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Yesterday we reported on allegations that RPI didn’t fully pay the electrical contractor it had hired to complete EMPAC, referencing the Times Union article which broke the story.

Today a new development made the front page of the TU’s business section which doesn’t really seem to have any bearing on the case at hand.  The story basically explains that the inspector for the City of Troy inspected the building before it opened and declared it to be safe.  He says that it is “one of the safest buildings in Troy.”

As far as I can tell, this doesn’t affect whether RPI owes $2.6 million to LaCorte, but it does give us the peace of mind of knowing that we weren’t put in danger.  We all knew the building was being rushed and that it wasn’t done in time for the big opening gala (it closed immediately after so they could finish construction).  This is simply a matter of whether LaCorte was paid for the work they did, and that’s something that remains to be decided by a court.

UPDATE: Just found an article in the Record, which has Claude Rounds’s statement:

Rensselaer received a certificate of occupancy for EMPAC after an exhaustive and extraordinary review by the city of Troy. The substantial documentation associated with EMPAC’s compliance with all the requirements of the certificate of occupancy is a matter of public record. Any allegation that the building was not ready for occupancy is irresponsible.

We stand behind the work of Turner Construction – a first-rate, internationally recognized contractor. We also stand behind the more-than-40 subcontractors and hundreds of local skilled craftspeople who played a role in building EMPAC, and we look forward to putting this frivolous matter to rest.

Share Uncategorized EMPAC, LaCorte, scandal, Troy, Turner

Well, it’s that time of the year.  College rankings are making headlines and rising high school seniors are probably buying the only copy of U.S. News and World Reports they’ll ever own.   The 2010 U.S. News rankings put RPI at 42nd in the nation (not too shabby), but it’s interesting to note that the Princeton Review puts RPI as #12 in “College Town Not So Great,” barely worse than Union College at #13.  We happen to think that Troy is much nicer than Schenectady (and even if it isn’t, our hockey team more than makes up for Union’s allegedly better ranking).

I have to personally disagree with the ranking, which is based on student assessment.  Most RPI students rarely venture off campus to see what Troy really has to offer, and so they buy into the stereotype that Troy is some terrible place to live.  I’d wager that most students would change their mind if they just spent a Saturday or a Troy Night Out enjoying the downtown area, which is not to mention the endless possibilities that exist within an hour’s drive for a fun Saturday afternoon hangover-beater.

We did a little exploring and found some other interesting rankings that feed well into RPI stereotypes.  For example, we rate #18 in political inactivity, and #13 in “professors get low marks”.  Hmm…. thoughts?

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The beach!

Today has been a long day at RPI. Commencement has ended, but the celebrations are just getting under way. Congratulations to the Class of 2010! As you leave RPI, remember: Why NOT change the world? And of course, when you’re in that fun entry level job at GE and wondering what’s going on at RPI, you know where to look! Here. Or here. Or here. If you have any special moments or pictures that you want to share, head over to the ACB!

If you’re staying in Troy for the next few months, we just wanted to wish you a happy summer. The Capital Region really takes on a new personality, so be sure to get out and enjoy the beauty and fun that it has to offer during this season. Enjoy the farmers market, and continue to visit shops during Troy Night Out. If you’re home, head to the beach and enjoy kicking back with few under the sun. Congratulations for a semester well done! (Hopefully.) Like last summer, we’ll still be keeping tabs on things, so don’t forget about us (or the ‘tute) this summer. See you in the fall!

Love,
The Editors of RPInsider

Share Uncategorized graduation, summer, Troy

Red is roughly RPI. Blue is roughly where the parking meters are/will be. We're definitely missing some of the parking meters -- the article was not very specific and we couldn't find anything on Troy's website.

Troy announced that it will be installing more of the parking meters like the ones we have on 15th street.  According to the Troy Record, they will raise about $500,000  for the city, though the article doesn’t mention if that’s an annual number or a lifetime number.  The Record describes their rough locations (which we used to make the map above):

The meters are being installed on Eighth Street between Sage and College avenues, the Hedley District along River Street, the areas around the Uncle Sam and Fifth Avenue garages and the Fifth Avenue parking lot. Meters will not be installed in the River Street entertainment district, and in certain areas, such as Fourth Street and Fifth Avenue, parking meters are being installed on both sides of the street.

When you add in the ones that are already on 15th Street and Sage Ave., it seems like RPI is slowly being surrounded by parking meters while the rest of the city is left mostly untouched.

Also, take note of the fact that RPI has significant office space in the Hedley building, which was specifically mentioned as an area for new parking meters.

Coincidence?  Perhaps.

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We made the TU again today.  Good work, RPI.  All of the info from this post is from the TU’s article.

The Office of Fire Prevention and Control apparently wrote a letter to Troy Fire Chief Garrett which states that “the newly created plaza does not meet the Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code.”  We published a story in January which explained that the Fire Chief made a claim that RPI had broken the law for having narrow paths in the new VCC plaza that was finished in December.  RPI defended themselves by saying that they had lattice under the grass next to the paths which could hold up the fire truck.

Today’s article gives more credibility to the Fire Chief’s claims.  Apparently, RPI plans to work with the city engineer to “develop a plan for modifications” in order to bring the new pavement within code.

Time for the editorializing:  To be honest, we’re a little tired of this story.  We’re tired of the “the engineers couldn’t figure out the fire code” jokes, and we want to be sure that our buildings are safe.  This isn’t something that our administration should be risking.  While Troy can appear very demanding at times (even malicious toward RPI), the state determines what really is safe — not RPI.  So let’s make the changes and be done with it.

