Westminster Presbyterian to host endangered buildings FORUM


By Jim Travers, Section Diaries
Posted on Wed Jul 09, 2008 at 08:29:49 AM EST

Westminster Presbyterian Church will be the forum for a discussion on 119-120 Washington Avenue, the buildings marked for destruction if the BZA approves the Fort Orange Club's expansion plan.

A panel of experts will provide their professional opinions on several issues that have been raised and debated regarding these structures, currently threatened by the Fort Orange Club's expansion plans, including:

    - what is the age and significance of the
      buildings at 118-120 Washington,
    - did the Fort Orange Club ever really stand
      alone as a "pastoral" estate, and
    - can a compromise solution be reached to
      preserve the streetscape?

Panelists:

    - Sandra M. Baptie AIA LEED AP
    - Tricia Barbagallo, Research Associate at NY State Museum's
       Colonial Albany Project
    - Tony Opalka, Albany City Historian
    - Walter R. Wheeler, Architectural Historian, Hartgen Archeological Associates

WHEN:
      Tuesday, July 15

   Panel Presentation - 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.
   Discussion - 7:00 - 8:00 p.m.

WHERE:
Westminster Presbyterian Church Auditorium, Albany
(enter at 85 Chestnut Street)

Albany's Fort Orange Club has applied to the city's Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) for area variances for a comprehensive plan to expand their facility. The club seeks to raze these buildings, which could date to the 1830s, as part of that plan. Concerned residents are convening this meeting to support a grassroots effort to preserve these buildings.

Please visit http://neoalbany. blogspot. com to review photos of the endangered buildings, the text of the Fort Orange Club's plan, a proposed site plan, recent letters to the editor of the Times Union, and many documents providing background on the issue.

If you have questions about this forum, please leave voice mail at 518-462-1900 or email neoalbany@gmail. com .
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Westminster Presbyterian to host endangered buildings FORUM | 7 comments (7 topical, 0 hidden)
Correction : 118 Washington Ave, Not 119 ! (none / 0) (#1)
by Jim Travers on Wed Jul 09, 2008 at 08:34:58 AM EST
The opening paragraph should read:

"Westminster Presbyterian Church will be the forum for a discussion on 118-120 Washington Avenue, the buildings marked for destruction if the BZA approves the Fort Orange Club's expansion plan."

Thanks For Posting This, Jim (none / 0) (#2)
by Dan Van Riper on Thu Jul 10, 2008 at 04:56:38 AM EST

This is the only notice I've seen of this forum.  I've been looking for a source of informed opinion about the threat to our City by the Fort Orange suburbanites.  I plan to attend.
sounds interesting (none / 0) (#3)
by nycowboy on Sat Jul 12, 2008 at 01:26:01 PM EST
I definitely want to attend, as I would like to learn more about this historic building among others downtown.

Another building of interest to me is the old Adirondacks Trailways bus station. That looks like a fascinating building, but it's falling down due to purposeful neglect and abandonment.

From the street, it looks like the interior is classic Internationalist design from the 1950s. I can only imagine what it must have looked like with all it's sparkle and shine in the 1950s. Admittedly, it probably needs a lot of work to get back to the original look, and probably a bus station wouldn't make sense there anymore, but it still might cool building to rehab.

I won't even say how disappointed I am with hthe crappy new exterior to One Commerence Plaza / Twin Towers building. The new facade is horrifically ugly compared to the old marble one -- the new look should be criminal.

Also, I wait with real concern about the new fascade to the Empire Plaza, replacing the Llenroc with granite. I think it's also going to be a blight on our skyline, something that disappoints the whole International-style empire plaza, making it bland and uninteresting.

Llenroc, Andy? (none / 0) (#4)
by Jim Travers on Sat Jul 12, 2008 at 06:20:01 PM EST
Lenrock is a misnomer for Lockport Limestone.

As far as I am aware, the entire facade of the Empire State Plaza contains no limestone anywhere and is entirely imported Italian marble. If I remember correctly, I believe they exhausted the Italian quarry of its marble and had to substitute Vermont marble to complete it.

Soon after it was completed, when some slabs of marble fell off, they realized the contractor hadn't used the proper stainless steel fasteners to mount the marble and all were removed and remounted with stainless fasteners. This was true for the Swan St. bldg., at least.

Also, this same building was perhaps the first green roof to appear anywhere. The Swan St. Building's roof originally held gardens open to the public, but they too, had to be done away with when they learned the roof leaked. Too bad they never reopened it.

Meeting Tonight ! (none / 0) (#5)
by Jim Travers on Tue Jul 15, 2008 at 06:32:21 AM EST
Just a reminder...

Llenroc (none / 0) (#6)
by nycowboy on Tue Jul 15, 2008 at 03:28:17 PM EST
No, llenroc is the material that the fascade of the plaza is made out of, which is quite different then the Vermont Marble.

The thing you see below, the brown stone is llenroc.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/3e/Empire_State_Plaza_from_street.jpg/350px-Empire_ State_Plaza_from_street.jpg

The white stuff above is Vermont Marble.

More About the Llenroc Problem (none / 0) (#7)
by nycowboy on Tue Jul 15, 2008 at 03:32:42 PM EST
http://blogs.timesunion.com/capitol/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/Llenroc.doc

Westminster Presbyterian to host endangered buildings FORUM | 7 comments (7 topical, 0 hidden)
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