Troy City Hall’s overdue rent can be paid with 2023 budget

TROY, N.Y. ( NEWS10 ) -The Troy City Council held a special meeting Wednesday to decide how to pay the over $220,000 in rent the city owes from the end of 2022 to now. This debt was caused by the previous administration not renewing their lease which caused the rate to rise.

Before the city of Troy rented out the fifth floor of Hedley Park Place, Historian Kathryn Sheehan explained City Hall has been in at least four other locations.

“In 1875, we had a wonderful city hall built on Third Street between State and Congress Streets until it was destroyed by fire in 1938. Then in 1974, we had a new city hall built at 1 Monument Square until 2011 when that was torn down.”

Mayor Carmella Mantello said her administration plans to move out of what she calls a city floor into a city hall that the people of Troy can be proud of. “To date, we’ve paid over $3.5 million to rent space here and our lease expired October of 2022.”

The mayor’s office is negotiating a short-term lease in the meantime. Some serving on Troy’s City Council would like to stay in the Hedley building permanently. The Council President said other departments, such as fire and water, could better use money that would be spent on a new city hall. She adds the current location already meets basic needs.

“What about parking? What about accessibility? We are centrally located. We have adequate parking. I mean, those are issues that I think this location is very strong,” answered Sue Steele.

The mayor’s office will be putting out a request for proposal to find their new home. This includes either buying or renting the future property.

“We’ll also tell developers and property owners out there if you have 30,000 square feet and above; we’re open,” described Mantello.

By a four to three vote, what’s left of the 2023 budget can be used to pay off the rent. It was agreed at the meeting that as part of past verbal negotiations, this outstanding debt would have been waived if a long-term lease was renewed. That was not a written agreement with the landlord.

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