The Street Academy of Albany operated from 1974 to approximately 1986 in a building at 165 Clinton Avenue in Albany’s Arbor Hill neighborhood. Ninety years prior to the Street Academy claiming tenancy in that structure, the building was originally constructed as Public School No. 7 to serve the neighborhood residents. After Street Academy left the building, it went through a few iterations, most recently as a local church.
I drove by the building on Sunday, thinking about doing a photo or three that could make for a nice appearance at Competition Season 2024. But when I arrived … I saw this.
What in the ever-loving heck is going on here? There’s dumping bins and boarded-up windows throughout the property. The fire escapes have been removed. Is this … no. Please, no. Don’t let this building be a victim to Albany’s most populous bird, the wrecking crane.
I need to investigate. And on the building’s front door … was this series of signs.
Wait a second … those aren’t signs for demolition. Those are signs for rehabilitation.
There’s a QR code on the door. Let’s take a peek.
The link took me to a Google questionnaire, asking if I possessed any of the following skills – carpenter, carpet layer, floor coverings, sprinkler fitter, asbestos worker, ironworker, waterproofer, electrician, pile driver, painter, laborer, plasterer, pipefitter, welder, taper, mason tender, bricklayer, cement finisher, sheet metal worker, HVAC, glazier, insulator, plumber, equipment operator, and other.
No, seriously. The link is here.
There were also questions regarding whether the applicant is OSHA 10 certified (which I don’t know what that is), and whether or not the applicant has participated in Youth Build before.
There’s also a Craigslist ad for apartments for rent at the location once the construction is complete. And the rents seem reasonable – utilities are included in the overall rent. Here’s the link to this as well.
I have to say … this may be the best thing that could happen to the old Street Academy campus in a long, long time. Old school buildings make great apartment complexes. Every classroom is like its own apartment, plus you have common space in what was once auditoriums and cafeterias.
Now I want to see where this all leads. Are they actually going to make this a successful rehabilitation and renovation into much-needed housing for the neighborhood?
I really hope they do.
It’ll be nice to see the old building find a new use.
And it’ll also be nice to see an old building in Albany remain in use.
Chuck The Writer 
I’ve been distressed about how so many buildings in ALB are allowed to decay. This is GREAT news.
LikeLike
This is good. My country (and I’m sure yours as well) has a significant homeless problem. Rents for places in Vancouver are insane. Yet we have large quantities of abandoned buildings as well. The issue is the lack of politicians comprehending logistics more than anything else. Nice to see someone isn’t so stupid as to let yet another inhabitable structure lay vacant until it collapses.
LikeLike
Attended 1st grade there, back around 1952. Yea, I’m old. Lived at 220 Clinton Ave. (vacant lot) across the street from a corner supermarket, I think was called Dodo’s. Not sure if I spelled that right.
LikeLike