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Relocate the Troy public library, RPI bookstore, and Sage bookstore to the Atrium

Posted by bdavis (Troy Improvement Idea)
Area: Downtown | Tags: troy library rpi sage

I know this was proposed a while back. I think this would be a great way to drive foot traffic to downtown.

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met 495 days ago

I like this idea too!

jkjunkfilter 494 days ago

I think this would really help to get people into the downtown. Once they get there... they will love it!!! :-)

inspiredbydesign 461 days ago

More than the Troy Public library - there needs to be a movement of consolidation of services on a County wide basis. If we take seriously the notion of our tech valley cities being knowledge centers, centers for the arts as well as research centers, then we need to build some critical mass by consolidating County services associated with with these goals into our downtown - why not the Rensselaer County Public Library? Create a county wide tax for this and similar initiatives - i.e.Tech Valley High School. Schenectady County has the metroplex notion as an economic engine, Rensselaer County must do the same.

One of the obstacles to this goal is regional, politcal competition between towns, suburbs and urban centers - we need to think more regionally and allow our cities to rebuild and renew themselves as strong urban centers.

tiptoe 458 days ago

I'm all for relocating the RPI bookstore downtown as a means of concretizing RPI's commitment to reconstituting the downtown center of Troy. But how can you be inspired by design and suggest the consolidation of all three of these, particularly the library? The Troy Public Library is an incredible gem and the fact that it continues to be used as a library and has the hours it does is remarkable. A downtown area ideally consists of individual businesses and services that people can walk to – one to another. The Atrium is precisely the kind of place that set Troy and many of the formally great urban centers in this region on the backwards path from which they are still recovering today. Long may the current library reign as a symbol of what's best about Troy. (And incidentally, it is in downtown Troy, right next to the county courthouse.) A thriving Tech Valley does not have to come at the expense or at the mall-ization of a thriving downtown. Keep suburban tech valley models out of our city. Think urban tech zones.

2ndStreet 367 days ago

The Troy Public Library needs to be expanded to serve the entire city. It is not necessary to stop using the current building, which is, indeed, a gem. It works perfectly for our neighborhood; but it is not sufficient for the needs of the entire city. I understand the notion of expanding the library was floated before but the city was too short sighted to vote for it. It's time to fix the problem. The Atrium is too close to be a useful site but that doesn't mean that other sites don't need to be found.

bdavis 458 days ago

tiptoe - That is a great point. I was the one that posted this idea, not inspiredbydesign.

My thinking originally was to some how make better use of the Atrium, while at the same time creating a reason for students at RPI to have to come to the downtown.

Maybe a better solution would be to simply move the RPI bookstore downtown? Or maybe consolidate the RPI bookstore, the Sage bookstore and the Troy Public Library into the Troy public library building?

Any other thoughts?

I can change the original idea if we come to a better one along the same vein that everyone that has voted agrees with.

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Relocate the Troy public library, RPI bookstore, and Sage bookstore to the Atrium

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