New York will invest $13.5 million in two Capital Region projects, including a community center on the former College of Saint Rose campus and a new school facility for students with disabilities.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced $7 million for Albany County's project and $6.5 million for the Center for Disability Services. The Dormitory Authority of the State of New York will administer the funding.
The projects would reuse existing buildings for public services: two former college facilities in Albany and a vacant supermarket in Slingerlands.
Former Saint Rose buildings to serve multiple generations
Albany County will use its $7 million to purchase and renovate the Neil Hellman Library and Events and Athletics Center at the former College of Saint Rose.
The county plans an accessible, resilient community space serving children, older adults and other residents. Proposed offerings include health and wellness activities, arts and crafts, technology instruction and financial workshops, according to the governor's office.
The project is part of a wider effort to reuse the former college's 27-acre, 71-building campus. Legislation signed in June 2024 created the Albany County Pine Hills Land Authority to oversee redevelopment.
The authority acquired the campus last spring. Other work includes reactivating Centennial Hall and the Massry Center, while senior housing is planned on more than three acres.
School planned for former ShopRite
The Center for Disability Services will use $6.5 million to acquire a former ShopRite in Slingerlands, in the town of Bethlehem. The property has been vacant since 2023.
The nonprofit plans to relocate its Langan School to the building and create a specialized education facility. The governor's office said the project would allow more than 50 students to come off a waiting list.
The center serves people with disabilities and describes the school project as a response to demand for specialized supports that cannot always be met in students' existing settings.
The announcement identifies the funding and planned uses; it does not provide an opening date for either new facility.
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