Albany Theater building could see new life as restaurant/loft apartment development

ALBANY – An initial effort at preserving the Albany Theater building ran out of steam, and a tragic 2018 fire claimed one life and left the back portion of the building a shell. Now there is new traction to develop the historic site, with plans for retail and loft apartments at the downtown North Jackson Street location.

The Atlanta architectural firm TSW Design is assessing the structure and will make recommendations to the Albany-Dougherty Inner City Authority. That Albany-based entity plans to market the building to potential developers.

During a meeting last week, architects discussed the potential for a restaurant on the first floor, with one-bedroom apartments above. A structural assessment will determine the viability of the exterior walls on the portion of the building that was burned. That assessment will determine whether the walls are deficient and can be saved, architects told the ADICA board.

The theater opened in 1927, when the theater-going experience was much different than today, with an orchestra and organ playing to accompany the silent films of the day. The building was placed on the historic registry in 2006.

Officials say they hope that the exterior walls can be saved and the space in the rear of the building can be converted into an open-air space for events or concerts.

“One of the things we noticed right away is the difficulty this building represents,” TSW architect Eric Matthews told board members.

The exterior of the building, now enclosed by fencing to prevent a repeat of the 2018 fire, in which it is believed that a vagrant staying in the building started the deadly blaze, still has placards touting the coming renovations that date back to the 2010s. Broken windows also are visible on the second floor.

Fixing those windows may be the first step necessary to improve the exterior appearance for potential investors, ADICA board member and Albany City Commissioner Chad Warbington said during a telephone interview.

“Most people don’t realize there’s a theater there that’s just in shambles,” he said. “It’s been sitting there vacant. We’re trying to put the initial framework (for renovations) together.

“We may go ahead and invest in the facade and get the facade looking good, the sidewalks. We need to get it more developer-ready so we can start showing it.”

Something that other successful downtowns have going for them is apartments, and the development could help Albany catch up in that category, Warbington said. The outdoor area is also something that could be a game-changer.

“The exciting thing is what we will do with the theater,” he said. “The roof got burned. Loft apartments are what we’re really lacking.”

Staff Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]
Staff Photo: Alan MauldnAlanMauldin[email protected]

Staff Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]