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Design Review Board presses SB Manufacturing for more proof before approving demolition at 233 Ballston Ave.
Summary
SB Manufacturing sought approval to demolish a deteriorating 100‑year‑old cold storage building; the board and preservation advocates asked the applicant for third‑party structural/relocation opinions and documentation of attempts to offer the building for relocation or sale before granting demolition.
SB Manufacturing presented a request to demolish a century‑old cold‑storage building at 233 Ballston Ave. The applicant said the structure lacks utilities, is deteriorating and not financially viable for reuse. The applicant supplied an engineer’s report and a post‑demolition rendering showing a small pocket park.
Board members and the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation urged the applicant to document efforts to find a purchaser or to demonstrate that the building cannot be relocated. Rob Wood and others asked for third‑party evaluations (structural engineer or a professional house‑moving firm) to confirm that moving the masonry structure is infeasible. Several board members said the post‑demolition park plan needed stronger justification and cautioned that demolition approvals sometimes result in empty lots or parking rather than the proposed replacement use.
The board took no immediate vote to approve demolition and asked the applicant to supply further documentation: proof of attempts to market or give away the structure, and an independent assessment of whether relocation was feasible. The board also noted the applicant’s post‑demolition plan and asked that the applicant clarify timing and implementation commitments.
The discussion underlined the board’s role in balancing industrial‑use context against preservation of one of the city’s remaining industrial historic buildings.
