Historic St. Francis Hotel Restores Iconic Lobby Windows

Albany landmark undergoes renovation, sparking debate over window preservation

Published on Feb. 28, 2026

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The historic St. Francis Hotel in Albany, New York has restored the tall, ground-floor lobby windows on its Ferry Street facade, revealing the building's original architectural features after years of being covered up. The restoration is part of an ongoing renovation project led by local real estate developer Scott Lepman, which has sparked debate over how to preserve the building's historic character.

Why it matters

The St. Francis Hotel is a beloved landmark in Albany, with its distinctive architecture and history dating back to 1915. The restoration of the lobby windows is an important step in preserving the building's historic integrity, but it has also raised questions about how to balance preservation with practical renovations.

The details

The former hotel, which county records say was built in 1915, has been undergoing a slow renovation and reconstruction since shortly after Albany real estate magnate Scott Lepman bought it in 2022. One challenge in the project is what to do about the deteriorated wooden window sashes on the upper floors. Last year, Lepman asked to replace 95 windows with aluminum-clad windows, but the Albany Landmarks Commission balked at the request, preferring to see the old wood windows repaired. Lepman has since withdrawn the application, though it's unclear if he plans to submit another request.

  • The tall windows of the ground floor lobby were restored and reopened in February 2026.
  • Lepman bought the St. Francis Hotel in 2022 and began the renovation project shortly after.
  • Lepman applied to replace 95 upper-floor windows with aluminum-clad windows in 2025, but the request was denied by the Albany Landmarks Commission.

The players

Scott Lepman

A local real estate developer who bought the St. Francis Hotel in 2022 and is overseeing its ongoing renovation.

Albany Landmarks Commission

The local preservation authority that denied Lepman's request to replace the historic wooden windows on the upper floors of the St. Francis Hotel, preferring to see them repaired instead.

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What they’re saying

“It's nice to see the big plate-glass windows on Ferry Street opened up to their full height. The upper part had been covered up during the years when a print shop occupied the ground floor.”

— Hasso Hering, Local journalist (hh-today.com)

What’s next

It's unclear if Lepman will submit a new application to the Albany Landmarks Commission regarding the upper-floor windows, or if his crew will proceed with repairing the existing wood windows as the commission prefers.

The takeaway

The restoration of the St. Francis Hotel's iconic lobby windows is a positive step in preserving the building's historic character, but the ongoing debate over how to handle the upper-floor windows highlights the challenges of balancing preservation and practical renovations for historic structures.