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One Capital District city is making plans for a housing boom. NEWS10 has the latest on the Amsterdam housing development proposal that would include the sale of some school land.
Amsterdam Mayor Michael Cinquanti says nearly 70 new homes like ones in a nearby neighborhood are just what the city needs to continue to grow. “Right now, Amsterdam is on the way back. The last 5 years we’ve made tremendous progress,” said Cinquanti.
Cinquanti says this is the perfect solution to the city’s housing crisis. “We have needs in every demographic from affordable apartments to seniors’ homes to apartments and condos and single-family homes and condos, and we’re trying to address those needs as best we can,” said Cinquanti.
One thing he needs is land. And the school district has plenty of it, about 40 acres of wooded land behind Marie Curie Elementary School.
The mayor proposed selling the land to the city at last week’s school board meeting. He says it’s a win-win situation. “It would be 100,000 of Revenue to the school district and a little bit less than that to the city,” said Cinquanti.
Cinquanti is hoping the deal will attract a developer. “Our goal is to make Amsterdam an attractive place to live for every demographic and single-family homes without them it’s very difficult to do that,” said Cinquanti.
“We are seeing a tremendous demand for housing right now in the market,” said Kevin Clancy of Clancy Realty. He says the demand is particularly high for new construction. “We’re seeing an insatiable appetite for new construction and as far as buyers buying new construction, they don’t have to worry about anything with the home for the next 20 to 25 years,” said Clancy.
Neighbors that NEWS10 reporter James De La Fuente spoke to didn’t want to go on camera but they told him they just want to keep their neighborhood quiet.
The mayor doesn’t have a timeline for when he needs an answer from the district. But he hopes board members will see it the way he does. “It’s an asset that’s just being underutilized. They’re not generating any revenue from it,” said Cinquanti.
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