In the News
 

By ELIZABETH BENJAMIN , Staff writer 
First published: Sunday, April 16, 2000 
 

Developers see bright future for piece of downtown's past 
 

In 1815, Martin Van Buren, who helped found the Democratic Party and went on to become the eighth U.S. president, moved from his home in Kinderhook and took up residence at 111 State St. to begin a stint as state attorney general. 

So began the illustrious history of the three-story building that would become ground zero in the type of political power struggle that has grown commonplace in Albany. Its owner at that time, attorney Francis Bloodgood, was a key player in the Albany Regency, a political organization set up by Van Buren to run the state while he served in the U.S. Senate.

Over the years, other well-known 111 State St. residents included New York Gov. John Young, Albany Mayor Rufus King and Bloodgood himself, who was elected mayor in 1830.

In seven months, this historic address could be yours.

After standing vacant and dilapidated on one of the city's most prominent thoroughfares for more than 15 years, Van Buren's former home and the adjacent building at 113 State St. are about to be renovated.

As the biggest residential housing project downtown in at least a decade, 111-113 State St. will serve as a test case to see if there is a market for rental apartments in the heart of the business district as the city works to revitalize itself.

"We caught them just in the nick of time,'' Richard DeThomasis said of the buildings he is purchasing along with his brother, Anthony DeThomasis Jr., and another partner, Anthony Scipione. "They are beautiful and basically sound. But they haven't been occupied since 1984 and the roof is starting to come in. If it didn't happen this year, those properties would be tough to save.''

The DeThomasis brothers, who own the construction firm A & R DeThomasis Co. Inc., and Scipione on Wednesday received approval from the Historic Resources Commission to refurbish the two buildings' facades using a $100,000 grant from the state Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. They plan to begin work this summer and be ready to move tenants in by November.

Richard DeThomasis estimates the entire project will cost about $600,000.

The buildings' interior will be renovated into two commercial spaces and 11 residential units, ranging from studios to two-bedroom apartments with rents starting at  $500, Richard DeThomasis said. Along with their historic past, apartments at 111-113 State St. will include a nearly priceless amenity for any downtown dweller -- 10 off-street parking spaces.

The developers will soon purchase the properties from the Albany Local Development Corp. for $135,000, city Development and Planning Commissioner George Leveille said. The ALDC bought 111-113 State St. for $125,000 in 1996 from Amcel Realty of Watertown, Mass.

Over the past decade, the historic structures have twice evaded the wrecking ball and have been the focus of several failed redevelopment projects.

Based on an engineer's report that said the buildings were not sound enough to rehabilitate, the ALDC proposed demolishing them to build a $2.9 million restaurant and offices in their place.

When that plan fell through, the ALDC again suggested tearing 111-113 State St. down in 1997, after trying in vain to find a buyer for the properties. In both instances, the Historic Albany Foundation argued that the structures were sound enough to renovate and significant enough to be maintained until an appropriate developer stepped forward to save them.

With the HRC's approval of the DeThomasis brothers' proposal, preservationists are now calling 111-113 State St. a triumph -- proof that historic buildings should not be torn down to make room for new construction, even if they are in less-than-perfect condition and have been empty for years.

"There are solutions for these buildings,'' Historic Albany President Jeff Baker said. "You can go out and find people willing to work with the existing architecture. State grants are available to help offset the higher cost associated with doing preservation work.''

Preservationists are now turning their attention and concern to the other side of State Street -- the block from 132 to 140, which includes the former Elks Lodge and two historic hotels designed by Albany architect Albert Fuller, the Wellington and the Berkshire. The five-building stretch is owned by Sebba Rockaway Ltd., which applied to the city last year for a demolition permit to raze 132-140 State St. as well as three structures on Howard Street.

That permit request is still pending and would require approval from the Historic Resources Commission as all but one of the buildings are located in a historic district. But the owners do not plan to press the issue for the moment because their only rebuilding plan is to park cars on the site, and that's not enough for HRC, according to one of Sebba's four directors, Daniel Hershberg.

"HRC has made it clear that they don't even want to entertain the application until we come up with a plan to replace those buildings,'' Hershberg said. "We believe a parking lot satisfies the requirement of the code. But rather than fight about this, we plan to wait while we talk to potential developers.'' 

Click here for sidebar article: Preservation Group Lists Buildings Facing Extinction

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