Great news for those who appreciate the historic Olbiston

[Clipper]

Fiona sent me a link to a story in the Rome Sentinel this morning concerning the possible placement of the Olbiston on the historic register. That would open the possibility of the new owners getting matching grants as well as state and federal historic rehabilitation tax credits. I hope it helps to make renovation and preservation a reality. Many of us love that old building and appreciate the uniqueness and architecturally pleasing of both the exterior as well as the interior. I pray that the new owners are intent in fulfilling their plan to return the building to it's former glory and bring it up to code. All too many times in recent decades cities have sacrificed and demolished beautiful building like the Olbiston only to see them replaced by drug stores, convenience stores, or modern and less than aesthetically pleasing structures.

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Utica's Olbiston recommended for state, national historic list
Posted Friday, December 10, 2021 5:05 pm
UTICA - The State Board for Historic Preservation has recommended adding 21 properties to the State and National Registers of Historic Places.

The nominations include the former home and workplace of a pioneering 20th century social reformer in New York City, a summer camp created in Western New York by a spiritual community, the residence of a lumber baron who helped create the Adirondack Park, and a former factory in Buffalo that was once one of the nation's largest manufacturer of automobile radiators.

In Oneida County, the Olbiston Flats building in Utica will be added to the list.

“Built in 1898 in the Renaissance Revival style, this five-story brick and stone apartment building in the city of Utica reflects the industrial growth of the city at the end of the 19th century. It was aimed at upper- to middle-class tenants as an alternative to individual home ownership,” notes a statement.

The building has fallen on hard times in recent years with city of Utica officials removing residents earlier this year from the building, citing code deficiencies and potentially hazardous conditions.

State and National Registers listing can assist owners in revitalizing properties, making them eligible for various public preservation programs and services, such as matching state grants and state and federal historic rehabilitation tax credits.

[Atticus Pizzaballa]

I heard about this on the news today and what a fantastic thing it is. I would love to see that building restored and then rented to people who would maintain their apartments.

[BHU]

"Matching state grants". Matched by who? I'd like to see the building preserved but rahabbing it for housing will cost millions.

[Clipper]

There would not be much sense in preserving the building and not rehabbing it for another use. Matching grants usually include matching funds from other entities whether it be local, federal or even the developer. .I wouldn't worry about matching funds when we have mentally challenged Biden and his cast of clowns spending trillions to pamper undocumented immigrants, and selling us out to China and Russia while our own oil fields sit idle and our energy workers draw unemployment and make less than a person that arrived here illegally only to be clothed, fed, and housed without hesitation by our illustrious democrat administration.

[BHU]

Biden is mentally challenged? Biden has a stutter, thats not being mentally challenged. We never had to worry about Trump selling us out to Russia, he was already bought & paid for by Putin going back decades. I haven't heard Biden take Putin's side over our own intelligence agencies like Trump did in Helsinki. Does Ivanka still make use of those Chinese trademarks negoitiated for her by Trump when he met with their trade rep? What that cost us? Talk about selling us out.

Trump didn't even have the common decency to concede the election to make the transition easier which benefits the entire Country. That shows how much he gives a damn about this Country. Pissed because his coup attemp failed.

[Clipper]

I guess I just couldn't resist a little jab in return for your constant chatter about Fox News, Bongino, Hannity, and anyone conservative or right leaning. You do realize I hope that the Fox reporters are probably the only ones at any press conference that don't have kool aid stains on their shirts. Of course Fox isn't very well represented at most of them because the Biden crew is afraid that Fox might contradict some of the lies and misinformation that "Circle back Psaki" continues to perpetuate.

That said, our two party system of government has historically worked well for the country. Along with the two party system comes frequent opposing views and perceptions of what is right for our country. Thank goodness it usually results in the majority party changing every term or two, creating a balance, but leaving one party or the other bitching and moaning for 4-8 yrs. Me? I am simply waiting for 2022 when the republicans will regain a majority on Capitol Hill and for 2024 when I predict that Biden will be history and the Republican party will hold a majority in the White House as well as both houses of congress.

If a person turns off MSNBC and CNN, and talks to people on the street they would find that there are a lot of Biden voters suffering from buyers remorse, and they are scraping their Biden/Harris stickers off their car in shame.

[BHU]

I don't see what Biden has to do with the Olbiston which is what I was responding to in the first place.

The Republican Party still backs Trump, who tried to overthrow the election which would have destroyed Democracy based on a pack of filthy lies. That speaks volumes about the charactor of Trump, the type of person he is & the lackeys in Congress that still support him.

I don't relish the thought of being ruled by a self absorbed nutjob out for revenge which is how he'll rule if God forbid he ever ends up back in the WH. He's already shown what he's capable of.

[Clipper]

I guess your worry about where the matching funds might come from struck a nerve. What does it have to do with Biden? Your concern for where your tax money is being spent when it comes to rehabilitating a building to provide viable housing seems trivial to me when ALL of our wallets are being nuked by Biden's misguided assault on the energy sector, and the money flowing like water through a breached dam to cover the expenses spawned by the failed immigration policies. and that has created the nightmare that we see at the border. I dislike the man more every time I pull to the pump or pay for my groceries, regardless of any attempt to deflect the blame for the economic situation or put it back on Trump.

I guess I am as guilty of turning the conversation to blaming Biden as you are of turning discussions to blaming Trump or republicans in general for every ill we suffer. Have you happened to notice that you and I are the only ones engrossed in this political bullsh** and rants? Hmmm. Others must have better things that occupy their thoughts. Just a casual observation.


I don't think you need to lay awake nights worrying about Trump returning to the White House any more than I need to worry about party puppet Joe and his failures being elected to a second term. What some probably worry about is that Hillary will run again.

Had the democrats ran a different candidate in 16 Trump probably would never have been elected. He somehow came out on top when people decided to vote for the lesser of two evils at the time.

Maybe in 2024 BOTH parties will have come to their senses and will select a candidate based on what is actually good for the country, rather than electing the first woman, the first indigenous person, or the first LGBT president of the United States. Maybe we can elect someone that will concentrate their efforts on the future instead of on undoing all that their predecessor accomplished. Just a thought.

[BHU]

We're being gouged at the gas pump & for oil & NG to heat our homes by energy giants who are raking in record profits while at the same time being subsidised by U.S. taxpayers with billions in tax cuts, grants etc. I'd rather see my tax dollars go to help people fleeing for their lives in Central aAmerica from violent drug gangs, abject poverty, poor education systems & no job oppurtunities. If our anti immigration policy was in effect a century ago none of us would be here. Our ancetors left Europe for someof the same reasons those "brown people" are fleeing C.A.

But let's continue to give handouts to Exxon etc. & blame Biden for them screwing us.

[Clipper]

Brown, white, or purple, color isn't the issue. It is the fact that it is not being controlled and is overwhelming the authorities and the states that are along the border. We can't be the entire world's savior. I don't see any other country sending a boat load of cash to help finance the effort to house and feed those people. I suppose you don't see any reason to stem the flow and get control of the border. When the benefits and entitlements that undocumented immigrants are receiving exceeded the amount being spent on homeless American citizens and veterans, it became a problem in my eyes.

I DO blame Biden for screwing us when it comes to energy prices. We were energy independent a year or so ago, and now we are paying the price that OPEC is gouging us for. We are back to making countries rich who hate us and would like to kill us, while American energy workers are out of work and living on less than what our government is giving to refugees in some cases.

Biden's shutting down of pipelines and domestic drilling was driven by nothing but spite and a desire to spite Trump's support of the miners and oil field workers. This country should never be driven to BEG Opec on bended knee to lower oil price