Former Doane Stuart School destroyed in huge Albany fire

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The old Doane Stuart School in the area of Mt. Hope Drive in Albany appears to be a total loss, Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan said.

The fire broke out Thursday evening, with all areas of the building involved.

A steeple on the building has collapsed, said the mayor, with more collapses expected.

Route 9W at Corning Hill is closed in that area.

Meantime, it is still way too early to determine a cause.

“At this point, our investigators can’t even get into where they would need to be to investigate this fire,” Sheehan said.

She said the state will be helping with the investigation.

They are now looking for anyone who might have any video of the fire.

A press conference is expected at 9:30 Friday morning.

The Doane Stuart School has released this statement:

“The faculty, staff, administration, and alumni at Doane Stuart are heartbroken to hear about the fire at our old campus. It was an absolutely beautiful building and property that held years of memories for so many of us. Doane Stuart was a tenant of the property from 1975 until June of 2009 when we moved to our current campus in Rensselaer. Our thoughts are with everyone who is grieving the loss of this special landmark in Doane Stuart’s history.”