Dear Mr. Wexler:

On Tuesday, August 29, Historic Albany Foundation hosted a presentation by Albany Superintendent of Schools Lonnie E. Palmer and a representative from CannonDesign, the Grand Island, NY firm hired to complete an engineering study of the school district's facilities and develop a long-range facilities plan.

Mr. Palmer provided a citywide overview of the plan, focusing on historic preservation and planning - specifically, which school buildings would be renovated and which would be razed.

In developing this plan, preservation architects and engineers rated every building on its suitability for the educational program, its structural soundness, its mechanical and electrical infrastructure, its telecommunications system, and the quality of its site. Based on these ratings, and in the interest of cost-effectiveness, the school district has recommended that Schools 16, 18, 26 and Philip Schuyler B at the Harriet Gibbons site be completely replaced. The plan calls for construction of buildings of similar scale and massing on the existing sites, with a sensitivity to the surrounding structures.

In addition, Schools 19, 20 and 27 will be expanded and remodeled, and Livingston and Hackett will be completely renovated. The remaining schools were considered suitable for remodeling and upgrading, including Arbor Hill, Thomas O'Brien Academy, Giffen (which will get a new cafeteria), and Sunshine School (in Lincoln Park).

We commend the school district for working within the guidelines of the
State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, and for developing renovation plans, which are sensitive to the historic nature of these buildings. We regret that Albany will be losing 4 historic school buildings and continue to urge the school district to find alternatives to demolition. We are pleased to see that the School District followed an appropriate process in developing its plan.

Historic Albany Foundation recognizes the advantage of neighborhood schools. In too many cities around our nation, the small schools kids could walk to are disappearing. They're being replaced by mega-school sprawl - giant education factories in remote locations, no longer part of the community's civic space. We are pleased that the City School District of Albany realizes that smaller, community-centered schools in historic neighborhoods are an asset, not a liability.

We support the facilities plan offered by the School District as presented to Historic Albany Foundation.

Sincerely,
 

Elizabeth P. Griffin