An abandoned eyesore, located a block north of campus on 15th street, will soon be demolished with the help of RPI and a $400,000 government grant. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded the grant to RPI, in order to coordinate a Community Outreach Partnership Center as part of its Neighborhood Renewal Initiative.
June Corina of June’s Hairstyle, two doors away from the abandoned building, said, “[the building] has been abandoned for at least five to seven years.” She also added that the past owner did not pay the city taxes for at least three years. It was at this point that the City of Troy took over ownership and sold the property to RPI.
Barbara Nelson, the head of RPI’s Neighborhood Renewal Initiative, said, “At this time, we have developed a feasibility study for building a new café, but that is turning out to be an expensive project. We may have to look at other businesses with simpler requirements.”
Neighbors are pleased to see something being done with the space. “As long as it looks good, the sooner the better,” Corina said. However, she emphasized that parking will also be a major issue given the current parking situation and the popularity of the new building.
As part of its Neighborhood Renewal Initiative, RPI has hired the Troy Architectural Program to demolish three buildings near campus. The properties on 1404 and 2242 15th Street and 277 8th street will be rebuilt into public spaces, while the foundation of 901 Peoples Avenue will be stabilized and sold to homeowners. Four other buildings, located at 155 10th street, 315 8th street, 320 8th street, and 196 8th street, will be renovated and sold to homeowners as part of the program
“I’m a big supporter. This is a wonderful thing, that RPI take responsibility in making neighborhoods look better,” said Joe Fama, director of TAP.
The community outreach partnership center is composed of four parts: the Livable Communities or Neighborhood Renewal Initiative, Community Media and Technology Infrastructure, Community Informatics, and Culturally Situated Educational Design. The goal of the program is to establish a two-way bridge across the digital divide and to create a sense of partnership between Rensselaer and the community.
