It is time for a substantive dialogue over the fate of the vast urban wasteland controlled by the Albany Convention Center Authority.
It is not going to be a convention center so let's move on.
We would like to thank Omni Development Co. Their comments have merit and should be taken seriously. They have begun the conversation.
Now, we need to figure out a method to bring consensus and closure.
Many have opinions about the fate of this land. The one known consensus is that it needs to be something. What that something is has yet to be determined.
The politicians have had their turn and have not created anything viable. We suggest it is time for the general public to have their say.
Within a block of this site are four nationally recognized, award-winning architectural firms. The expertise represented by these firms include historic preservation, restoration and adaptive reuse, educational and institutional design as well as urban planning, housing and community development. Our firms propose to create a consortium where we bring together our talents and personnel. This consortium, in turn, would organize and facilitate a public charette in which all of the stakeholders would be invited to participate.
We are not proposing a solution. We are proposing a process. A public charette, similar to the one completed in Sheridan Hollow, is a transparent and democratic process.
There are many good ideas and thoughts out there. We would like to create a forum where they can be heard and acted upon. Collectively, we can make this vast wasteland into an oasis.
Scott Townsend
3tarchitects, Albany
Laurence F. Wilson
Mesick Cohen Wilson Baker Architects, Albany
Randolph J. Collins
CSArch, Albany
John G. Waite
John G. Waite Associates, Albany