This weekend on In Focus, we’re looking at population grown.
Mercedes Williams sits down with Albany County Historian Jack McEneny, who looks back at how the city of Albany has changed over the past 100 years. He talked about how red lining discouraged investment in the inner city. but he says the move from downtown Albany to the suburbs came following World War II. Families could use the GI Bill to get cheap land in the suburbs, especially since there was more access to cars and parking.
McEneny spoke about the how the creation of the Empire State Plaza affected downtown. It displaced 8,000 to 10,000 people. Then-Gov. Nelson Rockefeller was able to do this through eminent domain. He also used this to create the UAlbany uptown campus.
Because Albany is the capitol, McEneny says this is why the city has nanotech and the thousands of state jobs. McEneny says that, despite people leaving for the suburbs, Albany’s population has remained steady since 1905. When it comes to 787 and the Hudson River, McEneny says in the 1950s, people tried to avoid it because it was so polluted. That issue was solved in the 1960s and 1970s. The railroad blocked the view even before 787 was built.
You can watch the full interview above. And be sure to tune in for a look inside the biggest issues impacting upstate New York, on In Focus with JoDee Kenney — every Sunday on Spectrum News 1.