McLaughlin of NAI Platform handles sale of University Club of Albany

NAI Platform has arranged the sale of the historic University Club Health Annex located on Dove St. NAI Platform's Felton McLaughlin represented the University Club of Albany in the transaction. Leon Levy of Prudential Manor Homes represented the buyers, Edward and Michelle Maitino, who plan on converting this facility from an athletic facility with two-story squash courts to a four-unit loft-style apartment building. The building is thought to have served as the carriage house of the George Amsdell Mansion at the corner of Washington Avenue and Dove Street. Future tenants of the building will reside in a colorful slice of Albany's history. The University Club purchased the Amsdell Mansion, pictured below, on April 30, 1907, for $34,000. On November 25, 1923, the Clubhouse in the former Amsdell residence was largely destroyed by fire, but a 1914 addition housing the Club's dining and sleeping rooms, as well as the carriage house, were untouched. The Maitinos plan to preserve the property's significant history, naming their luxury loft-style apartments the "Amsdell Carriage House Lofts." The Club was established in 1901 by a group of Albany-area citizens who sought to "establish and maintain assembly rooms, promote social activities ... and cultivate and maintain university spirit in the City of Albany." Today, the Club provides a home away from home for business, government and cultural leaders, and dining, socializing and learning opportunities in a historic and private setting. The Club is membership-owned and its membership is open to men and women who have graduated from, or attended, a recognized university or college. "We are delighted to see this piece of Albany's history re-purposed in a way that will strengthen the fabric of the community and be a welcome neighbor to the club and its members," said Colleen Ryan, president of the University Club. "Felton McLaughlin embraced the building's history, saw beyond its challenges, and found a buyer who could realize its potential. We are looking forward to inviting our new neighbors to become members of the U. Club."