The state money would convert parts of the former College of Saint Rose campus into an intergenerational center and turn a vacant Slingerlands supermarket into a specialized school.
Capital Region community grants totaling $13.5 million will support two adaptive-reuse projects in Albany County. New York is directing $7 million to a community center at the former College of Saint Rose and $6.5 million to a new school site for the Center for Disability Services.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the awards on October 29. The Dormitory Authority of the State of New York will administer the funding. Both projects would reuse large properties that lost their former purpose, but their timelines, total development costs and opening dates were not included in the announcement.
Two vacant properties, two public purposes
An intergenerational center at Saint Rose
Albany County plans to use the $7 million grant to purchase and renovate the Neil Hellman Library and the Events and Athletics Center on the former College of Saint Rose campus. The buildings would become an intergenerational center for older adults, families and other residents.
Programs described by the state include health and wellness activities, arts and crafts, technology instruction and financial workshops. The project is intended to put major campus buildings back into public use while bringing services together in one location.
The Albany County Pine Hills Land Authority was created in June 2024 after the college closed. The authority acquired the 27-acre, 71-building campus and has been working with local partners on new uses. Separate redevelopment efforts include housing and university-related uses. The Phoenix previously reported on UAlbany housing at the former Saint Rose campus.
A specialized school in a former supermarket
The Center for Disability Services will receive $6.5 million to acquire and convert the former ShopRite property in Slingerlands, in the Town of Bethlehem. The grocery store has been vacant since 2023.
The new site is expected to allow more than 50 students to move off a waiting list for specialized education. The Center operates the Kevin G. Langan School, which serves kindergarten through grade 12 students from 58 school districts in the Capital Region and beyond. The school’s official description says it serves students with multiple disabilities, autism and traumatic brain injuries and provides speech, occupational and physical therapy, behavior support and nursing services.
Why specialized school capacity matters
New York’s approved private schools serve students whose needs cannot be appropriately met in their home district, a neighboring district or a BOCES program. A district Committee on Special Education may recommend that placement as part of a student’s individualized education program.
That process means the new building is not simply additional classroom space. It could affect families who have been waiting for a placement that can deliver required educational and health supports. The announcement, however, does not say how admissions will be prioritized, which districts have students on the waiting list or whether transportation plans are complete.
Adaptive reuse is promising, but details matter
Reusing an existing library, athletics center and supermarket can reduce the time and land needed for new public facilities. It can also return vacant properties to tax-producing or service-producing use. Whether reuse is cheaper than new construction depends on building conditions, accessibility work, environmental review, mechanical systems and long-term maintenance.
The state release does not provide the total cost of either project or identify all funding sources. It also does not include construction schedules, staffing plans, final accessibility specifications or annual operating budgets. Those details will determine how quickly the public sees results and whether the facilities can be sustained after the capital grants are spent.
What this means for Mohawk Valley readers
The awards are for Albany County projects, so the announcement does not direct money to Oneida, Herkimer or Madison counties. The broader model still matters in communities with vacant schools, stores and institutional buildings.
Local governments and nonprofits can study whether those properties can become service hubs instead of remaining empty. The approach is especially relevant when families must travel for disability services or when older adults need accessible programming close to home. It is not a substitute for direct Mohawk Valley investment, but it offers a case to watch.
Phoenix coverage has examined New York’s disability-employment efforts, art by people with lived experience of disability at Hamilton College and a community-center investment in Jackson Heights. Together, those stories show how accessibility, education, employment and physical space are connected.
Resources for families
Families seeking special-education information should begin with their school district’s Committee on Special Education. The New York State Education Department lists approved private and state-supported schools and explains the placement framework.
The state’s Help Hub for Families can point residents toward disability, health, independent-living and other service directories. Families should confirm eligibility, insurance participation and wait-list information directly with each provider.
Official video and photo resources
The Governor’s Office released official project b-roll on YouTube. Because the state identifies the clip as project b-roll rather than a speech, the embed uses the default 0:00 start.
The office also posted an official Flickr album. The album’s individual images are marked “All rights reserved,” so the Phoenix did not import them. Readers can view the originals at the linked album.
What residents can watch next
Several public steps should produce more information. Property acquisition, design work, local land-use review and construction contracts can clarify the schedule and full cost. Albany County and the land authority can also explain how community groups will help shape programming at the former Saint Rose buildings.
For the school project, families need clear information about the opening date, student capacity, referral process, transportation and the services available at the new site. The Center for Disability Services and referring school districts should communicate directly with eligible families. Public updates should protect student privacy while still reporting aggregate enrollment, staffing and wait-list progress.
Those details will show whether the grants simply renovate buildings or create programs that people can reliably use. They will also help other Upstate communities decide whether similar adaptive-reuse projects are practical.
Sources and further reading
- Governor’s October 29 grant announcement
- Center for Disability Services: Kevin G. Langan School
- NYSED approved school information
What should officials explain before construction begins? Families and service providers can share useful public resources or questions about accessibility, transportation and program capacity in the comments. Please protect student privacy and do not post identifying medical or education information.
