Vacant Buildings


By DIA, Section News
Posted on Sun Sep 23, 2007 at 06:10:29 AM EST

Corey Ellis speaks up:
The buildings that were torn down on Alexander Street should serve as a sign to the mayor's office that Albany needs a plan to deal with its abandoned and vacant buildings.

The story of the Lawsons losing their house because of damage caused by the buildings around it hits home because they are family. My uncle, Richard Lawson, has been complaining about the vacant buildings for more than 10 years, and about how the decay has caused his homeowner's insurance to go up because of the danger the buildings posed.

Now that the flooding has occurred, Uncle Richard has lost his home.

So another Albany homeowner has been sent packing because of abandoned and vacant buildings, an issue that has festered for the past 14 years.
Its good to hear a council member speaking up. I've been thinking about how we could help out the few voices of sanity on the council because they obviously will not getting backing from spineless and compliant majority on the council. Anyone know what a bill board costs on 787? A couple grand on a bill board might not be a bad investment to jump start the discussions Albany needs to have even if the mayor and most of the council won't. Perhaps we could do some highway blogging. I'm sure we can think of some low cost creative ways to start putting the pressure on.

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Vacant Buildings | 17 comments (17 topical, 0 hidden)
So, you finally admit that (none / 0) (#1)
by alfrednewman on Sun Sep 23, 2007 at 06:41:18 AM EST
Corey Ellis is an ineffective council member.

Good for you.

Do I dare to point out that Michael Brown was able to get dozens of buildings condemened and pulled down and millions of dollars worth of investments made in the third ward?

So, DIA, how many phone calls do you think that Mr Ellis made to Building and Codes on behalf of his uncle?   OK< I have to ask- is this uncle the father of the cousin that was reportedly driving Ellis's car but Ellis hadnt seen in a decade?

It is apparent from the news stories that the press didnt know that this was Ellis' uncle.
"What? Me worry? " "whatmeworry.alfred@gmail.com"

alfred (none / 0) (#2)
by DIA on Sun Sep 23, 2007 at 07:06:07 AM EST
mike brown was so far up the mayor's ass the 3rd ward should look like 5th avenue.    Last i checked it didn't.   Mike Brown also said the most important issue for the 3rd ward was getting a new convention center (see earlier note about his location in relation to the mayor)

I think the jury is still out on ellis' effectiveness.   However, he does more than everyone else other than Smith and Calsolaro.   Not that its hard to do more than the rest of them, but he does.

As you and others have often stated, the common  council has very little power.  Things only happen if the mayor allows them.   You know this as well as anyone.    I don't expect common council members to get much done.   I do expect them to speak up and advocate for change in our city.    

[ Parent ]

Wha? (none / 0) (#6)
by champlain on Sun Sep 23, 2007 at 02:20:21 PM EST
Just how, EXACTLY, is Ellis ineffective?

Yo al, I realize this is an opinion site, but usually people include a few FACTS when they make a charge like this.

And your comments about Brown, this is satire right? You mention all those buildings that got torn down, like the ones on South Swan that Joey Montana tore down with no notice that had been worked up by the Historic Albany Foundation and said were salvageable? Yeah, those were some brilliant moves by the City.

And the "millions in investment"?  Can you be talking about the New Covenant Charter School which was set to close in May until the bondholders granted a short-term 30% mortgage payment roll-back to stretch out the inevitable closing and make it even more painful?  Maybe you're talking about the $2 million dollar plus NFC building on the Boulevard that went belly-up until the City stepped in to rescue that Dare real estate scheme.  Usually when folks talk glowingly about "millions in investment" they're talking about people or organizations who can actually make their mortgage payments, stay solvent and don't go belly-up.

You're great at the comedy al...keep it up. There will always be a place for you at Orwell's Ministry of Information.

Have a happy.

[ Parent ]

So (none / 0) (#3)
by alfrednewman on Sun Sep 23, 2007 at 09:21:11 AM EST
you expect the councilman to do a lot of talking and not accomplish anything?  Well, I guess that you and I have a different expectation on job performance.

You must be part of the 11% who have a favorable opinion of congress.  
"What? Me worry? " "whatmeworry.alfred@gmail.com"

no (none / 0) (#4)
by DIA on Sun Sep 23, 2007 at 10:21:55 AM EST
i expect them to ban water pistols, dammit!

Okay guys (none / 0) (#5)
by kateb on Sun Sep 23, 2007 at 10:49:41 AM EST
stick to the issues.  I've seen Ellis do good, and I don't think that makes others on the council "spineless".  (Note to self: spineless okay, elitist not...)

I want an answer to the lack of response to a FOIL request about Albany's abandoned buildings.  FOIL is user friendly, so what broke down here?

And there was just news today about what Buffalo is doing about abandoned buildings with state money.  Why didn't Albany apply for the same grant?

Is our abandoned building problem like our gang problem, real but too hard to deal with?

Get over it, whoever is sleeping on the job (or golfing) and do your work.

I support Corey he is right. (none / 0) (#7)
by albarbor on Sun Sep 23, 2007 at 04:02:45 PM EST
I am an out of towner, that loves ALB and I have a plan for the abandoned buildings in Albany. If people in Albany County are serious lets have a county demonstration in Lincoln Park across from the Morton Ave projects. Corey needs our help and some are spinless, but there are some of us from Albany County that want change. I will donate to any contributions that will support Corey just tell me when and where. Please tell Corey that people from Albany around the world can hear him and its time that the Mayor's office heard him too.

Albarbor (none / 0) (#9)
by alfrednewman on Sun Sep 23, 2007 at 04:19:52 PM EST
I assume that you are unaware that there is already a plan developed for redevelopment.

