A Proclamation in Utica: Celebrating the Olbiston's Excellence Award
l-r: League President Jay DiLorenzo, Liberty Affordable Housing Executive Director Randell Denton, and Assemblymember Marianne Buttenschon.
A week after celebrating the 2025 statewide Excellence in Historic Preservation Awards at our annual event in New York City, we were honored to be in Utica with Assemblymember Marianne Buttenschon to recognize one of this year's local winners: the Olbiston Apartments. When Assemblymember Buttenschon’s office reached out to suggest doing something in Utica to recognize the Olbiston’s Award, we jumped at the chance. As League President Jay DiLorenzo said during his remarks, “I am honored to be here in Utica to celebrate the remarkable transformation of the Olbiston. Last week, we were in New York City for our annual statewide Excellence in Historic Preservation Awards reception, where we honored the Olbiston along with nine other phenomenal preservation projects. I’m glad to be here today as we bring this recognition home.”
In the Olbiston’s seventh floor community room, members of the press, the building management team, and representatives from developer Liberty Affordable Housing were on hand to celebrate the incredible achievement of bringing the Olbiston back to life. This project was a massive undertaking, spearheaded by Liberty Affordable Housing along with architects from Carmina Wood Design, and a team of contractors who did incredible work. In 2021, the building was condemned – deemed unfit for living. Now, it contains over 150 affordable homes – and stands as a symbol of reinvestment. The team behind the Olbiston’s redevelopment made the space a welcoming place to live while also honoring its history and preserving the materials and details that make the building special.
The Olbiston, and projects like it, show that this kind of transformation is possible. Other communities with similar building stock can create similar outcomes – recognizing the achievements of this particular project with an Excellence Award help others see the path forward.