Wednesday, 17th June 2009 @ 1.10pm
by Author's Name
““We recommended they meet with the neighborhood and give an open house presentation, where people can ask questions and people are there to answer questions, one-on-one,” Primiano said”
SCHENECTADY — The men living at the former YMCA on State Street may have a new home — the warehouse-like building next to the new Department of Social Services office.
The Galesi Group, which owns the building on Broadway, has filed an application with the city Planning Commission to renovate the derelict structure.
But first, the company is expected to hold a public meeting to discuss its plans with residents of the Bellevue neighborhood.
Already, some residents are organizing to oppose the move, saying there might be dangerous criminals among the men who would live there. They also say their neighborhood is struggling to absorb the impact of DSS — which brings hundreds of people to the neighborhood, causing some traffic problems, as well as littering and the occasional criminal act.
The neighborhood can’t handle more social services, they said.
If the project is approved, the men aren’t moving in anytime soon. Grant applications and other paperwork will likely take much of the year, meaning the extensive renovations might not start until next winter.
The project was pulled from next week’s Planning Commission agenda to give Galesi more time to hold its meeting and get funding.
Funding may be the biggest problem. The building is in poor repair, with many broken windows, and it must be rebuilt to accommodate 165 single-occupancy rooms, as well as the requisite number of bathrooms and other shared spaces.
“It’s a lot to redesign the building,” City Planner Christine Primiano said. “They’re applying for funding.”
Galesi is applying for a state grant from the Division of Housing and Urban Renewal. Officials are optimistic that they’ll get funding, particularly since the men they want to house will soon have nowhere to live.
The YMCA closed its lower State Street building last spring and opened a new facility in Center City across from Proctors. But the new YMCA only has exercise machines and other gym amenities. There’s no room for the social services it provided on lower State Street. There are currently 185 men living the bedrooms provided at the old YMCA.
At the time, YMCA officials said they could only promise a home for the men until 2013, when the old building may be sold. But they said they were actively looking for another location in Schenectady.
Galesi’s building isn’t perfect. The zoning code will allow only 165 rooms there, down from 185 at the old YMCA.
It’s also far from some other social services, although DSS is next door and CDTA runs regular buses to the site.
And the costs will be tremendous, officials said.
Galesi wants to get a historic designation for the building, which would make the company eligible for tax credits. The state Historic Preservation Office has said it will support the application.
Also, the hillside behind the building must be stabilized.
The county plans to use FEMA money to work on the hill, just as it did to stabilize the hill next door behind DSS.
But with the state grant application, the historical designation request and the hillside work, Galesi may not be able to start renovations until next year.
“It may take all year,” Primiano said.
The building is zoned for single-room occupancy, but city officials said they expect controversy over the project.
“We recommended they meet with the neighborhood and give an open house presentation, where people can ask questions and people are there to answer questions, one-on-one,” Primiano said.
That meeting has not yet been scheduled