Администрация Нью-Йорка планирует превратить империю штата в зеленый парк и обновить инфраструктуру комплекса

Empire State Plaza reflecting pool could become a great lawn ALBANY - New York's capital city has spent decades living with the Empire State Plaza as it is: a vast marble-and-concrete monument to state government, separated from the neighborhoods around it by high walls, wide roads and an unfriendly design that often leaves pedestrians wondering where, exactly, they are supposed to go. Now the state has a blueprint for what could come next on the sprawling site. Earlier this week, the state Office of General Services released a 51-page report that calls for a series of changes intended to make the government complex easier to reach and navigate, and potentially more connected to the neighborhoods that it helped divide more than a half-century ago. "The goal is to try to soften the edges of this 98-acre campus, make it feel more inviting, create more green space, and try to build the amenities and the ease of navigation that welcomes the community in, and encourages individuals at the Plaza to leave its boundaries," said Jeanette Moy, the agency's commissioner. Moy noted that the Plaza is "showing its age," and said her agency is trying to be "really thoughtful and deliberate about what we can immediately act on and what will improve our support for the local community." That report, which identifies how New York might spend $25 million in public funding, draws on insights provided by about 2,000 people, who told the state they primarily view the Plaza as a place for government and work, and not as an everyday destination. More: Albany wants you to design its next flag | Churchill: Albany plans lack sizzle Much of that money will be gobbled up by a mix of short-term fixes that appear geared toward visitors and the army of state workers who call the Plaza home. Those changes include wayfinding signs, a relocated visitor center and a refreshed food court. State Sen. Patricia Fahy, whose district includes the city of Albany, said that while those improvements are worthwhile, the state should not lose sight of a larger goal: making the Plaza a destination for people who do not work there. "We've got to do more," Fahy said. "… We've got to make sure the neighborhood sees it as a destination place as well." The report includes that ambitious promise with a series of attempts to make the Plaza feel like a part of Albany, rather than a place imposed on it. But the four major proposals, if they move forward, won't happen for years - or perhaps decades. The long-term plans soften the Plaza's hard edges, aim to draw people in on the weekends and outside of work hours, and better connect Center Square and downtown through a series of redesigned entry points. Among the most eye-opening proposals is more greenery to cover the sea of marble and concrete. That could include replacing the Plaza's largest feature, its aging reflecting pool, with a great lawn for events, programs and recreation. Most of these plans may cost much more money than the state has so far allocated. 'Untapped potential' Lawmakers who represent the Capital Region said they are optimistic that there will be enough political will to carry Albany's dreams into the waking world. Fahy said that actualizing this dream will require far more than landscaping and better signage. She wants more retail and food offerings as well as other everyday uses - particularly above ground - that could give people a reason to linger after the workday ends. The underground concourse, she said, remains largely a place for state workers and visitors during business hours that empties by mid-afternoon. The echoing concourse stretching from the Capitol to the State Museum is typically used as an artery for state workers and visitors to Albany in the colder months and "has evolved to function similar to a highway rather than a neighborhood street," the report said. The state said it could explore additional "everyday services" to encourage daily visits and increase foot traffic. Assemblyman John McDonald III, who represents parts of Albany, Rensselaer and Saratoga counties, said the effort on the Plaza reflects a broader need to modernize the aging state infrastructure. He pointed to other major projects underway to replace facilities that have gone decades without significant upgrades. The most visible of those is the refurbishment of the Capitol's Eastern Approach outdoor staircase, a project that is slated to wrap up by 2030. For McDonald, who said he spends five to seven days a week at the complex, the Plaza presents a similar opportunity to update one of the region's most prominent public spaces. "We want to modernize it, to make it more accessible to the public," McDonald said. "To really demonstrate great pride in the state Capitol and the Plaza." "It's such a beautiful complex," he added. "But it has so much untapped potential." Small fixes The $25 million in funding earmarked for the Plaza is part of more than $400 million set aside for the capital city. That money, of which the first 10 projects were unveiled this week, is meant to reinvigorate Albany's lackluster urban core. Among the small changes, which could come within the next three years, are wayfinding and navigational upgrades. Even Moy admitted that despite five years working at the Plaza, "sometimes I get lost." Better wayfinding would benefit more than tourists, Moy said. Regular visitors trying to get from The Egg to the State Museum, access the Legislative Office Building, or find their way back to a car parked on State Street can struggle to navigate the sprawling complex. "These aren't just first-time visitors, these are consistent visitors," Moy said. "And if they're getting lost … then we do not have a successful program." Underground, that could mean a more centrally located visitor center for tours as people move from facilities at the