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Commission advances downtown items: entertainment district, Albany Theater stabilization and DDA agreement
Summary
The commission voted to expand the Downtown Albany Entertainment District boundaries, approved a resolution to stabilize the Albany (Seymour) Theater with limited demolition and a project manager hire, and authorized an IGA with the Downtown Development Authority for management of 120 Pine Ave with a change requiring future commission approval for deviations.
The Albany City Commission on Dec. 16 advanced several downtown initiatives, voting to expand the Downtown Albany Entertainment District, adopt a program-management resolution for the Albany Theater stabilization, and approve an intergovernmental agreement allowing the Downtown Development Authority to manage 120 Pine Avenue subject to commission approval for deviations.
Staff said the entertainment district expansion would add the Saint Nicholas Hotel and the area near the Albany Theater and explained mapped boundaries that stop at Roosevelt Street. For the Albany Theater, staff clarified the agenda'listed demolition work pertains to the auditorium portion only, to stabilize the remainder for storefront use, and to authorize procurement up to notice to proceed for a proposed project manager.
On the Pretoria Fields/120 Pine Avenue item, staff and commissioners negotiated language to require the city commission (rather than solely the city manager) to approve any conveyance or option to buy, and then adopted the resolution with one abstention noted. Commissioners also adopted a resolution to pursue a public-private MOU for a pickleball/tennis facility with county and development partners.
Votes on the downtown items were recorded in the meeting minutes; commissioners asked staff to keep the commission apprised of any procurement and to return with further documentation as projects move to implementation.
