Planner gives detailed overview of proposed downtown master plan

ALBANY — Admitting that “Albany is a tough nut to crack,” Strategic Advisory Group Senior Partner Tony Peterman gave the Albany-Dougherty Inner City Authority board — and a number of developers in the audience — a detailed report Wednesday on how the city might achieve its ongoing quest of redeveloping its inner city.

Peterman, who was hired by North Carolina-based developer Shandon Development through ADICA, offered a detailed look at elements of a master plan that he said could revitalize Albany’s downtown. The report came during the group’s monthly business meeting.

“When you get past Phase I of this project, it’s long-term … 20, 30, 50 years,” Peterman said. “But Phase I needs to focus on the assets available. There’s vacant retail space downtown, and that’s our opportunity.

“In talking with the people here during our analysis, one of the primary questions we’ve heard is, ‘What happened?’ If you look at this slide of downtown Albany from the 1940s, you see there are no vacant parking spaces, all of the buildings have businesses and there are people on the streets. The stores didn’t leave downtown Albany. It’s the people who left. And any redevelopment efforts here must focus on putting feet on the streets.”

Downtown Manager Sharlene Cannon, who serves as ADICA’s president, said Thursday she was duly impressed by Peterman’s presentation.

“Didn’t that make your socks roll up and down your legs?” Cannon said. “Frankly, I was surprised at the detail of the report. I was actually expecting information about the Civic Center, not an overview of the master plan. If I’d known the report would be this detailed, I would have planned it so that more developers and stakeholders could have heard it.

“We plan to use this report every way possible. (Interim City Manager) Tom (Berry) plans to pare it down a bit and use it at the (Albany City Commission’s) retreat this year. And I’d like to get it up on the city’s and the downtown websites. I want this available to the public.”

In his presentation, Peterman looked at several aspects of potential development downtown and offered pros and cons for each. Among the various elements of his master plan were the 100 blocks (north and south) of West Broad Avenue, a proposed downtown sports park, development of an events center to replace the aging Albany Civic Center, which he said should be razed, development of a convention center, construction of a new hotel downtown, and development of residential, office and retail space in the district.

The strategic planner said seeking convention and office space in the inner city is not viable for Albany at this time. But he said development of a sports park — which currently is being discussed by city and county leaders who have more than $7 million in special tax money available for such a project — and rehabbing rental units in the district could have a major impact on redevelopment.

Peterman suggested the Exchange Building at the corner of West Broad Avenue and Washington Street, which is owned by businessman Bob Brooks, would be the ideal place to start residential development, even above the Pine Avenue Albany Heights building that is being discussed by developer Anthony King. But he warned that as much as $1.6 million in incentives would be needed to bring an adequate enough return on investment to make the project viable.

“So, you’re saying it would take around that much in taxpayer funding to make such a project happen?” ADICA board member Phil Cannon asked Peterman. “Yes, there would need to be that much risk,” the planner answered.

Peterman said as much as $225,000 in incentives would be needed to make the Riverfront Retail space along Front Street viable. ADICA has committed $450,000 to move the master plan forward, but that funding is contingent upon the Shandon-led local development group securing more than $1 million in financing from a lending institution. A member of that group said Wednesday its “due-diligence” work with a bank was in progress.

Peterman also said a sports park, located where the Civic Center now sits, could have a “considerable positive impact” on downtown and that construction of a pedestrian bridge across Oglethorpe Boulevard would provide vital connectivity.

Peterman suggested that some $16.2 million in investment is needed to turn around Albany’s downtown.

“You have to do this the right way,” he said. “Certainly there are issues, but it can be done. What you must do, though, is hold on to the flavor that is Albany. And at some point you’ve got to find a way to connect what we call ‘eds and meds’ — the educational institutions like you have with Albany State and the medical community. That’s where the money is.”