Negotiations begin with two firms to take down Central Warehouse

A Capital Region eyesore is getting closer to being demolished.

The Advance Albany County Alliance voted on Tuesday to enter negotiations with contractors Gramercy Group and LiRo-Hill to take down the Central Warehouse.

The Albany building has been abandoned and deteriorating since the early 1990s.

The Advance Albany County Alliance acquired the 11-story, 400,000-square-foot property in January for $50,000 from the county. A previous developer, CW Skyway LLC, was unable to redevelop the site because of rising costs and the county bought the property.

No implosion will be used in the demolition process and people will be discouraged from getting too close to the work site, according to Advance Albany County Alliance.

The organization said in a news release that the cost of the demolition is estimated at more than $14 million, which is an increase from the original estimate of around $13 million. Albany County Executive Dan McCoy said additional funding has been obtained.

“For too long the Central Warehouse has been a source of frustration, safety concerns and economic stagnation. Previous attempts to remove it were met with red tape, funding challenges and logistical setbacks. But today, I am pleased to say that thanks to the perseverance of Albany County those obstacles are behind us,” McCoy said in a statement.