As we all celebrate the fantastic work that Habitat for Humanity has planned for Sheridan Hollow, that intervention will not be enough to secure the neighborhood's enduring vibrancy. The future vitality of the community will depend on how connected it feels to the rest of the city.
As a Cornell University master of landscape architecture student, I studied the area and found the biggest obstacle is one that literally cuts off this neighborhood from the city: The steep slope dropping from Elk Street to Sheridan Avenue behind the state Capitol.
Rather than being a barrier, the space could be embraced and the terrain, a defining character, could become an asset. Yet, never in the city's history has this hillside been much more than a no man's land. Today, the property is covered by invasive Norway maple trees and an arguably underutilized state-owned surface parking lot.
Design ideas for the hillside have been around at least 100 years, since the city of Albany commissioned an architectural team in 1914 to produce "Studies for Albany," which included an unrealized proposal for an esplanade. Though this land is publicly owned, it is not serving the public good. These parking lots remain property of the state, not the city or other agency that might redevelop the land into urban park space for the neighborhood.
As a local resident, I frequently go for walks around Empire State Plaza, downtown Albany and Sheridan Hollow. I have often observed many vacancies in these lots, even on a weekday afternoon and even after the local parking stickers went into effect. If we look hard enough, conducting a city-wide inventory, I suspect we will find a glut of parking that could be used more efficiently, allowing the state to relinquish this hillside lot for redevelopment.
In fact, cities such as San Francisco are doing such parking inventories already and digitizing the information so commuters can consult smart-phone apps for up-to-the-minute information about parking space availability and price.
Sheridan Hollow is well-situated to thrive in the future, if we allow ourselves to imagine the possibility.
Becky Mikulay is an Albany resident.