Share Uncategorized fire code, Troy, VCC

For those of you who like to spend your idle time lampooning the City of Troy for its crime rate: wait just a second!

According to the City’s Facebook, crime in Troy was down 2.5% in 2009.  Violent crime was down 11%, including a 19% drop in aggravated assault and 10.5% drop in rapes.

Mayor Tutunjian was quoted in the press release: “I think our response is pro-active and look forward to continued success in our efforts to make Troy as safe as possible.”  Troy has outlined a plan of action which includes partnering with other local law enforcement agencies, prioritizing arrests for illegal firearms, analyzing crime statistics, and establishing a tip line.

I applaud these efforts, and I hope that it will renew some confidence in RPI students that Troy is a safe city.  Any large city has crime, and the City of Troy is doing great work to reduce its crime rate.  This report should garner renewed interest in going downtown to visit stores and eat good food.

The way I see it:  the best way to reduce crime is to get economic development in Troy.  The fastest way to develop the city: make it into a college town whose students visit local businesses regularly.  There’s a 6,000 student population sitting on top of the hill that could benefit city businesses enormously.  The next question: how do we do that?

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RPI recently submitted the plans for Dr. Jackson’s new house to the city in order to try and gain a zoning exception that would allow the planned 9,000 square foot structure to be built. The current zoning in the area limits structures to 25 ft tall, while the plans have the new presidential home somewhere between 41 and 44 feet tall.

The Zoning Board of Appeals denied the request. “I wonder how RPI, which is known for its engineers, why someone couldn’t present a proposal that fits inside the city limits” ZBA Chairman Jay Vandenburgh said (with what we can only imagine as a bit of snark.) This isn’t the death knell for the house, but there is no word on whether RPI will change the plans, or try some politicking in order to get the zoning variance.

More at the Times Union here.

An earlier TU story drew attention to the discrepancy between the desired height and zoned height cap. Guess who was quoted? This blog.

And as always, if you’d like to join the Facebook group (or become a fan in this case) to show your support for the latest criticism-du-jour of RPI, that can be found here.

photo from here

Share Uncategorized Dr. Jackson, Times Union, Troy

According to a story from the Times Union, Troy Fire Department Chief Thomas Garrett recommends that the VCC be closed because it is in violation of the building code.  It has a road which is 10 feet wide (with 5-foot pavers on either side, making it 20 feet wide though grass can grow over the pavers).  Garrett says that RPI has “deliberately violated the New York state building code,” according to the TU.

Claude Rounds, the VP for Administration, says that the work was done to be more friendly to the environment.

Okay, now here’s the crazy part:

Garrett ordered firefighters not to enter the building in the event of a blaze, but would fight a fire from outside. Garrett also wrote to the state Office of Fire Prevention and Control to shut the facility. [Times Union]

That’s a problem.  This seems like it’s doing more harm to students than help, and that’s not what firefighters should be doing.  We’re no experts on fire safety, so perhaps we are misinterpreting this.  However, there better be a very good reason to order that firefighters aren’t allowed to help the students, faculty, and staff who use the VCC on a regular basis.

The tone taken by the Fire Department reveals what seems to be a general animosity toward RPI.  Garrett said, ” What college campus would jeopardize the safety of their students?  It’s totally unbelievable,” and “RPI wants to do whatever they want.  We all have rules we’ve got to follow”  [Troy Record].  The two organizations have a history — last year the Fire Department wanted to impose a fee on students.  This type of language cannot solve problems.  This attitude toward negativity will not help anyone and will certainly not make students’ lives safer.

Share Uncategorized Claude Rounds, Fire Department, Safety, Troy

The weekend looks something like this.

After a brief hiatus, we have returned with what’s going on this weekend!

Friday November 6

It’s been kinda cold lately, so why not head down to Rev Hall and check out The Fiery Furnances tonight at 7:30. Tickets are $15. Opening acts are Cryptacize and Dent May.

EMPAC and associated cool stuff pt. 1: Is a talk and workshop by Mark Downie of the Openended Group. From what we hear the talk is going to be pretty cool and the software open-source programming environment called FIELD and weekend long workshop on it is supposed to be pretty life changing (if you’re into creating digital art).

FREE HOCKEY!!!! for students who wear black to the Men’s Hockey game tonight. We’re playing Yale (the defending champions) so be sure to bring extra spirit.

Cars and Ski Equipment are on display at the Empire State Plaza. Auto Show and Ski and Snowboard Expo respectively. Both are until 9pm tonight, and then continue for the rest of the weekend.

Do it for the children! Tonight the Rensselaer Christian Association is sponsoring a concert in the McNeil Room with proceeds going towards Love146, an organization that fights child sex slavery around the world. Performing are The Peace from New York City, as well as the Rusty Pipes, Sheer Idiocy, the Campus Serenaders among others. Recommended donation is $2, and there are raffle tickets for some pretty awesome prizes too.

Read more…

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The new and very pretty Pfeil Hardware.

If you’re like me, you were upset to see Trojan Hardware go out of business… recently there has been nowhere to go downtown if you needed a broom or a hammer or some paint for you dorm (oops! don’t tell ResLife!).

Our prayers have been answered in Pfeil Hardware.  It’s open now, it looks like this will be a really great store.   You can find it at 3rd and State.  We found out about this through a post on All Over Albany which linked to the Times Union, which has some great pictures!

We’re very excited to see that there are new businesses coming to downtown Troy.  Once they get the food co-op going, it will be possible to live downtown without ever leaving to go grocery shopping or buy that screwdriver you always wanted.

photo: alloveralbany.com

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