New York State Office of General Services Typescript of Cooperative South Mall Construction Project Agreement

This is an original typescript of an agreement among New York State, Albany County, and the City of Albany to undertake the cooperative public improvement project known as the South Mall (later Empire State Plaza). The agreement was executed on May 11, 1965 by the Commissioner of General Services and Superintendent of Public Works (for the state), the chairman of the Albany County Board of Supervisors, and the Mayor of Albany. The project was devised to provide space for state offices and related facilities as part of a plan for development of the county and city, recognizing the clear effect of state government growth on the physical and economic development of the area.

This document is apparently a signed copy given to one of the signatories for the state. It was probably kept in the files of the Office of General Services (OGS), which inherited the functions of several departments relating to the operation and maintenance of public buildings, the sale or leasing of state-owned lands, and the transfer or disposal of surplus state property in a consolidation of support services in the 1960s. By 1963, OGS was responsible for development of the South Mall.

The agreement names the Superintendent of Public Works as the agent for the county in connection with South Mall construction, and gives him authority in acquiring property in connection with construction contracts. The Commissioner of General Services is given authority to approve architectural plans and to enter into contracts with the county to provide construction of the improvements and to lease them and the property on which they were to be constructed for a term of 40 years.

The agreement consists of several articles, with provisions for the following: the acquisition of property (including preparation of plans, county indemnification, and relocation of occupants); lease of the South Mall (including terms of lease, rentals, operation, management and repair, and liabilities); and financing of the project (including county and state payments, and provisions for financing).

Under provisions of the agreement, the South Mall was defined as the property in the City of Albany shown approximately on the sketch map annexed to the agreement (with a written description as "Exhibit B"), together with additional property acquired by the state pursuant to the agreement. The map is a whiteprint copy entitled "Exhibit A South Mall Agreement" with a scale in feet and a key showing location of various features (water, heating, and utility lines, arterial highway system, pedestrian tunnel). The map measures 30 x 21 cm.

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