Can Hoffman’s Playland work its magic in downtown Albany? We’re about to find out.
The Colonie-based family amusement institution is moving to Albany’s burgeoning Warehouse District after the owners of Huck Finn’s Warehouse and More announced they were set to buy all of the rides — with a little help from the city’s Industrial Development Agency. By next year, Nipper the Dog will be joined by Hoffman’s famed Ferris wheel and parachute ride.
This is good news for those who were worried about Hoffman’s many rides being scattered throughout the Capital District. There had been talk of one winding up at a Voorheesville park and perhaps others at The Crossings in Colonie, but now they’ll all be kept together in one location – just under a different name. Huck Finn’s Playland, anyone?
While we’re glad that we’ll be able to go from the bumper cars to the Scrambler without having to get into a car and drive, there are a lot of things that have to happen for this move to be successful. After all, this kid-centric attraction is going into a section of Albany that – despite the growth of businesses in that area over the last decade – still looks like nothing more than a bunch of warehouses. How many families that frequented Hoffman’s when it was in Colonie are going to make the trip to that part of Albany? Will families living in Albany who had never gone to Hoffman’s before do so now that it’s nearby?
The good news is, if these possibilities pan out, the soon-to-be Huck Finn’s Playland could be a real boon to the neighborhood, spurring even more development and revitalization in an area that is ripe for it.
There is no question that adding the amusement park will bring seasonal jobs to that part of Albany — more than 100, according to Huck Finn owner Jeff Sperber — after all, someone has to keep the carousel spinning.
Much ado has been made about the fact that IDA money is being used to help fund this purchase. Although we believe there should have been more public input in the process before it was announced as all but a done deal, we do think that the end result fits with the goal of using IDA money to create jobs.
And while chances are the amusement park will bring in more foot traffic to the furniture store, it is still a gamble, and one that those of us who want to share our fond Playland memories with other generations would like to see pay off.
Here’s hoping the Huck Finn’s Playland will add a vibrant piece to a section of town that has been neglected for many years.