STATEMENT REGARDING DEMOLITIONS OF 125, 127, 129, AND 133 HENRY JOHNSON BLVD

Historic Albany Foundation is saddened to hear of the loss of four historic properties in the Arbor Hill neighborhood this past Saturday, June 10th. 125, 127, and 129 Henry Johnson Blvd. were all built circa 1850 while 133 was a bit later (circa 1885.) At the time of their construction, the boulevard went by a different name, Knox Street.  All four structures were a part of Breathing Lights in 2016 which was a multi-city art installation to highlight vacant and abandoned buildings.

The Albany Community Development Agency (ACDA), run by the City of Albany, owned all four buildings and unfortunately was not able to do anything with them in their years of ownership. Due to the buildings being owned by the city, the Buildings & Codes Department is not allowed to inspect any of them without the authorization of the city. That authorization was granted this past Saturday when they were alerted that those buildings were unsecured and squatters had been residing in them. Upon their arrival, they deemed none of the buildings to be safe to enter and were at high risk of collapse. Years of negligence will do that to any 170-year-old home regardless of its location. We will continue to encourage ACDA and the city of Albany to take better care of the buildings that are in their possession. Proper building ownership and civic pride should be a staple that stretches across all city-owned buildings and not just City Hall.

Despite this most recent emergency demolition, overall the numbers are down from multiple buildings being lost each week to a new average of three to four buildings per month. Historic Albany Foundation has worked tirelessly with Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan, her administration, and the Buildings and Codes Department on a regular basis for several years now. The data backs up that our efforts are not in vain. While these numbers are lower, the goal will always be to get to zero. 

We would also like to add that Historic Albany Foundation was able to help serve 140 homeowners and contractors in regards to grants, funding and technical services in 2022. That is 140 homes our organization has helped protect for the future in one year alone. For a staff of two full-time and four part-time employees, this is a large undertaking for an organization our size. HAF is proud of our efforts and we thank you for the continued support so we may continue to improve our historic structures within Albany’s communities.

Historic Albany Foundation Board President, Matt Malette