Schenectady Eyesore Expected to be Demolished

Erie Boulevard in Schenectady continues to see cosmetic improvements. The addition of Rivers Casino five years ago brought lots of new restaurants, retail, and apartments to the street. Not to mention a newly paved road, a traffic circle, and the elimination of some of the eyesores that have been along the street for more than a generation.

One of the long vacant buildings left standing though, is about to face the wrecking ball. The Old Coyne Textile building ta 1443 Erie Boulevard is scheduled to be demolished by summer. The structure spans about a full acre.

There was hope over the last decade of so that the building could be gutted and repurposed, but the structure has deteriorated so much over the years due to water damage and lack of maintenance. Its current owner purchased the building in 2018 and says there's really no hope of restoring it, so the plan is to knock it down and market the property as vacant land. In order to do that, environmental surveys need to take place, which will almost certainly conclude there is a large amount of chemicals in the soil. The building had been used for many years as a commercial laundry facility, while the space next door was a car wash, where it is believed even more chemicals entered the ground.

After the utilities are turned off and some asbestos removal takes, the building will likely be knocked down in mid May. After that? Who knows. Maybe a new - much needed -Applebees.

[Daily Gazette]