Plaza to the Capitol itself. It also means upgrades to the food court, which aim to refresh the "look and feel" of the space, the report said. The changes to the food court, which features a mix of local businesses, would also include technology to enable the space to host public gatherings. It's a space visited by schoolchildren and tour groups, Moy said. "It needs to be uplifted if it's going to be a destination," she said noting that in the past three years, the state has seen a marked increase in visitors to the government complex and the events held there. There are also proposals to improve accessibility connections between the Plaza and the concourse, including new accessible Plaza-level restrooms. The current lack of restrooms on the Plaza can present an obstacle for visitors, especially those who use wheelchairs and families with strollers, who have to travel long distances to use the restroom in the concourse, the report notes. The western wall Fahy said the proposed overhaul could mark a turning point for both the Plaza and downtown Albany, representing the first major investment in the exterior of the complex since it was built more than 50 years ago. "In the end, this is going to be great news for the Plaza and the neighborhood," Fahy said. The report proposes a series of aspirational changes to the Plaza. That includes making the state-owned-and-managed Swan Street Bridge - the western edge of the complex - into a kind of "porch," with traffic calming and repositioned parking to make it a more welcoming gateway for residents of the Center Square neighborhood. Today, the area is difficult to cross and is dominated by traffic and parking. Public feedback indicated a need to calm traffic and move parking to allow for a more public pedestrian corridor to and from Swan Street, the report said Plans also call for reimagining the western wall facing the Center Square neighborhood. That could include art and banners that promote culturally inclusive programs and stories about the area's history, the report notes. The changes are meant to make the entryway more pedestrian-friendly and maintain the current transit functions on Swan Street, which acts as a throughway from Madison Avenue to State Street. The Office of General Services says it will undertake this particular project by leveraging funds already committed by the state meant to address work on the concrete and rebar. "We're using this as an opportunity, with the public feedback, to change the scope of that project," Moy said, "and that's true of many of the concepts you see in this visionary report." The report envisions adapting Madison Avenue and the Biggs Laboratory on the east side of the Plaza into a "vibrant front door" to the complex. The effort would address long-deferred maintenance and water intrusion on building systems underneath Madison Avenue. Residents told the state they want sustained traffic calming along the roadway, as well as more greenery and intuitive signage for the State Museum and the Concourse, that would make it a more pedestrian-focused streetscape. Biggs Laboratory, the state's public health and environmental testing facility that is moving to a new facility near the state University at Albany campus, offers a potential new civic and cultural space, the state said. Another big proposal is an entry point facing downtown, one that would connect the Plaza with the concourse, Eagle Street, the Capital Center, MVP Arena and downtown. The Plaza already has a seldom-used downtown walkway, which the state is hoping to - at least in the short term - improve with signage, public art and lighting. Lots of green The report includes a proposal to eliminate the central reflecting pool on the Plaza and replace it with a community lawn for events and recreation. Such a space, the state said, would expand the Plaza's usability during all seasons and introduce native landscapes and gardens. The report cites water-intrusion and maintenance problems with the pool and its fountains (the state is undergoing repairs to fix the problems) and says the new design should preserve the historic pool's footprint and character. Fahy praised plans for additional green space and a more pedestrian-friendly Swan Street, but said she will continue pushing for changes that make the Plaza more of a destination for nearby residents and visitors. The emphasis on green space addresses one of the shortcomings of the original 1960s design, Fahy said, when the Plaza was conceived by Gov. Nelson Rockefeller largely as a landscape of marble and concrete. The report calls for a repositioning of some of the Plaza's assets, including converting the Cornerstone at the Plaza building, which had previously operated as a regular food and restaurant space in the shadow of the Corning Tower, to be used as a multipurpose community space. The report noted that while residents said they wanted more food and beverage options on the Plaza, it notes that this may no longer be feasible operationally. While not included as standalone projects, the report recommends upgrading performance spaces, event facilities and Plaza-level amenities so the site can better accommodate concerts and community gatherings. It also calls for possible expanded weekend hours for attractions, such as the art collection and observation deck on top of the Corning Tower. For Fahy, the effort also carries the weight of what came before it: The construction of the Empire State Plaza displaced a gritty but vibrant neighborhood and hundreds of small businesses, leaving a history that should inform how the state remakes the complex. "We have a governor trying to do something more positive with what has been a really difficult thing to do," Fahy said. "I am very grateful." Subscribe There's more to Albany with the Times Union. Subscribe today for just 25¢. This article originally published at Empire State Plaza reflecting pool could become a great lawn.