TACTICAL REVITALIZATION PLAN FOR DOWNTOWN ALBANY NY

Section 2
making something happen and data-gathering at the same time. We can point to the success
of the New Haven vacant storefront pop up program. In this type program most of risk falls
on the entrepreneur, who then becomes our program advocate and emissary. This program
also grabs the owners and angles them immediately in both sacrificing (rent) and jump starting
activity. I would argue, we will put programs on the ground today is the thesis that create
more of the environment they want. The pop-ups that succeed are the successfully prototyped,
failure can and does occur, but our focus is on the speed and presence of storefronts being
occupied, not on a 100% rate. Each pop-up becomes an outreach and touch point for the
planning process and the revitalization of the Downtown.
Business and product innovation is critical to the health of businesses. Entrepreneurialism in
any industry provides vitality to an economy and is an important source The proximity of SUNY
Albany and RPI provide terrific opportunities for partnerships regarding a focus on technology
as part of the “Albany story” and the ability to create interesting reuse opportunities in Albany’s
historic properties and a new paradigm of supporting technological innovation through creating
economic infrastructure as part of the Downtown revitalization strategy.
Deliverables:
• Pecha Kucha to better understand strengths and assets in the local Downtown area of
which the team should be aware. This would also create excitement in the community
about those under-the-radar activities that are making Downtown Albany an exciting place
to live or work.
• TedX style format public meeting to bring together locals and community leaders to tell
stories of other places and efforts that would be applicable to the Albany context.
• Beta Testing: recruit and curate a limited number of seasonally appropriate beta tests for
public open space or private vacant space. (does not include hard costs)
• Albany Visual Essay: an electronic image bank of Albany that can be used to help identify
core assets and opportunities
G. DRAFT AND FINAL REPORT PREPARATION
We intend to create a dynamic process that results in a bold, creative and actionable vision for
the Downtown and to extend the vision to the adjacent districts and neighborhoods, as well
as better integrate the Riverfront assets. This vision will build on the success of the Downtown
and take advantage of the emergence of the New York State’s “Tech Valley”. The plan will be
an attractive and inspiring document, and a road map for implementation with specific tactical
recommendations to achieve the vision.