At the Aug. 5 Downtown Facility Special Committee meeting, Holt architects presented three preliminary design concepts for the proposed Center of Government and asked legislators for targeted feedback as the project moves from community engagement to design decisions.
The design discussion matters because legislators will influence building program, public access, security and the public‑facing character of the new Center of Government.
Architects said they will incorporate community input and legislative feedback into a final schematic; committee members suggested a focused process for legislators to submit priorities so staff can synthesize responses before a committee or full‑legislature review. Legislator Greg Mezey suggested circulating clear decision points and aggregating responses similar to prior committee work; staff proposed a separate "legislature" survey link to collect and compile elected‑official feedback alongside public responses.
On funding, county staff member Katie Bergela told the committee that the county and design team had submitted two Consolidated Funding Applications that week: "We put in a request for $3,000,000 from Empire State Development through their capital funding program, and we put in for $2,000,000 through NYSERDA's Building Cleaner Communities competition." Bergela said the applications required substantial preparation and were intended to supplement project financing.
Committee members also discussed design tradeoffs raised in community engagement—such as the size of the public lobby (described in the presentation as a 'community living room'), glazing and maintenance concerns, accessible main entrances and connections to DeWitt Park. Legislators and architects agreed to schedule a focused opportunity for legislative input; staff suggested the regular facilities meeting on Aug. 21 or a short follow‑up to collect and synthesize comments.
No design decision or funding award was recorded at the meeting; staff said they will aggregate legislator feedback, share revised concepts and report back on grant outcomes when available.