Downtown Schenectady Master Plan

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[This information is from the Downtown Schenectady Master Plan prepared by Hunter Interests, Inc. in 1999, and is reproduced with their permission. It is in the Schenectady Collection of the Schenectady County Public Library at Schdy R 711 DOWf. Numbers in parentheses are page numbers from the paper version of the report, with file sizes for images.]

Letter from the President of Hunter Interests
I. Executive Summary (1)
II. Background and Introduction (7)
III. Existing Downtown and Market Area Conditions (12)
- A. Market Overview (12)
- B. Selected Demographic Statistics (13)
- C. Trade Area Comparisons (15)
- D. Documentation of Downtown Physical Conditions (22)
  - 1. Regional Context (22)
  - 2. Building Use Patterns Downtown (23)
    - a. Residential (23)
    - b. Retail (24)
    - c. Government (24)
    - d. Private Offices (24)
    - e. Vacant Buildings (24)
    - f. Parking (25)
    - g. Rail Initiatives (25)
  - 3. Urban Design Analysis (25)
    - a. Urban Structure (26)
    - b. Analysis of Building Character (27)
    - c. Street Sections (27)
    - d. Urban Design Imperatives (27)
  - 4. Transportation and Parking (56)
    - a. Location and Regional Access (56)
    - b. Local Access and Circulation (58)
    - c. Parking Facilities and Services (61)
    - d. Public Transportation Facilities and Services (65)
    - e. Summary and Conclusion (67)
IV. Adaptive Use Potentials (69)
V. Alternative Futures (77)
- A. Evaluation of Alternatives (77)
  - 1. Summary of Option A (77)
  - 2. Summary of Option B (78)
  - 3. Summary of Option C (78)
- B. Criteria for Evaluation of Alternatives (78)
VI. Downtown Development Plan (86)
- A. Strategic Approach to Revitalization and Development (86)
- B. Visualization of Preferred Alternative (88)
- C. Implementation Strategies (95)
  - 1. Arts and Entertainment Development Strategy (100)
  - 2. Office Development Strategy (133)
    - a. MVP Headquarters Office Building (135)
    - b. Department of Transportation Office Building (135)
    - c. Western Gateway Transportation Center (136)
    - d. Attraction of Additional Large Scale Development (136)
    - e. Small Office User Attraction (137)
  - 3. Small Business Attraction Strategy (145)
  - 4. Retail Development Strategy (149)
    - a. Overview of Trends Affecting Urban Retailing (149)
      - (1) Negative Factors (151)
      - (2) Positive Factors (151)
    - b. Retailing Enhancement Strategy (153)
    - c. Retail Action Steps (154)
      - (1) Attract Cinema Developer/Operator (154)
      - (2) Attraction of 10-20 Arts-Related Retail Establishments (154)
      - (3) Create Management Organization (155)
  - 5. Residential Development Strategy (155)
  - 6. Civic Events and Festival Strategy (166)
  - 7. Cultural/Educational Strategy (171)
  - 8. Parking Development & Transportation Infrastructure Strategy (175)
  - 9. Management Strategy (178)

Appendix A: Design Guidelines for Downtown Schenectady
- Introduction
- Section I. Framework for Civic Revitalization (1)
  - Framework for Civic Revitalization (2)
  - Linkages (3)
  - Major Landmark Elements (5)
  - Major Civic Spaces (6)
- Section II. Architectural and Site Design Guidelines (7)
  - Building on Schenectady's Fabric (8)
  - Preserving Historic Buildings and Facades (11)
  - Building Width and Vertical Modulation (12)
  - Building Height and Horizontal Modulation (14)
  - Materials (15)
  - Windows (16)
  - Entrances and Storefronts (17)
  - Service Areas (18)
  - Parking Structures (19)
  - Surface Parking (20)
- Section III. Design Guidelines for the Public Realm (21)
  - Street Walls and Build-to Lines (22)
  - Planting (24)
  - Street Furniture (26)
  - Fixtures, Furnishings and Utilities (27)
  - Lighting (28)
  - Signage (30)
  - Sidewalks and Roadways (31)
  - Guidelines for Special Streets (32)
  - Primary Spine: Erie Boulevard (33)
  - Primary Spine: State Street (35)
  - Secondary Spines: Broadway and Union Avenue (37)
  - Primary Edges: Nott Terrace and Veeder Avenue (39)
  - Greenways: Clinton Street, Franklin Street, Church Street (41)
  - Pedestrian Malls: Jay Street, Mill Lane, Stratton Plaza (43)
  - Veteran's Park (45)
  - Liberty Park (47)
  - Intermodal Station Plaza (49)
  - City Hall Plaza (50)
  - Civic Gateways and Portals (51)
Appendix B: Examples of Incentive and Revitalization Programs
Appendix C: Western Gateway Transportation Center Renderings: 1 (369K) | 2 (318K)
Appendix D: Commercial Revitalization Details

