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| The project report issued by University at Albany's Department of Geography and Planning praised the recently completed Honest Weight Food Co-op. "The newly built Honest Weight Food Co-op serves as a regional attraction for the area," states the report. |
The 14 graduate and undergraduate students focused their energies on growing Central Avenue's shopping district, an area known for its grocery stores and auto dealerships.
To begin with, the area was given props for its commercial vibrancy. "The main commercial businesses in the area are generally successful and popular. The various businesses generate high volumes of traffic throughout the day. The area serves as a retail center for various activities including grocery, auto sales, furniture, entertainment, etc.," states the report.
Points were detracted for missing signs, degraded siding, and incomplete sidewalks. Students also analyzed district demographics, transportation, parking, signage, and formal and informal gathering spaces in order to determine the way forward.
They lauded the amount of successful commercial activity taking place in the study area, and the contribution of these businesses make to the tax base, they also wondered if there were additional ways they could positively impact their community.
"There is an abundance of inefficient, underutilized, single use commercial buildings in this area. A surplus of surface parking is present. Pedestrian mobility is impeded by poor pavement, a lack of internal sidewalks, and unfinished sidewalks on Everett Road. There are minimal trees and green space throughout the area," states the report.
Students also bemoaned the lack of consistency when it comes to housing in the area. Much of the existing housing stock is in bad condition, and a number of empty lots detract from the neighborhood aesthetics, they stated.
They noted strong businesses like Honest Weight Food Co-op, ShopRite, Mildred Elley, Austin Beauty School, Planned Parenthood, Orange Motors and DePaula Chevrolet that serve as regional draws. They also noted a number of large parcels in the area with lots of open space for development.
Among their recommendations:
- Pursue infill housing and large-scale high-density housing projects
- Create a community center to address the need for a neighborhood-oriented facility and meeting space
- Bring a cultural center to serve as a regional attraction as well as a neighborhood attraction for the area
- Ensure housing is available for a range of income levels
- Provide more access to parks and green spaces for the community by creating pocket parks, playgrounds, and urban gardens throughout the area
- Create new student housing apartments to serve young adults pursuing higher education
- Increase the quantity of trash cans throughout the area to encourage a cleaner community
- Plant more trees along residential streets
- Increase green space
- Improve quality of local roads for pedestrian comfort and safety through improved lighting, crosswalks, and landscaping
- Promote lively street level activity through mixed use development and incorporating retail on the street level
- Improve pedestrian access to the area by creating a "walking neighborhood" on Third Street, increasing sidewalks, and installing enclosed pedestrian bridges crossing Everett Road and Central Avenue
The Site Planning Studio is the fourth in a series of conceptual plan design studios executed for the Central Avenue Business Improvement District. In 2013, they concluded their three-part study of Central Avenue's Cultural Village, providing recommendations for how to turn Central Avenue into a destination for international arts and culture.
