Albany's Central Warehouse Owner Speaks About Crumbling Building

More chunks of concrete fell from the Central Warehouse on Monday. One media outlet was there when more of the wall came crashing down:

A Times Union photographer was working near the 143 Montgomery St. building when at least one chunk gave way and crashed to the ground. A second piece of debris could be heard hitting the ground too.

Last week Amtrak announced they were canceling service west of Albany due to large pieces of concrete falling close to the tracks. So far none of the debris has hit the tracks, but it has come close enough where Amtrak is taking precautions.

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The building's owner, Evan Blum, told CBS 6 he has grand plans for the massive structure, but the city is working against him:

It’s another ploy for them to steal the building from me, by saddling me with an inflated bill, figuring I’ll never pay it.

Mayor Kathy Sheehan says she intends to forward any expenses the city takes on to Blum.

Google Street View

When pressed by CBS 6 for how he plans to fix up the building, he would not get specific:

I’m a businessperson, a creative and I can do great things if they get out of my way.

Meanwhile, the city's state of emergency declaration around the building is still in place and Amtrak is trying to fulfill travel west of Albany by sending passengers to the Schenectady rail station via bus service. Mayor Kathy Sheehan told CBS 6 on Monday that workers are on site trying to stabilize the collapsing wall:

Crews are right now working on one corner of the building where there's a large metal stack. Then the plan is to move to the removal of the loose concrete where it's been identified and hopefully get the immediate threat under control and removed so the train travel can resume.

And the saga continues.

Sneak Peek Inside The Creepy Old Central Warehouse

Abandoned Ramada Hotel in Lake George is Eerie as Hell

According to the description, this video was taken in the summer of 2021. It claims to be of the former Ramada Hotel in Lake George, although a couple different hotels/motels have sported the Ramada name over the years, it's not clear which one this is. Looking back at some property transactions, it may be a Ramada that eventually become known as the Lake View Inn and Conference Center, located on Route 9N off Northway exit 21. Since no footage looks to have been taken around the building, it's difficult to confirm that. The last photo taken by Google Maps has the road leading to the hotel roped off, so more than likely it's the same place. Perhaps some locals or former guests may recognize the property?

Still, some pretty interesting finds as the explorers take us on a tour of the hotel. It appears all the remaining items in the rooms were pushed out into the parking lot. Old TV's, mattresses, bedding and vending machines line the hotel in the parking lot in a large junk pile.

Inside, the sun room had clearly seen better days - that may have been a restaurant. We can also see a bathroom (urinals) and what appears to be the kitchen. The first floor looks to have been almost completely gutted, so maybe there are plans for this place?

WARNING: Under no circumstances should you enter this property. By doing so you risk bodily harm and/or prosecution for trespassing on private property.

A Look Inside Abandoned Ames Department Store in NY

Ames Department stores were once prevalent throughout the United States, including here in the Capital Region and other parts of New York. At one time, there were about 700 stores nationwide.

I remember buying my first DVD player at the store in Latham when it was having its going out of business sale in the early 2000's. That location is now a Hobby Lobby.

In 2002, there were between 300 and 400 stores. The company was declining in sales and shut down operations permanently.

This former store is located in Horseheads, NY, in the state's Southern Tier between Elmira and the Finger Lakes. What makes it unique is the fact that sign and external design of the store still remain. In fact, the power still works in the building - as these urban explorers found out when they were making their way through the building.

Inside the store, not much retail history remains, though there are some colorful counters and maybe the remains of some signs on the floor. It also appears some squatters may have been calling it home at some point.

As expected, floor tiles are deteriorating, ceiling tiles are non-existent, there's garbage and debris, but neatly piled into different areas, so somebody is keeping an eye on it. Graffiti is seen in different parts of the former store as well.

It looks like some work may have been done on the facility in the past as it looks 'relatively' clean for a store that's been abandoned for around twenty years.

WARNING: Under no circumstances should you enter this property. By doing so you risk bodily harm and/or prosecution for trespassing on private property.

Source: WATCH: Albany’s Central Warehouse Owner Speaks Out

Filed Under: albany, Albany Central Warehouse, amtrak, central warehouse, evan blum, mayor sheehan

Categories: Around Albany, News