Permanently Protect Hudson-Jay Park and Capital Roots Community Garden Through City Ownership

For more than 35 years, this parcel—though owned by the State—has served as a vital neighborhood park and community garden, created, funded, and maintained through extraordinary community initiative. The land has become an irreplaceable public asset, central to the daily life, environmental health, and social cohesion of the Center Square and Hudson/Park neighborhoods.

Although the City of Albany has leased the land from the State on a renewable 10-year basis, the current lease expires on August 14, 2027. The short-term nature of these leases creates uncertainty that undermines long-range planning, continued capital investment, and the community’s ability to safeguard the park and garden for future generations. Transferring ownership to the City of Albany would:

• Permanently protect Hudson–Jay Park and the Capital Roots Community Garden as public green space.
• Honor decades of community investment, both financial and volunteer-driven.
• Ensure stable stewardship and allow for longterm planning and improvements.
• Advance statewide goals related to urban green space, environmental resilience, and community health.

This request does not seek new funding or new obligations from the State. It simply seeks to formalize what has existed in practice for decades: a community-created and community-maintained park that functions as a municipal asset and neighborhood anchor.