Photo by Mark McCarty

“I see a resurgence as far as the city is concerned, much more so than in the last 20 years,” Hedley says. “We used to get maybe one call a month. Now I get one call a day. Before when you brought people in, they had no interest. Now they stay for an hour and a half.”

Hedley has been in the city for 44 years, remembers when it was bustling with shoppers, and believes Troy can find its niche again. He envisions the Market Square Block as an upscale shopping center similar to Stuyvesant Plaza in Guilderland. He sees similar hope in the effort to recreate the city’s Little Italy section, complete with a market, and other neighborhood revitalization efforts. “I see a great renaissance, I really do,” he says. “I see a real movement. We just have to keep it going.”

Troy architect Vincent Lepera ’68 has been a firsthand witness to many of the developments, real and proposed, over the years. “I’m the eternal optimist,” he says. “I’ve been through a lot of ups and downs, and as times go along, I become ever more wary of the good times that come along.”

In the 1980s, Lepera worked with developer Charles DeSeve, who had purchased several of the city’s most prominent buildings and had grand plans for revitalizing them. Instead, DeSeve ended up in personal bankruptcy, and the dreams that many had pinned on him collapsed. “We did all the architectural work for DeSeve. We were badly hurt when he went down,” Lepera says. “It nearly destroyed my business.”

Photo by Mark McCarty

In the 1990s, it was developer Mark Simmons who bought and renovated a number of downtown structures, including the River Triangle and Dauchy Buildings. Some had hoped that Simmons would also take over the Market Square Block now owned by Hedley, whose upper floors — including three glorious ballrooms — have been vacant well over 20 years. Many of Troy’s leaders see this moment as different, because there are multiple projects happening at once. “You can’t do it alone. I don’t care who you are,” Hedley says. “You don’t want one person to own all the property. It’s like having a building with one tenant. That tenant leaves, you’re in trouble.”

New Troy Mayor Harry Tutunjian says he also is impressed that the developers are using private funds, not relying on government. “A lot of the investors are using their own money, and that’s important,” he says. “I’m very confident and optimistic. There has been a lot of private investment.”

Another project poised for fruition is the effort to create greater access to the riverfront. The South Troy Working Waterfront Plan calls for moving heavy industry to the southernmost end of the city, opening up space slightly north for lighter industry and recreation. “We have an opportunity to create a new industrial park in the south end of this city where these businesses that have long been hamstrung can grow,” says Lepera, who has worked on the idea for decades. But as of press time, the City Council had yet to act on the proposed rezoning.

The city’s historically contentious politics often have been a stumbling block to development. Since Democrats and Republicans can and have won both council majorities and the mayor’s job, and elections for the council are held every two years, it has led to political logjams. “The politics in Troy is responsible for some of these investments losing some wind because of the invective,” Lepera says. “Developers need one thing from a political machine: stability. That’s the one thing you don’t have in the City of Troy.”

Photo by Kris Qua

Troy has another influential friend in State Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno. Bruno, a Republican from Brunswick, has used his clout as one of the most powerful legislators in the state to send millions of dollars to fund various projects in the city. From $2.1 million in state aid to wire the Rice Building, to state employees moved to Hedley’s office complexes and the Frear Building, Bruno’s impact has been substantial.

“We all owe our lives to Senator Bruno right now,” Carroll says. “Maybe this city would revive. It would take far longer. Senator Bruno made a difference for all of us. We have been brought back from the brink enough so that people are willing to take a risk.”

Hedley agrees. “While he is able to do what he is able to do, we have to take advantage of it,” he says.

But many of Troy’s most promising developments also have occurred on their own, without the aid of government. No one from City Hall decided to create a row of antiques stores on River Street, nor did the city’s governing bodies set out to create a variety of topnotch restaurants. For example, when the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall was revitalized in the ’80s, restaurants began to crop up around it.

With serious investors, involved citizens and business owners, and concrete plans for revitalization, Troy is beginning the 21st century with much promise — and tangible results. “Given fertile soil, seeds will grow,” Lepera says.

Rensselaer's Role in Troy Photo by Thomas Griffin Rensselaer is playing a major role in the revitalization of Troy — and the investment is paying off for the Institute and for the city. An economic impact report released last summer found that Rensselaer “is a major and growing regional enterprise.” The independent analysis was conducted by New York City-based consulting firm, Appleseed. In a letter accompanying the report, Rensselaer President Shirley Ann Jackson said: “The history of the Institute is, and always has been, inextricably tied to that of the City of Troy and of the region — from the 19th-century Industrial Revolution, to the late 20th-century high-technology boom, to the biotechnology and nanotechnology revolution in this young century.” In fact, Jackson coined the term “communiversity” more than four years ago to define the common link between a university and its surrounding neighborhoods. Many in the Troy community and beyond are beginning to embrace Jackson’s words, as the philosophy becomes reality. “RPI for the first time since George Low is seriously making a commitment to connecting with the City (of Troy),” says Troy architect Vincent Lepera ‘68. “That is critically important because RPI is such a big player (in the community).” Rensselaer is undergoing unprecedented expansion on the Troy campus. Construction for the 218,000-square-foot Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies is in full swing in anticipation of its opening this fall. In addition, the design for the 200,000-square-foot Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center is completed and construction is expected to begin soon. But, Rensselaer has expanded beyond its campus in its communiversity efforts.

The Institute has partnered with Troy in the revitalization of the city by moving several research centers and administrative departments into the downtown area, by managing the renovation and reuse of the historic Rice Building, and by working with the city on the development of a high-speed broadband network in the area. On Eighth Street, next to the Approach staircase, Rensselaer’s former Winslow Building is the home of the Junior Museum. Rensselaer’s Lighting Research Center, a division of the School of Architecture, is housed in another Troy landmark, the Gurley Building, which is home to another 60 employees in downtown Troy. Last October, Rensselaer also opened the Social and Behavioral Research Laboratory in the Gurley Building. The 8,500-square-foot facility, under the auspices of Rensselaer’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences, encompasses research focused on the social, cognitive, and behavioral effects of information technology. “Our partnership with the City of Troy and our neighbors continues to expand in collaborative efforts to enhance the quality of life across the community through economic development opportunities and a number of other programs,” says Allison Newman, director of community relations at Rensselaer. To enhance the physical and economic revitalization of Troy, the Institute also has committed $2.3 million to programs ranging from homeownership grants to roadway improvements. Photo by Thomas Griffin Through its Homebuyer’s Incentive Program, for instance, Rensselaer offers $5,000 to qualified homebuyers who purchase a home in neighborhoods north and south of campus. The program is part of the university’s Neighborhood Renewal Initiatives (NRI), established in 2000 to enhance the livability of the city’s neighborhoods, foster economic development, and stabilize property values. One of latest NRI programs is Rensselaer’s Hillside Homeowner Rehab Program, which supports quality-of-life improvements for local homeowners. The money, which will be parceled out as 30 grants of $8,000 each, will be used to remedy code violations and structural problems, improve energy conservation, and address life safety concerns for low-income owner-occupied property. — Jodi Ackerman

Tim O’Brien has covered the city of Troy for the Times Union for more than 15 years.