8 3 , ▁Thomas ▁Wh alen ▁assumed ▁the ▁mayor ship ▁and ▁was ▁re elect ed ▁twice . ▁Alb any ▁saw ▁a ▁significant ▁infl ux ▁of ▁federal ▁dollars ▁ear mark ed ▁for ▁rest oring ▁historic ▁structures . ▁What ▁Cor ning ▁had ▁saved ▁from ▁destruction , ▁Wh alen ▁ref urb ished . ▁The ▁Mayor ' s ▁Office ▁of ▁Special ▁Events ▁was ▁created ▁in ▁an ▁effort ▁to ▁increase ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁festiv als ▁and ▁art istic ▁events ▁in ▁the ▁city , ▁including ▁a ▁year - long ▁D ong an ▁Char ter ▁tr ic ent enn ial ▁celebr ation ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 6 . ▁Wh alen ▁is ▁cred ited ▁for ▁an ▁" un par alle led ▁cycle ▁of ▁commercial ▁invest ment ▁and ▁development " ▁in ▁Alb any ▁due ▁to ▁his ▁" ag gress ive ▁business ▁development ▁programs ". ▁ ▁Prior ▁to ▁the ▁re cess ion ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s , ▁Alb any ▁was ▁home ▁to ▁two ▁Fort une ▁ 5 0 0 ▁companies : ▁Key B ank ▁and ▁Fle et ▁Bank ; ▁both ▁have ▁since ▁moved ▁or ▁merged ▁with ▁other ▁banks . ▁Alb any ▁saw ▁its ▁political ▁climate ▁change ▁after ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁Cor ning ▁and ▁the ▁ret irement ▁of ▁Congress man ▁Sam ▁Str at ton . ▁Long - term ▁office ▁hold ers ▁became ▁a ▁thing ▁of ▁the ▁past ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s . ▁Local ▁media ▁began ▁following ▁the ▁drama ▁surrounding ▁county ▁politics ▁( specific ally ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁newly ▁created ▁county ▁executive ▁position ); ▁the ▁loss