Two SWBR projects have been recognized with awards by the Historic Albany Foundation. The annual awards program recognizes projects, individuals, and organizations that demonstrate excellence in and a commitment to preservation.
Hattie’s Albany was recognized with the Main Street Award for downtown or “Main Street” revitalization efforts. These projects are committed to (re)locating in the city core or at key Main Street locations in struggling neighborhoods. The Business for Good Foundation, which turns restaurants into nonprofits, purchased the historic 1900-built Lombardo Building in 2021 to restore it and breathe new life into the community. The owner preserved the building’s historic character during the restoration and transformed it into Hattie’s Albany, a popular culinary destination whose profits are donated to combat hunger and food insecurity.
Honored with a Preservation Merit Award, Steamboat Square Revitalization Phase 1 is one of four historic high-rise buildings that make up Steamboat Square, a long-established workforce housing community located in Albany’s emerging Capital South neighborhood. The project is the first stage in a multi-phase program to enhance and extend the useful life of the entire complex consistent with neighborhood planning. Preservation Merit Award winning projects are outstanding examples of restoration, rehabilitation or adaptive reuse that inspire other preservation efforts and serve as a model for best practices.
The 2024 Preservation Merit Awards Ceremony & Annual Meeting will be held Wednesday, September 25 at the Cathedral of All Saints in Albany, NY.