The administration of Gov. Kathy Hochul has allocated $200 million for projects that might revitalize downtown Albany.

Last week, 700 people attended a public workshop held to determine how the state should spend $200 million on downtown Albany.

That’s an impressive and hope-generating turnout, even if we presume that some portion of the Albany Capital Center crowd was required to attend by their government employers. It demonstrates the depth of love and concern for the city, the passion that exists for bettering its future.

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Given that the audience also included Mayor Kathy Sheehan and many other state and local politicians, it might have been easier for Ben Margolis of MIG, the planning firm hired to help guide the spending, to stand up and sugarcoat the state of the city and its downtown. Instead, he was blunt about its failures.

“Albany is the capital city of the state,” Margolis said. “Honestly, it’s not even acting like the center of a growing region in terms of its growth. It’s falling behind. This needs to change, and it needs to change urgently.”

Margolis said downtown Albany doesn’t have nearly enough residential density and isn’t building enough housing. He said Albany must be bolder and more aspirational. He said perceptions about crime matter and can’t be ignored.

“Development has to make downtown feel safer, not just newer,”........

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