heritage, and build a sustainable future. We lead advocacy, economic development, and education programs across the state. Connect with us at preservenys.org, facebook.com/preservenys, youtube.com/c/PreservationLeague and instagram.com/preservenys
###