Issues and opportunties for Albany's future

1.     Albany issues and opportunities including but not limited to:

a.     Restoration of areas with vacant and abandoned buildings

b.     Improve public safety

c.      Walkability (note drive through pharmacies and the new Alexander residence w/o close to zero walkability)

d.     Upgrading of important streets like the greening of Lark Street (http://www.braypapers.com/lark.html), Central Ave (as a collegetown street), Clinton Avenue, Madison Avenue, etc.

e.      Requiring street level uses for office buildings and parking garages in downtown Albany.

f.       Addressing the food desert issue

g.     Fostering initiatives like the first upstate Neighborhood Naturally Occurring Retirement Community between New Scotland and Whitehall

h.     Replace the Convention Center proposal with (1) expansion of the convention facilities at the Empire State Plaza (proposal has been sitting for more than a decade) and conference facilities at UHeights and at the Nano College and (2) mixed use project in the proposed downtown site.

i.       Advance proposal for a commuter rail and Amtrak stop in North Albany (see, REVEST document)

j.       Back to mixed use, urban connected redevelopment of the Harriman Campus.

k.     As former Missoula, Montana Mayor Daniel Kemmis wrote in his book, The Good City and the Good Life, “cities are remembering that the reason they exist at all is to enable people to gather in a humanly satisfying and sustaining way”.  The Comprehensive Plan should be based in part on a social infrastructure study of Albany and should address how to augment our social infrastructure.

l.       Also, the Comprehensive Plan should be based in part on a green infrastructure study of Albany and  should address how to protect and enhance green infrastructure to have Albany be a green and health community.