Lacking Sewer Line Leads to Standoff in Troy

The lack of a sewer line less than the size of half a football field may be the difference between preservation and destruction of a historic section of Troy.

Judge Development Corporation’s Sam Judge proposed demolishing five buildings in the Rensselaer County city’s River Street district, the Times Union reported. Three of the buildings are between 213 and 223 River Street, while two more properties are warehouses sited between Front Street and the Hudson River.

The developer has expressed interest in redeveloping the deteriorating buildings, but said he can’t do so without the installation of a 120-foot-long sewer line. The mayor said a sewer line can’t be installed until Judge says what he’ll do with the properties, creating a standoff between the two sides.

Judge acquired the properties at stake 18 years ago, discovering only two years later that the existing sewer lines didn’t connect to others in the neighborhood, instead feeding directly into the river.

Judge said it would be “heartbreaking” to demolish the historic buildings, noting that he’s done other restorations of historic properties in Troy before.

When he appeared before the Historic District and Landmarks Review Commission, it gave a negative response to the demolition proposal. Some community members have also spoken out against the idea, which could impact the facades of other properties. The proposal remains stuck with the Historic Review Commission, waiting to be sent to the Planning Commission.

Judge also hasn’t said what he would do with the properties, creating a sense of unease. The mayoral administration said it can’t install anything until it knows the fate of the properties, as that would determine the size of what it installs. Judge has said they would be brought to “Front Street grade,” but has given little else in the way of plans.

Eventually, someone will need to blink and smell the roses, or whatever will be traveling through the hypothetical sewer line.

— Holden Walter-Warner