Figures

Figure 1: Map — Downtown Schenectady (11, 401K)
Figures 2-11: Character and Goals, Various Downtown Schenectady Areas
- Erie Boulevard (29, 65K)
- Upper State Street (29, 64K)
- Jay Street (29, 64K)
- Union Street (30, 51K)
- Veteran's Park (30, 55K)
- Civic Center (30, 55K)
- Station District (31, 43K)
- Lower State Street (31, 45K)
- Stockade (31, 48K)
- Broadway to Veeder (32, 60K)
Figure 12: Street Sections (33, 107K)
Figure 13: Existing Surface Parking (34, 386K)
Figure 14: Urban Enclosure Diagram (35, 315K)
Figure 15: Urban Structure Diagram (36, 352K)
Figure 16: Regional Context (37, 444K)
Figures 17-34:Block-by-Block Existing Conditions (38-55)
- Block A: South side of State St. between Veeder Ave. and Lafayette St. (284K)
- Block B: South side of State St. between Clinton St. and Lafayette St. (267K)
- Block C: North side of State St. between Clinton St. and Lafayette St. (262K)
- Block D: North side of State St. between Clinton St. and Jay St. (292K)
- Block E: South side of State St. between Clinton St. and Broadway (294K)
- Block F: North side of State St. between Clinton St. and Lafayette St. (267K)
- Block G: South side of State St. between Broadway and the Railroad (250K)
- Block H: South side of State St. between Erie Blvd. and the Railroad (270K)
- Block I: South side of State St. between Erie Blvd. and mid-block alley (280K)
- Block J: North side of State St. between Erie Blvd. and mid-block alley (252K)
- Block K: South side of State St. between South Ferry St. and mid-block alley (243K)
- Block L: West side of Erie Blvd. between Erie St. and South Ferry St. (249K)
- Block M: East side of Erie Blvd. between State St. and parking area (249K)
- Block N: West side of Erie Blvd. between Church St. and Interstate (237K)
- Block O: East side of Erie Blvd. between two parking areas (216K)
- Block P: East side of Erie Blvd. between parking area and Interstate (243K)
- Block Q: East side of Erie Blvd. between State St. and Liberty St. (238K)
- Block R: West side of Erie Blvd. between State St. and Union St. (267K)
Figure 35: Study Area Roadways — Functional Classification (57, 286K)
Figure 36: Traffic Flow and Key Intersection Levels of Service (59, 262K)
Figure 37: Study Area — Key Public Parking Facilities (63, 263K)
Figure 38: Study Area Transit Facilities (68, 262K)
Figure 39: Downtown Master Plan Option A (80, 309K)
Figure 40: Option A Details (81, 232K)
Figure 41: Downtown Master Plan Option B (82, 287K)
Figure 42: Option B Details (83, 254K)
Figure 43: Downtown Master Plan Option C (84, 330K)
Figure 44: Option C Details (85, 317K)
Figure 45: Downtown Master Plan Visualization (91, 348K)
Figure 46: Franklin Street Greenway Linkage (92, 267K)
Figure 47: City Hall Plaza (93, 216K)
Figure 48: Erie Boulevard (94, 290K)
Figure 49: Focus Zone Diagram (98, 285K)
Figure 50: Partnership Diagram (99, 267K)
Figure 51: Arts/Entertainment Strategy (130, 272K)
Figure 52: Phase I — Arts/Entertainment Strategy (131, 334K)
Figure 53: Phases I and II — Arts/Entertainment Strategy (132, 287K)
Figure 54: Large Office Strategy (138, 273K)
Figure 55: Phase I — Existing Large Office Buildings (139, 300K)
Figure 56: Phase I — DOT Large Office Building (140, 275K)
Figure 57: Phase I — MVP Large Office Building (141, 281K)
Figure 58: Phase I — Intermodal Site Large Office Building (142, 283K)
Figure 59: Phase I — Additional Large Office Building (143, 283K)
Figure 60: Phase I — Large Office Strategy (144, 323K)
Figure 61: Small Business Impact Zone (147, 275K)
Figure 62: Phase I — Small Business Strategy (148, 316K)
Figure 63: Phase I & II — Housing Strategy (165, 329K)
Figure 64: Civic Events & Festival Strategy (168, 272K)
Figure 65: Phase I — Civic Events and Festivals (169, 310K)
Figure 66: Farmer's Market and Festivals (170, 311K)
Figure 67: Phase I — Cultural/Educational Strategy (172, 318K)
Figure 68: Phase I — Cultural/Activities Strategy (173, 298K)
Figure 69: Phase II — Cultural/Educational Strategy (174, 291K)

Tables

Table 1: Top 10 Two- and Four-Year Colleges and Universities (13)
Table 2: Capital Regional Population Projections (14)
Table 3: Schenectady County Population Projections (14)
Table 4: Population (18)
Table 5: Households (19)
Table 6: Median Household Wealth and Income (20)
Table 7: Per Capita Income (21)
Table 8: 1998 Households by Household Wealth (22)
Table 9: Average Daily Traffic, Key Study Area Roadways (58)
Table 10: Capacity Analysis Results Key Study Area Intersections (60)
Table 11: Downtown Schenectady Parking and Inventory Usage Summary (64)
Table 12: Attendance at Area Attractions (105)
Table 13: Sports Team Attendance (106)
Table 14: Attendance Figures, Proctor's Theater (108)
Table 15: Movie Going Frequency (116)
Table 16: Percentage of Total Yearly Admissions (116)
Table 17: Capital Region Major Cinema Summary (119)
Table 18: 1998 Population by Race (121)
Table 19: Total Income (122)
Table 20: Market Assessment for Downtown Cinema (122)
Table 21: Impact of Downtown 16-Screen Cineplex (124)
Table 22: Median Selling Price of Homes (159)
Table 23: Number of Homes Sold (159)
Table 24: Phase I Core Area Parking Needs (178)
Table 25: Action Steps for Downtown Schenectady Revitalization (184)