Work continues on the exterior of the former Spruce apartments. This photo is from March 31.
The new Opera House Apartments in downtown Albany have been in the works for years. Now the long-running transformation of the building at 222 First Avenue S.E. looks like it’s nearing the finish line.
When I went past the address a week and a half ago, the front had a new coat of stucco, prompting me to stop and snap a couple of photos.
This is a project of Glorietta Bay LLC, one of developer Scott Lepman’s companies. He bought the property in 2015, when it was called the Spruce apartments.
The Lepman crew faced numerous challenges in remodeling the place to create 18 modern apartments. This included replacing the roof and, in doing so, creating space for two units in the attic.
Six of the 18 apartments will be in the basement, and the first and second floors will have five each.
The address is that of a former opera house that was designed by famed Albany architect Charles Burggraf and built in 1905. Then, in 1921, the opera house was demolished to make way for an apartment building. Material from the demolition was said to be used to build the apartments.
In an application for city approval of the remodeling in 2019, Lepman mentioned plans to place a plaque explaining the building’s new name based on its history. That is still the plan.
Lepman and his crew look forward to completing the remodeling in a matter of months. Then they can start on the former St. Francis Hotel, at First Avenue and Ferry Street,
Sable Drive LLC, another Lepman company, last month exercised an option to buy the former hotel for $650,000 from Pride Printing. With the help of a forgivable loan from the Albany urban renewal agency to cover part of the expense, Lepman plans to remodel the St. Francis into apartment housing as well. (hh)
The future Operae House apartments have a new front, as seen on March 31.
Another win for Scott Lepman.
He’s done a lot for Albany, and makes a profit to boot.
What is happening with Pride Printing? Doesn’t look like much is going on in there these days.
The business plans to move its office and keep doing what it does now. All its actual print orders are farmed out.
Wish them well. They are taking stinking areas of Albany & turning them into not too shaby areas…