Albany Felt Company Complex

The former Albany Felt Company Complex, now The Lofts at One Broadway, is located along Broadway (partly New York State Route 32) in eastern Albany County, New York, United States. It is mostly within the village of Menands, with a small portion at its southern end within the city of Albany. In 2014 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1902 the Albany Felt Company built the first of several buildings on the site to manufacture industrial felt for the region's paper industry. Soon that building became its corporate headquarters; it expanded regularly over the first half of the 20th century to the complex's present size. Two ponds on the property were originally created as reservoirs for fire suppression, since the factory was at the time it was built a considerable distance from the nearest firehouse. Over the later half of the 20th century, the company continued to prosper and expanded both its geographical reach and its product line, changing its name to Albany International in the process. By the early 21st century, its product line had largely evolved from felts to composites. In the 2010s, shortly before the property was listed on the Register, it moved its headquarters to New Hampshire and sold the Albany buildings. Part has been used by a self-storage business; the main office building is currently being remodeled into apartments.