It was standing-room only at Albany's New Covenant Presbyterian Church Thursday as state employees and residents sought to learn more about the Harriman complex and Wadsworth labs project.
The W. Averell Harriman State Office Building Campus is home to several state offices, the University at Albany’s ETEC campus, and a state laboratory.
State Sen, Pat Fahy and State Assemblywoman Gabriella Romero are supportive of legislation that would require the state to develop a plan to repurpose 7 acres of the 27-acre Wadsworth parcel.
Fahy, a Democrat who represents the 46th District, says with a $1.7 billion project underway to build a new Wadsworth Center at the uptown campus, she wants the project to have a maximum public benefit.
“We need to make sure there is a multiplier effect, and we are growing businesses to spin off of that, as well as the retail to support the tax base of Albany, but also for our residents to have a place to shop. Housing could be a part of it. That's, again, why you need a master plan.”
The Senate passed Fahy's legislation last year, but it failed to gain traction in the Assembly.
The Wadsworth consolidation project would move several labs across the Capital Region into one larger lab to be built by 2030.
Romero, representing the 109th Assembly District, says as Albany’s downtown prepares for $200 million in redevelopment investment from the state, uptown needs a refresh.
"We want all of Albany to flourish and bring people from downtown to uptown, especially, is a great part about revitalizing our uptown area as well, not only bringing businesses and pharmacies and residential but bringing you know young people and 'urbancy' and excitement.”
The lawmakers want to transform Harriman from its current design, which they say was developed for the "car culture" of the 1960s.
The campus features a sea of parking lots and a ring road that cuts off the campus from the surrounding neighborhood.
The lawmakers want Empire State Development and the State Office of General Services to create a plan that would designate seven acres for mixed-use development and limit fencing around the lab itself.
The Department of Health says, in part, "because of the facility’s specialized mission, site and building security measures must be commensurate with its role as a core component of the state’s public health infrastructure. The design accounts for pedestrian safety along the ring road to provide a safe and supportive environment that will foster the creation of an interactive community amongst the State and SUNY staff and students that live and work on these campuses."
Again, Fahy.
“We are supportive of the lab, but we are saying, you’ve got to give something. Why bring 1,000 workers, many of whom were downtown right now. We know downtown's hurting,” Fahy said. “You're taking 800 out of downtown. We need their tax dollars. We need them to stop at a restaurant, coffee, some retail. We need them to start spin off businesses. So that's hence the seven because we have a couple of 100 other acres to work with. So, the redevelopment is for all of the campus, not just those 27 acres.”
Both Fahy and Romero hope the project is included in this year’s state budget, which will be detailed by Gov. Kathy Hochul next week.
WAMC has requested comment the Office of General Services.
