Design Concept Summary
During public engagement sessions, residents expressed a desire to see sustained traffic calming on Madison Avenue, in combination with more greenery and intuitive signage for the State Museum and the Concourse. The Madison Avenue Gateway would deliver a more vibrant, connected, and welcoming streetscape.
Strategies and Principles
- Enhance the entries beneath the stairs at the Madison Avenue Gateway with lighting and artwork that spark interest and signal it as a primary entrance to the Plaza, Concourse, and State Museum.
- Leverage public realm improvements and design cues to signal the wealth of history and culture located in Albany and at the Plaza, including the State Museum, the Egg, and the Capitol.
- Expand safe pedestrian access by improving universal accessibility at Plaza and concourse entrances, and by constructing clear, walkable routes.
Implementation
To address long-deferred maintenance and water intrusion on critical building systems underneath Madison Avenue, OGS will need to undertake infrastructure upgrades along Madison Avenue. Looking ahead, the Madison Avenue Gateway will be coordinated alongside OGS's regular capital planning and prioritization process. As part of this ongoing work, OGS is developing a comprehensive master plan to further coordinate proposed improvements to the Empire State Plaza with the New York State Historic Preservation Office.