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Catholic Charities plans to relocate its executive offices to Sisters of St. Joseph property
LATHAM—The developer for a proposed subdivision on the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet property at the corner will plead to town planners that the property needs to be rezoned to proceed.
That conversation will start with the Colonie Town Planning Board on Tuesday, Jan. 21.
The project, brought forward by 13 Blessing, LLC, seeks to transform the site currently zoned for Single-Family Residential (SFR) into a Planned Development District (PDD) to support the large-scale housing development.
The expansive green lot at the busy corner of Watervliet-Shaker and Delatour roads is just part of the nearly 86 acres on which 292 residential units are proposed for this site. Those units comprise 132 four-unit condominiums and 160 market-rate apartments that will surround the Sisters of St. Joseph and Eddy Senior Care buildings and flanked by an existing residential neighborhood, the Shaker High School campus, and its bus garage.
Three lots are identified on the sketch plan submitted to town planners. The first lot consists of the proposed housing units, including associated surface and garage parking to accommodate residents. Lot 2, containing existing buildings and outbuildings, is proposed for transfer to Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany for relocation of its operations. Lot 3 would preserve the existing cemetery on the site.
Currently owned by the Society of Sisters St. Joseph, the property includes a main building, several outbuildings, parking facilities, and a cemetery. The applicant, represented by Daniel R. Hershberg of Hershberg & Hershberg, has requested that the Planning Board review the proposal and refer it to the Town Board for consideration of the zoning change.
While the Planning Board will first evaluate the sketch plan, the Town Board is expected to deliberate on the zoning amendment shortly after. Approval of the zoning change is necessary for the proposed development to proceed, as the current SFR zoning does not permit the planned multifamily residential use.
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, Albany Province, announced last June that they have entered into a conceptual agreement to transfer ownership of the St. Joseph’s Provincial House in Latham to Catholic Charities. The transfer remains contingent upon local government and final internal approvals.
Catholic Charities plans to relocate its executive offices and consolidate many of its operations and meeting spaces into the Provincial House, located at 385 Watervliet-Shaker Road. As one of the largest private providers of social services in Upstate New York, Catholic Charities serves an estimated 70,000 individuals annually across 14 counties.
“As Sisters of St. Joseph, we have a legacy of dedicating our lives to love God and our neighbors. Our call is to be beacons of hope and work with others to create a more compassionate and just world. For these reasons, we are delighted that our Albany Provincial House will continue to be a central home for services that support and advocate for persons who are experiencing economic hardships and vulnerability in our community,” said Sister Joan Mary Hartigan, CSJ, Province Director.
Sister Betsy Van Deusen, Chief Executive Officer of Catholic Charities and a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph, expressed gratitude for the opportunity. “Bringing a number of our offices and service sites into one beautiful location with space to envision and plan for future needs with the community is a tremendous blessing. We are grateful to the Sisters of St. Joseph for this extraordinary opportunity,” she said.
The Sisters of St. Joseph have owned the Provincial House for 60 years. According to a statement shared in June, the building is now too large for the fewer than 60 sisters currently residing there. The building was originally designed to house more than 250 sisters. The sisters now no longer have the resources to manage healthcare services on-site or maintain the facility.
The Provincial House has a long history as a community service center. In addition to serving as a residence and office space for the sisters, it formerly housed the Carondelet Educational Center for children with learning and speech disabilities and the Carondelet Music Center, which offered music lessons and performance opportunities for students of all ages.
In 2020, the Sisters began partnering with Eddy Senior Care to provide holistic care through the PACE program for seniors in Albany and Rensselaer counties—a partnership that will continue under Catholic Charities’ ownership.
Founded in 1917, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany serves vulnerable populations, including individuals with developmental disabilities, pregnant and parenting teens, survivors of domestic violence, and people needing mental health support.
The organization also assists low-income families, the unemployed, incarcerated individuals, and people experiencing homelessness. Currently, Catholic Charities employs approximately 750 staff members and works with 1,300 volunteers across the region.