OFFICE OF THE MAYOR
CITY OF SCHENECTADY
NEW YORK City Hall, 105 Jay Street, Rm 111
Schenectady, N.Y. 12305-1938
Office: (518) 382-5000
Cell: (518) 424-0483
Fax: (518) 382-5272
gmccarthy@schenectadyny.gov
Gary R. McCarthy, Mayor
For Release: Immediate
Date: October 16, 2015
Press Release
Mayor McCarthy: Five More Demolitions to Continue Neighborhood Progress
Schenectady, N.Y. – Mayor Gary R. McCarthy today announced that five more blighted buildings in Schenectady will be demolished continuing the City’s proactive neighborhood revitalization efforts.
“We are pleased to announce that five more blighted buildings will come down in this next round of demolitions,” Mayor Gary McCarthy said. “These demolitions will continue our balanced approach of removing blight, including these buildings on the Broadway corridor, while supporting rehab projects to improve the quality of life in the City.”
The next round of demolitions includes:
–1419 Broadway
–1427 Broadway
–1431 Broadway
–806 Sprague Street
–1033 Forest Road
Mayor McCarthy said, “In addition to our aggressive efforts to fight blight by removing over 100 vacant and distressed properties, we are renovating hundreds of other homes andencouraging home ownership with our Home Ownership Made Easy in Schenectady (HOMES) Program. This is a focused, coordinated effort that is occurring while the City also holds the line on taxes due to our successful efforts to compete for and win state and federal funding to pay for these neighborhood building projects.”
The Mayor released an updated schedule of on-going demolitions. Jackson Demolition based in Schenectady will demolish the following buildings on these dates:
–1580 Foster Avenue 11/2
–710 Crane Street 11/9
–401 Brandywine Avenue 11/16 to 11/20
–706 Crane Street 11/16
–642-644 Crane Street 11/20
–636 Crane Street 11/30
–113 Duane Avenue 11/23
–319 Duane Avenue 11/25
–80 Wyllie Street 12/2
–227 Furman Street 12/7
In addition, the Capital Region Land Bank is currently working on 11 demolitions and several rehab projects, many in the Eastern Avenue and Northside neighborhoods, utilizing $3 million in funding provided by Attorney General Schneiderman’s Land Bank Community Revitalization Initiative. (www.capitalregionlandbank.com)
Richard Ruzzo, Chairman of the Capital Region Land Bank and a member of the Schenectady County Legislature said, “We are pleased to partner with the City in this joint effort to eliminate buildings that negatively impact our neighborhoods.”
Mayor McCarthy thanked Senator Schumer and Attorney General Schneiderman for their help insecuring funding for Schenectady’s neighborhoods. Schenectady has put together $10 million inState grants, federal funds, local assistance and private resources to demolish severely blighted structures and rehabilitate others.
Building demolitions and renovation work will continue throughout the City as part of Mayor McCarthy’s Home Ownership Made Easy in Schenectady (HOMES) Program designed to increase homeownership and boost Schenectady neighborhoods. Bids for the five demolitions announced today must be delivered to the office of the City Clerk, Room #107, City Hall, and 105 Jay Street, Schenectady, New York by 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, November 10, 2015.
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