City repeats atop list of state’s fastest growing
COHOES, N.Y. » For a second consecutive year, the Spindle City has ranked as New York’s fastest growing city, experiencing 2.3 percent year-over-year population growth as of July 1, 2016.
According to a Center for Economic Growth analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data, Cohoes saw its population rise by 379, to 16,883, between July 1, 2015, and June 30, 2016. This follows a 279-person gain over the previous 12 months.
The report claims the city’s growth has been fueled in part by the development of several large luxury and affordable apartment and condominium complexes along the city’s waterfront. The report references the fall 2015 opening of the 72-unit Lion Heart Residences and the completion in early 2016 of the first phase of the 408-unit Residences at Lexington Hills, the city’s largest apartment project.
Mayor Shawn Morse, who was elected in November 2015, said he was pleased to see the city’s growth continue in the first year of his administration.
“I think it says a lot about this community and the resurgence that we see in our community,” said Morse. “We’ve done a lot of work and have to have a lot of will power to continue everyday to try to bring Cohoes back. I think people from all around the Capital Region see the success that Cohoes is having, and they are very excited to be a part
of that.”
The report cites as another important factor in the city’s growth is its current downtown revitalization, led by the revival of the historic Cohoes Music Hall and a host of new restaurants and retail stores that are drawing people back to the area.
“People from all over are enthusiastic about the city of Cohoes, and it’s the amenities,”
said Morse. “It’s the music hall, the beautiful restaurants, it’s the revitalization and people seeing the downtown of Cohoes coming back, it’s the low crime rates, it’s the rivers that we have, it’s the bike paths that we have. It’s just a small beautiful city, and people are recognizing it.”
Morse said he believes the city will continue to grow over the next few years and his administration will work to ensure the recent success continues.
“Our economic development is just getting started,
and I’m very confident in our future,” said Morse. “I think more people who want to become Cohoesiers and live here will find everything that they want to raise a family and live here throughout their lives and enjoy everything that we have.”
The CEG also expects the growth to continue, citing Bonacquisti Brothers Construction announcing plans in November 2016 to convert the historic Cohoes Hotel into a 26-unit apartment building, followed a month later by Prime Companies
breaking ground on the 165-unit Hudson Square apartment complex on Van Schaick Island.