The Underground Railroad Education Center in Arbor Hill is expanding.

The current building is a community staple, sharing stories of those who fled to freedom in the 1850s and stories of those who helped them along the way. The Stephen and Harriet Myers residence on Livingston Avenue was a headquarters for the Underground Railroad in Albany. But a new neighbor is in the works.

Mary Liz and Paul Stewarts are co-founders of the center. Mary Liz is also the executive director. They explained how a new interpretive center will soon exist near the existing building.

They want it to be a building of community. They plan to put solar panels on the roof and make the building self-sufficient. That way, in case of a blackout, extreme heat, extreme cold, or other disaster, the neighborhood has a place to go to seek refuge.

Paul said they are in contract with the Environmental Protection Agency for grant money to help get this project done. But they are taking donations to help cover permits, or other items that may need more flexible funding.

Most starkly, this new construction will include a piece of the past. A historic barn frame from Montgomery County will stand proudly in the new interpretive center. That barn frame was built by enslaved people.

“For us, that’s an important piece of New York history that we need to continue to speak about and teach about,” Mary Liz Stewart said.

The new building will also be eco-friendly. Paul saying it will be the only building in the state with a full certification under the Living Building Challenge.

State archeologists are currently examining findings found in the construction area, a requirement of historic sites. Once they give the OK, Paul said construction will officially start in a few months, with the center complete in just over a year.