The Historic Resources Commission of the City of Albany on Wednesday reviewed concept plans for redevelopment of five parcels on Grand Street — addressed as 70 Grand and 108–114 Grand Street in the Mansion Historic District — and provided detailed design feedback but did not issue a vote.

The commission’s comments focused on building height and massing, street context and specific exterior details such as cornice depth, stoop and railing design, window profiles and material palettes. The project team said the proposal includes a two‑story community building at 70 Grand and four three‑story brownstone‑style dwellings for 108–114, with a mix of two‑bedroom units and an accessible garden‑level one‑bedroom unit at 114.

"At 70 Grand Street, we will be doing one building, two‑story, business use for community builders, which will have a community room, fitness center, laundry room. And then on the second floor, we'll have offices, administrative aspects, and a maintenance shop in the basement," said architect Angelo Germaino of Straight Line Design during the presentation.

Commissioners repeatedly asked for drawn elevations set in the block context showing adjacent buildings’ heights and street sections; several members said the proposed rowhouses appear a full floor shorter than immediately adjacent properties and recommended either raising the apparent height or increasing cornice depth to better align with the block’s established rhythm. Commissioners also asked for more detailed drawings of stoops, railings and foundation/ground‑plane treatments so the commission can judge how the buildings will read at pedestrian scale.

The applicant said the sites were demolished in prior years and that the design intentionally draws on brownstone precedents — reddish brick with darker accents, cast‑stone sills and wood‑framed windows — while varying colors across the four 108–114 addresses to reflect the block’s diversity. The team described a neighborhood master plan encompassing approximately 20 buildings and said the Grand Street cluster should be viewed within that larger context.

Project staff and the applicant discussed funding sources the team is pursuing: an application to New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) for low‑income housing tax credit or similar awards, and other sources the presenters identified by acronym as HHAP, HCI and ACR. The team said HCR awards are typically announced in the months after application review, with closings that can occur in December or June; the presenters said they were aiming for a June construction start if financing and approvals align.

Archaeology and site disturbance also were raised. The applicant reported an archaeological reconnaissance that concluded the lots are heavily disturbed and that the probability of finding intact, pre‑contact or nineteenth‑century archaeological deposits within the project area is low. Commissioners requested that any standard in‑field stop‑work procedures for unanticipated finds be noted in future submittals.

Commissioners suggested technical changes that could address multiple concerns at once: for example, raising the cornice or parapet line so it both increases apparent height next to taller neighbors and creates a location to conceal rooftop solar panels, a funding requirement the applicant said HCR had requested. The commission instructed the applicant to return with elevation drawings showing the new buildings set with existing neighboring facades, and with detailed window and door sections, stoop/railing profiles and material samples. No certificate of appropriateness or other formal approval was requested or issued at the workshop.

Next steps: the applicant will provide the requested drawings and details for staff review and subsequent commission consideration. The presentation included program-level unit descriptions and funding timetables but no permit or construction schedule was formally adopted by the commission.