Allegrone Construction

Scope Of Work

Allegrone Masonry was chosen to restore the grand staircase that spans Madison Avenue and connects the Empire State Plaza to the Cultural Education Center in Albany, New York. The grand staircase is a popular location to attend concerts, events and the summer highlighted July 4th fireworks. 

The operations of this unique project include complete removal of all granite stair treads, benches, light benches and footwells. Marble cheek walls, coping stones and balustrade will also be removed. Once the removal of granite and marble is complete, a concrete topping coat must be removed to access the waterproofing system below. The old leaking waterproofing installed over 40 years ago will be replaced with a brand new system.

All light benches, a total of 172, will have the old light fixtures removed and a newly constructed stainless steel fixture attached. In addition, the grand staircase will have newly fabricated stair railings installed.

Any granite, marble and stone found to be cracked and/or broken will be replaced with new to match the original. Granite stair treads, benches, light benches (with new lights) and footwells will be reinstalled, as well as Marble cheek walls, coping stones and the balustrade. 

The complexities of this unique and difficult project are due to the fact that this grand staircase spans Madison Avenue, functioning as a bridge. The weight of each stone is factored into the structural stability of this span. If too much weight is removed, the “bridge” will rebound, lift up and cause damage to the original stones that are to remain intact.


Awards:
Structural Engineering - Project of the Year 
Awarded by the Structural Engineering Institute 

Designing Masonry for ALL Its Worth Award - Best Outdoor Gathering 
Awarded by SMART dynamics of masonry publication