Restoration starts on Albany facade 
157-year-old Ten Broeck Street house released by county to Historic Albany 
By MARNIE EISENSTADT
Gazette Reporter
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ALBANY - A crumbling old building that the county began to demolish is gaining a new life.

Almost two years to the day after the county swung the wrecking ball at historic 41 Ten Broeck St. in the Ten Broeck Triangle of Arbor Hill, it is being shored up to withstand perhaps another 157 years.

The Historic Albany Foundation began work on the building in late August. Crews will be gutting the back of the building and stabilizing the front.

Anyone interested in purchasing the facade will have to build a new structure behind it because the rest of the building was too damaged to salvage.

Historic Albany recently took control of the building from the county in a settlement that ended a long court battle. The foundation and the county were at odds about whether the county had the right to begin emergency demolition on the building.

Albany County took the building over after its former owner failed to pay the taxes, but decided it was in such poor condition it should be knocked down.

Historic Albany halted demolition on the building two years ago by obtaining a court injunction. Since then, the once grand building has continued to decay.

In the most recent ruling, the Appellate Division decided that the county did not have the authority to knock the building down. But by the time that decision was issued, the county and Historic Albany had already reached an agreement: The county decided to give Historic Albany the deed to the property and $150,000 to restore the facade, ending years of court battles and appeals.

Elizabeth Griffin, executive director of Historic Albany, said she hopes the work on the building will be complete in about a month.

There have been no formal offers for the property yet. There has been some interest in turning it into rental housing, she said.

Griffin said another possible use for the property is an annex to the reuse of the old St. Joseph's Church.

At this point, the future of the former church, which was purchased by Elda Abate, is unclear. The city took control of the church this winter when Abate failed to make needed repairs.

Helen Black, president of the Ten Broeck Triangle Preservation League, said nearly any use of 41 Ten Broeck St. is an improvement on county intentions.

"Having a gaping hole there would have been a travesty," Black said.

Still, Black is somewhat troubled by the prospect of rental housing.

"I am concerned in general about increasing the level of homeownership in Arbor Hill because its rate is less than half of what it is in the rest of the city," Black said.
 

Contact Marnie Eisenstadt at 432-4391 or meisenstadt@hotmail.com.
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