But go ahead and have a demostration in Lincoln Park opposit the projects. I will show up for the entertainment of watching a very small group of suburbanites try to look comfortable and calm in a minority neighborhood.  
"What? Me worry? " "whatmeworry.alfred@gmail.com"
[ Parent ]

Hey Champ- (none / 0) (#8)
by alfrednewman on Sun Sep 23, 2007 at 04:12:31 PM EST
Was that your school contract that I read got renewed?  Nice to know under the contingency budget of our Great and Glorious school system that spending 150K plus on PR is "essential"

OK, while Michael Brown was the Alderman/ Common Council member many of the streets were repaved, especially around Henry Johnson Blvd.

Additionally, many of the abandonded and fire damaged houses on the Blvd were pulled down.

Investments included the Arboh Hill Community Center, the now closed north station and the city IDA underwrote the building of the New Covenent Dare Memorial to Bad Management School, the commerical building on the corner of Henry Johnson and Livingston, the office building next to Stewarts.  I am not sure, but I but I believe that the National Financial Dare Memorial to Bad Management building was also built during Brown's reign.  The city purchasing the building and turning it into the public safety HQ also happened under Brown's tenyear.

What has Ellis accomplished during his time in office?  If he has done anything substantial to earn his paycheck I am more than interested in learning about it.  

Please let me know why I should think he is effective.  
"What? Me worry? " "whatmeworry.alfred@gmail.com"

alfred jujitsu newman (none / 0) (#12)
by champlain on Sun Sep 23, 2007 at 09:52:07 PM EST
YOU made the comment about Ellis being ineffective.

NOW you want me to provide the proofs for YOUR totally unsupported comment?  Huh?  Wha?

I guess you pounded too many yummy stouts this weekend to keep your head screwed on, eh?

You let me know how things are going down at the Oceania Ministry of Truth, mmkay? Sounds like things may be getting a little rough.

[ Parent ]

If the Albany Public Schools do not clean up their (none / 0) (#10)
by hawkny on Sun Sep 23, 2007 at 07:11:08 PM EST
act pretty soon, within the next ten years this city will become a ghost town. Having nine charter schools in this city (with a population of less than 90,000) is no help either.  

No family in their right mind is going to move into Albany if it requires sending children to the public schools.  I can't think of a single reason why any parent would choose Albany over a suburban school district.

Likewise, only the dumbest of dummies cannot understand the political agenda behind the placement of so many charter schools in the city.  

Hawk (none / 0) (#11)
by alfrednewman on Sun Sep 23, 2007 at 07:15:36 PM EST
It is going to be an interesting school year. Anyone know if any of the school board members are up for reelection?

I, for one, want to know how they justify their new PR contract as being essential under the contingency budget.
"What? Me worry? " "whatmeworry.alfred@gmail.com"

Champ (none / 0) (#13)
by alfrednewman on Sun Sep 23, 2007 at 10:10:18 PM EST
Ok, has Correy Ellis done anything that has resulted in increased public or private  investment in the third ward.  Not to my knowledge. I think that is a demostration of ineffectiveness.

Was Corey Ellis able to keep the North Station open? No. I think that is a demonstrationof ineffectiveness.

Was Correy Ellis able to get the now empty North Station reused into either something that is generating tax revenue or providing a service to the third ward?  No. The building, which we are still paying the bonds on, is empty. I think that is a demonstration of ineffectiveness.

Has Correy Ellis proposed anything that will increase the efficiency of the city government or do anything to address the questionable practices of the city government? Not to my knowledge. I think that is a demonstration of ineffectiveness.
"What? Me worry? " "whatmeworry.alfred@gmail.com"

Where's Corey? (none / 0) (#14)
by 1894 on Mon Sep 24, 2007 at 04:34:58 AM EST

Corey talks a good game, but alfred is largely right about his effectiveness. I live in the 3rd, and the best thing I can say about him is that he's a nice guy and he's not Michael Brown. We can't get Corey to attend neighborhood association meetings, and he's a no-show at most community events (including two in the past month that were held across the street from his house.) Get out and around in my part of lower Arbor Hill, and you'll hear this sentence a lot: "Where's Corey? He really should be here." But he never is.
The city council has no teeth., its a paper tiger (none / 0) (#15)
by hawkny on Mon Sep 24, 2007 at 04:50:08 AM EST
Jerry can ignore it whenever he choses.  The only venue available to attack the problem is the media, particularly the press. But the TU has sold its soul to Albany County to puts its name on the downtown arena. The paper has also cut back significantly on its ability to do in depth, investigative reporting. The boys at the end of Wolf Road simply do not have the staff resources anymore. Their focus is on retention of readership.

At least one of two things has to happen to overcome the aforementioned. Push for changes to the Duncan Charter, that would put the common council on equal footing with the mayor's office.  Or, chide the Times Union "to death" to perform its "public service" function with a whole lot more investigative reporting of the underbelly of city/county governance in Albany.  

Voting (none / 0) (#16)
by Uncle Sam on Mon Sep 24, 2007 at 03:39:25 PM EST
Last time I checked, the way to replace our leadership is at the ballot box.

Think of what you are saying...you don't like the mayor and you expect the paper to form a juggernaut against him hoping to make his loss a fait accomplis.

or to put it another way (none / 0) (#17)
by DIA on Mon Sep 24, 2007 at 04:11:45 PM EST
think of what you are saying, you are expecting the media to do their job and accurately report on the truth.  

Vacant Buildings | 17 comments (17 topical, 0 hidden)
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