As a lifelong Capital Region resident, I love the idea of an aquarium in Albany. This would make downtown Albany a viable destination for families from across upstate and beyond.
While in the Army stationed in California, I lived less than a mile from Monterey's historic Cannery Row, which was made famous by John Steinbeck's novel of the same. Cannery Row remains a tourist attraction for the Monterey Bay area. About 20 years ago, the Monterey Bay Aquarium opened. It transformed Cannery Row from a tired, run-down tourist attraction to a modern state-of-the-art tourist destination. I have visited this aquarium over the years, never getting tired of what it has to offer.
The late Mayor Erastus Corning believed that what was good for any municipality in the Capital Region would ultimately be good for Albany. This would be good for Albany and ultimately every municipality in the region.
Albert P. Jurczynski
former mayor of Schenectady
Schenectady