HomeMy WebLinkAbout20260448 269 Broadway Construction Public Comment (4)Outlook
General Concerns/ 269 Broadway
From Adam E. Nachbauer <adam@an-dd.com>
Date Sat 6/20/2026 4:47 PM
To Julia Destino <Julia.Destino@saratogaspringsny.gov>
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Good afternoon Julia,
My name is Adam Nachbauer. I am writing to express general concerns I have with the nature of
urban development in Saratoga, as exemplified by the proposed development at 269 Broadway by
Prime Group.
I am a 6-year architectural designer with a specialization in classical design. Personally, I have an
immense appreciation for the historical nature of Saratoga, which I will describe simply as "magic in a
bottle." My appreciation is not unique, nor is it exclusively a product of my architectural training. In my
day-to-day interactions with Saratogians, the vast majority of whom are not design professionals, I
have been delighted to find that the reservations I am about to present are essentially shared
unanimously amongst the general public, even if they cannot articulate them quite the way a design
professional could.
I believe that buildings exemplified by the proposed 269 Broadway, the existing 395 Broadway (also
developed by Prime Group), and a few others around town are uncharacteristic of Saratoga's
historical charm. These buildings do not exhibit any qualities indicative of any particular architectural
style and can only be described as having a deconstructed industrial aesthetic, which, in my opinion,
is unbecoming for commercial and residential use, particularly on Broadway of all places.
While it is not uncommon to see former factory buildings converted to residential or commercial uses,
the primary purpose in doing so is historical preservation. Nonetheless, this represents a compromise
in typological design, one which is offset by the historic quality of the original building and its probable
situation in an industrially zoned area. This phenomenon has no place in new construction, let alone
on Broadway. In the proposal for 269 Broadway, the residences were marketed as "luxury," but
unfortunately, this aesthetic is anything but.
I have gone over the Design Guidelines for New Construction found on the City's Design Review
Board website. Personally, I believe these guidelines could be improved drastically. The sentence,
"Architectural styles for new construction should reflect and represent the period in which it is built,"
suggests to me a prescription for parametric design, as that is the architectural paradigm we currently
exist in. If you are unfamiliar, examples of parametric design can be found here. Surely, I do not
believe the intent of these guidelines is to transform Saratoga into Abu Dhabi, but that is how it reads.
6/22/26, 9:28 AM Inbox - Julia Destino - Outlook
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Thus, 269, apparently a simulation of a repurposed factory, is not in accordance with this
interpretation.
Furthermore, not enforced in the case of 269 is the sentence, "Rooflines and shapes should be
consistent with surrounding historic structures." In my opinion, the roofline of 269 is emblematic of
Tetris blocks. I personally hold the building's architects, RAMSA, in fairly high regard, so why would
they do something like this? My only explanation is that, given the fact that RAMSA is a New York City
firm, they are accustomed to designing skyscrapers in accordance with NYC's setback requirements,
which are responsible for the iconic tapered massing of structures such as the Chrysler Building and
the Empire State Building. Compress that design methodology down to six stories, and I could see
how it would produce this result: appropriate for Manhattan's Broadway, but not Saratoga's.
The fact of the matter is that there is nothing uniquely Saratogian about the proposal for 269
Broadway. It is essentially McDonald's architecture; you see it everywhere you go. I am not sure how
far along in the permitting process this building is, but with 395 Broadway having already been
completed, the City's Design Guidelines do not seem to have been an effective safeguard.
As I understand it, Saratoga is in an era of unprecedented development. While I am skeptical that this
should be allowed to happen at all, it is outside the purview of this email to offer any suggestions in
that regard. The fact is that it is happening, and what we must do now is prepare accordingly. I cannot
emphasize enough the importance of conscious and deliberate application of aesthetic standards if we
are to ensure that the changes Saratoga experiences are in a direction that amplifies, rather than
drowns out, what we love about this city.
Thank you,
Adam E. Nachbauer
an-dd.com
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