St. Francis

St. Francis: A new chapter starts downtown

Written April 28th, 2022 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 2 responses.

Another page is about to be turned in the continuing story of changes in Albany’s downtown. Pride Printing has occupied the ground floor of the former St. Francis Hotel for about 50 years, and now the business leaving.

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: CARA, downtown Albany, Historic buildings, Pride Printing, Scott Lepman, Scott Thorn, St. Francis, urban renewal

A new plan to save the St. Francis and then some

Written October 21st, 2021 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 10 responses.

Scott Lepman, the Albany real estate investor and developer who has tackled several big restoration projects, has come up with an even bigger one. His organization will save the former St. Francis Hotel downtown and also restore the former city hall building if the urban renewal district, CARA, will help him lower the financial risk.

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: CARA, historic hotels, old buidlings, old city hall., Scott Lepman, St. Francis, urban renewal

Developer pulls out of St. Francis project

Written September 15th, 2021 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 2 responses.

An Albany developer has dropped his plan to renovate the former St. Francis Hotel and adjacent Rhodes Block, but the idea of the restoration itself may not yet be completely dead.

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: Albany revitalization. downtown renewal, CARA, Historic buildings, St. Francis, urban renewal

The St. Francis project: Taking a look

Written February 26th, 2021 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 11 responses.

From the fourth floor of the old St. Francis Hotel, you have a fine view of downtown Albany and beyond. You could see even farther from the roof.

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: CARA, downtown Albany, downtown revival, Flinn Block, Historic buildings, historic hotels, Marc Manley, St. Francis, urban renewal

St. Francis project gets verbal support

Written January 20th, 2021 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 9 responses.

Several members of the Central Albany Revitalization Area advisory board want the urban renewal agency to give financial support to restoring the former St. Francis hotel and adjacent Rhodes building. But after Wednesday’s meeting of the board, just how much the agency would pay was still unclear.

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: CARA, downtown Albany, St. Francis, urban renewal

St. Francis project cost stuns CARA board

Written September 16th, 2020 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 19 responses.

Architect Bill Ryals’ concept of the restored St. Francis Hotel with a roof-top restaurant and diagonal parking on Ferry Street.Renovating the former St. Francis Hotel in downtown Albany would cost $10-11 million, and when it’s done it would be worth $4-5 million. This means that for the project to go ahead, the CARA urban renewal […]

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: CARA, downown Albany, St. Francis, St. Francis-Rhodes, urban renewal

A new chapter for the old St. Francis

Written January 11th, 2020 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 32 responses.

The city of Albany has finally made public its plan for the old St. Francis hotel building downtown. The plan is to buy the building from the printing company that owns it, and sell it to Marc Manley, who with his wife Anni owns and restored the Flinn Block farther east on First Avenue.

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: Albany downtown, ARA, CARA, St. Francis