Eight proposals have been received for a new city hall in Troy.
Mayor Carmella Mantello says her administration is working to evaluate and narrow the proposals down to two or three options before negotiations begin. The Republican says the Request for Proposals, which hasn’t been shared with the public, has led to new ideas on a potential location. Mantello says a new, more thoughtfully laid out city hall would make it easier for residents to utilize services.
“We don't want to put it somewhere where, you know, 90 percent of people in Troy are going to say, ‘wait a minute, why are you doing that?’ Or, you know, in terms of all that,” Mantello said. “So, on both fronts, it's going to be fiscally responsible at the same time transparent, and after we narrow it down, we'll be able to be more public, but at the same time, we have to be cautious, because it is a business transaction.”
Pressure has been mounting in recent years for the city’s headquarters to be housed in a city-owned property. The city has rented the fifth floor of the Hedley building on River Street for nearly 15 years and its current lease expired in late 2022. Multiple plans to develop and return City Hall to 1 Monument Square, its former home, have fallen apart. Mantello says the city’s current landlord, First Columbia, has proposed enhancements to the current space including a proper city council chamber.
“It's a temporary spot with a piece of paper downstairs telling people that we're on the fifth floor,” Mantello said. “Obviously we're looking for two major things, permanent space, fiscally responsible, and one that really embodies the pride the history of Troy.”
Republican Council President Pro Tem Thomas Casey shares Mantello’s sentiment.
“People say it's a bridge too far to build one. Well, I say again, every town in America has a city hall. Somewhere along the lines, they built a city hall,” Casey said. “But if we find a suitable building, that's okay too. But the time for renting I think is over.”
The pervious city council appropriated American Rescue Plan Act funding for a new city hall.
For her part, Democratic City Council President Sue Steele says she is concerned about the city’s finances after the mayor’s administration was unable to provide the council with a clear picture of the city’s first quarter finances.
“We still don't have any clarity,” Steele said. “We don't have hard numbers, and I am very concerned by the fact that the mayor and deputy mayor refused to allow the council to see the RFPs. We are decision makers, co-equal branches of government, and this is not a way to engender faith or transparency in a government if you are keeping documents secret.”
Councilor Aaron Vera, a fellow Democrat and engineer from District 4, says he went to city hall hoping to view the proposals but was denied.
“I was in City Hall the day that the RFP was due,” Vera said. “I had requested a copy from the city purchasing agent, and then I was confronted by the Deputy Mayor, and asked to not visit City Hall to request information like that and instead to go through his office.”
Mantello adds that a new home for official city business needs to be well thought out.
“The city is going to be here long, long, long after all of us, and you know this home will be a permanent home for decades to come,” Mantello said.
Developers that submitted proposals include Wisdomworks, Siemens Industry, Luizzi Companies, the Italian Community Center, Columbia Development Companies, First Columbia, and Clark Trading Corporation.
