The Albany skyline and Half Moon weathervane atop the former Delaware & Hudson Building, now SUNY Plaza, is seen from above Frontage Road on April 9, 2021, in Albany.

The $400 million worth of commitments that Gov. Kathy Hochul announced in her State of the State would mark one of the biggest investments in New York’s capital city in decades. It’s certainly welcome news.

Whether it’s as transformative as such a huge chunk of economic investment money should be remains to be seen, but the big brushstrokes so far are encouraging.

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The governor’s plan includes the substantial sum of $150 million to renovate the State Museum and upgrade the exhibits. That price tag, along with the governor’s intention to convene a blue-ribbon panel of education and tourism experts and host an international design competition, all suggest this could be far more than the sort of merely cosmetic update that leaves the place prettier but no more compelling to visit — or revisit, as would likely be the case for many New........

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