Vines creep up the yellow brick walls, and the wooden entrance ramp is decaying at Public Bathhouse No. 2 on Albany’s Fourth Avenue, the 119-year-old building, once a hive of energy in the South End, is in jeopardy, littered with broken windows, collapsing ceilings and the telltale signs of decay. The building has been vacant for 15 years, and now the elements are trying to reclaim it. Not too long ago, the city’s Department of General Services had to clear out the aftermath of detritus left behind by squatters.
For two years, the city has sought proposals from anyone who might undertake what would be a yeoman’s effort to breathe life back into this once valuable neighborhood landmark. But this sturdy and stable architectural gem, built at the turn of the 20th century is now desperately compromised, and no one, not a single person or company, has inquired about buying or reviving this building since the city listed the property for sale.
This Thanksgiving, the city will once again renew its request for proposal from individuals and developers who might revive the building. A 20-page report about the property includes estimates on how many thousands of dollars it would take to rebuild. Historic Albany Foundation lists the Bathhouse as one of Albany’s “Places in Peril.”…