Albany comment period closes on three Harlem redevelopment sites

Albany’s deadline for written comments on redevelopment at three Historic Harlem Business District sites passed on Oct. 22, 2026. The city said it would consider timely comments on its environmental review before authorizing a planned request for federal funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

In a notice dated Oct. 15, the city said it anticipated requesting release of Community Project Funding under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024, as amended, on or about Oct. 30. That was a planned request date, not confirmation of HUD approval or a release of funds.

Three sites, with different work proposed i

The review covers 310 West Oglethorpe Boulevard, 317 West Highland Avenue, and the parcels at 312 and 314 West Highland Avenue in Albany’s Historic Harlem Business District. The proposed redevelopment includes residential units, commercial space, professional offices and community-serving facilities.

The city’s notice says the structure at 310 West Oglethorpe Boulevard would be demolished. The city would acquire the parcels at 312 and 314 West Highland Avenue and demolish their existing structures. The 317 West Highland Avenue site had already been cleared. The notice does not say construction has begun at these sites.

Albany determined that the project would have no significant impact on the human environment and would not require an Environmental Impact Statement. That is the city’s determination. The Oct. 15 notice does not state a construction schedule or the amount of funding the city planned to request.

The three-site review is not the start of the broader Harlem revitalization effort. WALB reported that the Legacy Wellness Center, described as the effort’s first phase, held a ribbon-cutting and opening in May 2026.

Comments and the separate HUD objection period i

Individuals, groups and agencies could submit written comments on the Environmental Review Record by Oct. 22. The notice listed the Department of Community and Economic Development, 230 South Jackson Street, as a place to examine or copy the record on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The notice also describes a separate 15-day period for qualifying objections to the funding release and the city’s certification. That period runs from the anticipated submission date or HUD’s actual receipt of the request, whichever is later. The notice advises potential objectors to confirm the final deadline with HUD. It does not confirm whether Albany later submitted its request.