A new registry of vacant building in the Capital District city of Cohoes is intended to secure vacant properties, avoid demolition by neglect, rehabilitate buildings that can be saved, and demolish those found beyond repair. Mayor John T. McDonald III, in an article in the Albany Times-Union, said the city's future lies in renovating existing buildings.
The Mayor called attention to the continuing redevelopment of the historic 500,000-square-foot Harmony Mills complex. About 100 units have been developed and occupied in the Victorian, National Landmark buildings situated between the Mohawk River and the original Erie Canal.
The story quotes Mayor McDonald as saying the registry, "in conjunction with a variety of incentive-based real property tax exemptions implemented in the past several years and the passage of the state Historic Tax Credit legislation, provides many opportunities for those serious about owning property in our community." The paper notes that Albany also has a vacant and abandoned buildings registry, and one was proposed in June for the Town of East Greenbush.
Read the entire Times-Union story at:
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=838816
