Lansingburgh Boys & Girls Club hosted Meeting about Troy City Hall

_{Sun Jul 27 2025}

The following are my notes from the meeting, held by the Boys and Girls Club of Lansingburgh, regarding a proposal by the Office of the Mayor for a new location for Troy's City Hall. This proposal's crux is to purchase Proctors Theater (on 4th Street) with the Troy Local Development Corporation, then have the City of Troy rent the space. They are estimating it costing 10 million dollars in total: 1.8 for purchase, and then 8.2 for repairs.

View the Presentation

Anyway, here are the notes:

The meeting started at 6:07pm
The following topics were spoken by the Mayor of Troy, NY, Carmella Mantello.

• Thanking and introductions
  • Boys and Girls Club (Jimmy, Tim, others.)
  • Introduced Shamus (Deputy Mayor, Executive Director of LDC)
  • Acknowledged this presentation is different than the prior one, based on feedback
  • Introduced people with titles in the room: Joe Manscello, Kevin Pryor, Chris Marini, Kathy Carly, Police officers. Commentary on “clearing an encampment behind Walgreens” recently.
• This is a “public forum” we start the presentation
  • “The Hedley was suppose to be a temporary”
  • “This is for pride and economic bonus”
• Timeline: April RFP, 8 proposals to 4, then to 2, then Redburn won. Met with architect and design, LDC.
• Goals: Location, parking, financial savvy, preservation of history
• Location: central, economic impact, “domino impact”, parking, “red light risk life” (?)
  • “We can do better than that” for leasing $576,000.00.
  • Parking garage would guarantee 110 parking for the city, and an additional 40 spots from RPI. They are accessible, connected but eh alley between.
    • Garage improvements are not included in the construction costs. Parking garage improvements would be a city project for elevator and covered shelter.
    • “Improves safety that area”
    • “LoPorto’s, you better be open for lunch”
• Tax exempt components, TLDC equity contribution to lower costs, flex lease space, TLDC to manage risk and “assertively” deliver.
• “Embarrassing” to not have City Hall owned. Nick -Last name- story about Troy being the only city without a hall

Shamus is introduced for the presentation, we are on slide 5.

• Introduces himself as the executive director of the TLDC
• The creation of the entity is to serve the public good
  • It purchases abandon buildings or lots and restores them to be purchased by someone else
• “Absorbadent cost for theater. Jeff will say more later.”
• Hot topic leads to stuffed hall.
• “Manory’s is excited about lunch traffic.”
• “Place to grow into”
• Carmella joins Shamus
• Columbia 7m, purchase 1.8m, 8.6m Reno budget
• Jim De Seve shoutout

Joe Niccola, President of Columbia Development, is introduced, we are on slide 7 a timeline slide of the history of Proctor’s.

• Mr. Niccola mentions his involvement with the original project, and with the renaissance hotel in Albany
• Acknowledgement of the buildings age and significance
• Focused on how the building fell into ruin from the 80s and 90s. RPI involvement
• Tax delinquent building bought.
• Why can the Palace or Scht. Proctor’s have their types of shows? Large back of the house to load in from the trucks.
• Troy Proctor’s does not have a back of house for this to happen. Not physically possible.
• RPI is consolidating and moving out
• BBL construction involvement
• Next steps:
  • Open House August 13
  • City Council will have to approve two pieces: the Land Development Agreement, and the Lease Agreement.
    • Hoping for Late August/September
  • Construction end of 2025
  • City Hall can move into existing office spaces by January 2026.
  • Project done by January 2027
• Bill Gates gives us one hundred million dollars, maybe?

Jeff Buell, Principal of Red Burn Development, is invited to talk about feasibility

• Looked into a theater during COVID, when “everyone had cash”. Promoters talk about it costing “forty million or eighty million dollars” depending on what you want. Bowtie Cinema calls out accessibility during review, and said forty million dollars.
• “This proposal is the best situation.”

Questions Section

• Kerry: Parking would be City Project, how much?
  • It’s for the elevator to be installed, and the vestibule. Elevator is twenty-five thousand to forty thousand dollars.
• Higher maintenance cost?
  • Most likely less
• Will: I don't believe that. There will be higher maintenance costs
  • Despite current conditions, it will be better. Look at rising operation in Hedley
  • Mr. Niccola gets combative with Will about preserving history. “If we don’t take care of our history, what are we?”
  • “If Bill Gates were to leave Troy one-hundred million dollars in his will, we could undo this and make a theater again.”
• David Graham: Why are we muscling through this?
  • The mayor asserts this has been discussed for two years now, and a campaign promise.
  • RFPs were out since April, anyone could see this.
• Susan: Are we paying to not be the new owner?
  • The TLDC will own it.
• Has the parking garage repair been factored in, it’s not too great.
  • There were recent repairs
• Extra costs from lawsuit from local companies
• Lisa: new resident from Affluent Kansas City. “Ten million to building, not the residences. You should be ashamed!”
• Peggy: will my taxes go up? “No, but rent well.” We used this model for the firehouse in Landsingburgh, Alamo, salt pile, etc.
• Will: Permits? SHIPPO? Shippo will be involved because Municipal involvement
• Proctor’s Sign mismatch. Will that be fixed?
• In 21 years, there will be an option to change rent whatever we want.
• Joe: 30,000 sqft of space.
• Kim: historical grants? Most likely not

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I left after that. It was 8:20pm.