ALBANY — Proctors was recognized for its dual restoration efforts of the Capital Repertory Theatre in Albany and Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs.
Proctors Collaborative was named one of this year’s Excellence in Historic Preservation award winners by the Preservation League.
Since 1984, the Preservation League’s statewide awards program has highlighted projects, organizations, publications, and individuals that exemplify best practices in historic preservation and recognize the people who are using historic preservation to build stronger neighborhoods, create local jobs, provide affordable housing, open our eyes to overlooked history, and save the places that are special to the communities around them.
“What a fantastic honor. We celebrate our historic properties and their reuse as cultural and community centerpieces,” said Philip Morris, CEO of Proctors Collaborative. “As we Restart our events, post-COVID, this award buoys us and reminds us of our hopes for our region.”
Proctors’ accolades were among 10 projects honored this year by the league. This year’s recipients represent the best in historic preservation. The 28,000-square-foot industrial building in Albany’s Arbor Hill neighborhood that is now home to Capital Repertory Theatre and the formerly condemned church that is now Universal Preservation Hall represent very different preservation projects.
Both restorations serve as models for how historic preservation promotes the reuse of vacant buildings to stimulate the business and creative economy and revitalize downtown neighborhoods. Both buildings sat vacant and suffered serious deterioration. Now they are points of pride for their neighborhoods – and state-of-the-art performing arts destinations.
“Proctors Collaborative is a vital resource for the Capital-Saratoga Region,” said Preservation League President Jay DiLorenzo. “Their high-quality performing arts programming reaches a large and diverse population, and the recent restorations and adaptive reuse projects in Albany and Saratoga Springs will allow them to better serve their audiences. Proctors has long demonstrated a commitment to preservation. Bringing these two very different buildings back to active use will undoubtedly have positive effects on their communities for years to come.”
The Preservation League of NYS was founded in 1974 and serves as the only statewide nonprofit focused on historic preservation in New York. The League invests in people and projects that champion the essential role of preservation in community revitalization, sustainable economic growth, and the protection of our historic buildings and landscapes. It leads advocacy, economic development, and education programs across the state.
