Crews began removing the rail bridge attached to Albany's long-vacant Central Warehouse on Monday, starting the final stages of a demolition expected to continue through the winter. The 11-story concrete building stands beside Interstate 787 and active Amtrak tracks near downtown.
Gov. Kathy Hochul and Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy said asbestos abatement is complete, with more than 4,500 tons of asbestos and contaminated material removed. The remaining work is planned in three stages: the rail bridge, scaffolding along the building's south side and then removal of the structure itself.
Bridge removal brings overnight work
The bridge connects the warehouse to an Amtrak rail spur. Crews are scheduled to work from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. over roughly a week, removing materials, cutting steel tracks and taking out girders. Officials expect road closures and detours in the immediate area but did not specify routes or a day-by-day closure schedule in the announcement.
Once the bridge is gone, installing scaffolding on the south side is expected to take about two months. Pieces of the building are then scheduled to come down beginning in December. Because passenger rail lines remain active beside the property, crews must take the structure apart in a controlled sequence rather than carry out a simpler demolition.
McCoy described removal of the bridge as one of the last major obstacles before the building itself can come down. The work has required coordination with Amtrak and permits and approvals from several government partners, he said. Officials previously explored rehabilitation but concluded demolition was the viable course.
The project is expected to leave a 1.1-acre site available for future investment. The state and county have not identified a buyer or approved a specific new use for the cleared property in this announcement.
Downtown plans remain separate
Officials placed the demolition alongside the state's $400 million Championing Albany's Potential initiative, which addresses housing, historic preservation and other downtown improvements. Earlier this month, the state announced nearly $19 million for 10 projects under that program, along with $20 million for streetscape work and $1 million for small-business improvements.
The initiative also produced a report on reconnecting Empire State Plaza with surrounding neighborhoods. Those plans provide context for the state's downtown strategy but are not themselves a redevelopment approval for the warehouse site.
In another downtown project, Capitalize Albany selected Columbia Development and Galesi Group to lead planning for Liberty Park. Their proposal calls for offices, housing, creative space, retail, parking and a pedestrian walkway tied to green space over three phases. The development team still must work with the city economic-development organization and the state to finalize terms.
For the warehouse, the immediate next step is dismantling the rail connection before scaffolding and building removal. Officials expect demolition crews to continue working through winter because of the site's proximity to the active tracks.
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