COLONIE — Exchange Street between Russell and Everett roads will be closed through March 7 as the demolition of the former Tobin’s First Prize is demolished.
Crews have been taking down the some 500,000-square-foot vacant building for months, but are now getting into the three-story section of the building right along the busy Exchange Street.
Active demolition will only occur during the daylight hours but the closure is 24/7 out of an abundance of caution.
Exchange Street at the intersection with Everett Road is barricaded as is the intersection with Wilkins Avenue. Residents living between the barricades will still have access.
Bill Hoblock, president of Richbell Associates, the Saratoga-based company that owns the building and 32 acres, said Jackson Demolition will use traditional means of demolition rather than explosives on the building itself. A decision has not been made on how to bring down the 200-foot smokestack.
The back half of the building was two stories and used as offices and storage. What remains is where the meat packing process took place and the walls are up to a 5-foot thick in some spots. Basically, he said, it is one “large freezer.”
Future plans for the site include a mix of residential, commercial, hospitality and entertainment.
