DOWNTOWN ALBANY, GA.

DOWNTOWN

Albany has struggled to maintain momentum with its efforts to revitalize downtown. The commission followed a recommendation that the city secure ownership of buildings in the downtown district when those properties could be purchased for fair market value. The city purchased the former Rosenberg’s building, which had housed the Albany Herald, since 1986, from Southern Community Newspapers, Inc. The former city manager, at the time the transaction was announced, emphasized the city was “actively looking for a developer who will put that property back on the tax digest at an even higher value”. 46

The city designated $1 million from the second ARPA tranche to replace the roof and for remediation of the Rosenberg’s building 47 and was actively marketing the property until an offer was accepted from CL Red in September 2023.

Developer Jason Benedict submitted a proposal to purchase and renovate the Hotel Gordon in the spring of 2019. Initially, the property was conceived as an 88-room hotel, with a restaurant, bar, meeting and conference rooms, and an outdoor terrace. Mr. Benedict sought a $3 million loan from the city. 48 He anticipated a groundbreaking in December 2019 or January 2020, with a grand opening in January 2021. 49

Benedict proposed a revised schedule the following year, expecting construction to take “about two years”. 50 The cost projection increased to $20 million, due to higher costs of labor and materials, as well as enhancements to the hotel’s design. 51

The city attorney notified Mr. Benedict he was in default when he failed to meet benchmarks included in the revised schedule. Mr. Benedict, who had encountered serious medical issues, withdrew from the project and conveyed the deed to the building back to the city. 52

CL Red has entered into an agreement with the city to purchase and renovate both the Hotel Gordon and the Rosenberg’s building. The Hotel Gordon will have an elegant lounge on first floor, a full-service restaurant with rooftop dining on the second floor, and 96 guestrooms on the second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth floors. The Rosenberg’s building will have commercial space on the first floor, facing N. Washington Street, seven guestrooms on the first floor, and 24 additional guestrooms on the second and third floors. These rooms will be larger and designed for extended-stay guests.

CL Red’s proposal anticipates an investment of over $46 million, with almost $30 million in construction costs. The company’s principals intend to provide personal guarantees as collateral for the conventional financing, which represents over $25 million. The hotel will have 60-65 employees and will be the catalyst for further downtown development. 53

The city will sell Hotel Gordon for $100,000 and the Rosenberg’s building for $100,000, once CL Red has secured the financing to proceed with construction. The city will also provide CL Red with a $5 million loan.

The Albany Museum of Art is in the process of relocating to the former Belk’s building, 54 which was donated by the Brooks family. 55 The former dance studio was demolished, the building was remediated of asbestos, and contaminants in the soil were removed in early 2021. The project, at that juncture, was expected to be $12-$15 million. 56 The price tag had increased to $35 million when the museum’s director requested $8 million in funding from the next special purpose local option sales tax from the city. 57 The director of the museum appeared before the county commission the following week, to request $2 million. He referred to the move as “crucial”, asserting: “With a more centralized location, it will make it easier for residents in east and south Albany to access the museum, which is for everyone”. 58 The move will more than double the size of the museum, from 25,000 square feet to 53,000 square feet. This will allow the museum to significantly expand its exhibit, event, and classroom space. The museum will have state-of-the-art storage for the permanent collection, studio space for artists-in-residence, a café, and a gift shop. 59

The building at the corner of Pine Avenue and N. Front Street was renovated in 2021 and is now Cornerstone Coffee + Co. The owners, visiting relatives, observed the building “while taking walks downtown with their dogs”, and “decided it’s a good place to offer what [they] love about coffee and what coffee can bring to a community”. Cornerstone Coffee, which was the first business to open in downtown after the pandemic, 60 is a gathering place for young adults.

Glenn, Tandra and Glenn Singfield II were presented with the Georgia Cities Foundation Renaissance Award at the Georgia Municipal Association’s Annual Conference in Savannah on June 26, 2022. 61 The Singfields received the honor for their investment in and ownership and management of The Flint restaurant, located at 112 Pine Avenue. One of the owners, explaining the family’s commitment to establishing a unique dining experience for downtown, despite warnings that the business would not be successful, stated, “What they didn’t understand was that this is something we wanted to do for a community that has been very good to us”. 62

The commission approved a master plan for downtown in October 2022. 63 A group of local businessmen purchased the St. Nicholas Hotel and most of the properties on the west side of the 300 block of Washington Street in 2022. The St. Nicholas, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, is a three-story hotel constructed in 1908. A bar, a 3 Squares Diner, and the corporate headquarters for 3 Squares will be on the first floor. Thirteen hotel rooms will be located on the second floor, and thirteen hotel rooms will be located on the third floor. Guests will have the option of extended stay. The cost of the project is an estimated $4 million.

The city recently agreed to provide a $1.7 million loan to a developer seeking to construct 32 units in the Davis-Exchange building, which is also on the National Register of Historic Places. 64 This property has consistently been identified as an appropriate structure for condominiums, which would increase the number of residents with the disposable income needed to support and sustain a viable downtown. The developer will also construct a 3-4 story residential building, facing W. Broad Avenue, which will have an additional 24 units. This will be a $18.5 million project. 65

Spectra Venue Management has successfully promoted events at the Civic Center, Veterans’ Amphitheater, and the Municipal Auditorium. 66 The commission recently extended the contract with Oak View Group, which has acquired Spectra, for five years. 67

SPLOST VIII includes $2 million for the Flint River Entertainment Complex. 68 These funds will be utilized to mill and resurface the Civic Center parking lot and retrofit the LED lighting inside the Civic Center.