The demo process is scheduled to be completed in 2027.

After decades of trying to figure out what to do with Albany's "biggest eyesore" it seems that The Central Warehouse is finally going to be coming down.

Now that the 4,500 tons of asbestos-contaminated materials have been removed from the building and final approval of demolition has been reached, the process to bring down the 99 year old building has begun. Crews have started taking down the rail bridge that connects the warehouse to an Amtrak train spur. The work is actually being done overnight due to the proximity of the building to active railways.

Once that process is completed, it's going to take crews about 2 months to put up the scaffolding around the building. The slow process of taking the building down won't begin until December and the demo team will be working through the Winter. Officials are saying that they will be taking the structure down in sections and done very strategically. 

If you're wondering why they aren't just taking a wrecking ball to The Warehouse, that's because of how close it is to the active rail corridor. Yes, it would be much easier and certainly quicker to just swing a wrecking ball, but that's just not a possibility. 

If all goes according to plan, the building should be gone by the Summer of 2027. At the latest, it will be early Fall of next year.

Why did it take so long to come to terms on the demolition process? Well, there were plenty of hurdles in the way when it comes to that giant, concrete square that's been vacant since the 90's. There was litigation, environmental remediation that needed to happen and of course the necessary permits that needed to be secured because of the Amtrak tracks that are adjacent to the building.

Once the building is completely gone, it will leave a 1.1 acre "hole" in Albany's warehouse district. But what will be next for that empty space? Redevelopment? Yes. With what, exactly? That answer is still up in the air.