ALBANY — The state is directing $600,000 in funding toward accessibility upgrades at the Albany Black Chamber of Commerce building in downtown Albany, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Wednesday.
Albany Black Chamber of Commerce CEO Deshanna Wiggins said the upgrades will focus on several key areas of the group’s building located at 141 Washington Ave., which was home to the former University Club for more than 120 years. Business for Good, a Capital Region nonprofit focused on investing in minority-owned businesses, donated the three-story, 20,000-square-foot building to the chamber in 2023.
The planned accessibility upgrades include the installation of an elevator to provide access to all building levels, widened doorways, the addition of both internal and external ramps for improved mobility and the renovation of restrooms to ensure Americans with Disabilities Act compliance, Wiggins said. In an email, the Chamber wrote that its total capital campaign goal for its building updates is $1.2 million…