▁of ▁Cor ning ▁( and ▁eventually ▁the ▁machine ) ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁lack ▁of ▁interest ▁in ▁city ▁politics . ▁The ▁ 1 9 9 0 s ▁brought ▁about ▁the ▁surprise ▁election ▁of ▁Ger ald ▁Jenn ings , ▁who ▁has ▁been ▁mayor ▁since ▁ 1 9 9 4 . ▁His ▁ten ure ▁has ▁essentially ▁ended ▁the ▁political ▁machine ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁in ▁place ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s . ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s , ▁the ▁State ▁Legisl ature ▁approved ▁the ▁$ 2 3 4 ▁million ▁" Al b any ▁Plan ", ▁" a ▁building ▁and ▁renov ation ▁project ▁[ that ] ▁was ▁the ▁most ▁am bit ious ▁building ▁project ▁to ▁effect ▁the ▁area ▁since ▁the ▁Rock ef eller ▁era ." ▁The ▁Alb any ▁Plan ▁saw ▁the ▁init iation ▁of ▁renov ation ▁and ▁new ▁building ▁projects ▁around ▁the ▁dow nt own ▁area , ▁and ▁the ▁move ▁of ▁many ▁state ▁workers ▁from ▁the ▁Harr iman ▁State ▁Office ▁Camp us ▁to ▁dow nt own . ▁The ▁late ▁first ▁de cade ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 1 st ▁century ▁saw ▁a ▁real ▁possibility ▁for ▁a ▁long - dis cuss ed ▁and ▁controvers ial ▁Alb any ▁Convention ▁Center ; ▁as ▁of ▁August ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁the ▁Alb any ▁Convention ▁Center ▁Author ity ▁had ▁already ▁purchased ▁ 7 5 % ▁of ▁the ▁land ▁needed ▁to ▁build ▁the ▁dow nt own ▁project . ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁Bibli ography ▁▁▁ ▁Category : History ▁of ▁Alb any , ▁New ▁York <0x0A> </s> ▁Ye ates