{"product_id":"county-of-albany-bond-certificate-from-1973-now-empire-state-plaza","title":"County of Albany Bond Certificate from 1973 now Empire State Plaza","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis is an original bond from County of Albany, dated 1973, printed in rose pink. Features a vignette of an aerial view of the South Mall complex (now Empire State Plaza) showing the modern government buildings and plaza development.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCancelled with multiple punch holes through the certificate face and signature areas, indicating it was redeemed. Shows minor edge wear and aging consistent with its years. Offered as a collectible.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the late 1960s, Albany faced a choice: demolish 98 acres of downtown or watch the capital city crumble into irrelevance. \u003cstrong\u003eNelson Rockefeller\u003c\/strong\u003e chose demolition. The South Mall project displaced 7,000 residents and 1,200 businesses to create what would become the Empire State Plaza, the most expensive government building complex in American history at $2 billion. Rockefeller partnered with architect \u003cstrong\u003eWallace Harrison\u003c\/strong\u003e, who had designed Lincoln Center and the United Nations headquarters, to create a modernist government campus that would dwarf the U.S. Capitol. Construction began in 1965 with Albany County bonds like this one financing the massive undertaking. The project required moving the Normans Kill creek, importing marble from Italy, and constructing the tallest building between New York City and Montreal. When completed in 1978, the complex housed 11,000 state workers and featured a performing arts center known as The Egg, forever transforming Albany's skyline.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMunicipal bonds from major urban renewal projects of the 1960s represent a pivotal moment in American city planning. The South Mall bonds are particularly sought after by collectors of New York State financial history and modernist architecture enthusiasts.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ticker History","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52563213287711,"sku":"GOVT-CA-BI-PNK-1965-001","price":149.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0836\/8757\/1743\/files\/county-of-albany-bond-1965-front-1-f3f164.jpg?v=1779510864","url":"https:\/\/shop.tickerhistory.com\/products\/county-of-albany-bond-certificate-from-1973-now-empire-state-plaza","provider":"Ticker History","version":"1.0","type":"link"}