I realize that my odds of getting struck by lightning are better than my chances of being mayor of Troy, but here is part of the agenda of my fantasy term anyway (by the way, for those asking, I spent most of my life growing up in Troy).

I would take the area around Adams, First, and River Streets and raze the old cold storage building that's falling down. I would build a brand new Victorian style train station on the site.

Next, I would take those long freight buildings behind it and convert them to small specialty shops, similar to Boston's Quincy Market, followed by restoring the Jones Bell Foundry on the corner. That would become a bell museum. It's the last bell foundry in a city that once was the bell capital of the world. Thousands of Jones bells, as well as Meneley bells, still ring every day.

I would get ownership or lease the locally owned ALCO-built steam engine, get it working, and create an excursion train between Troy and Albany, via Rensselaer. A train for commuters in the mornings and afternoons; and a tourist ride the rest of the day.

Next, the Taylor Apartments would be razed and the area redeveloped into a new business district. Lay a new track from the new station through the new business district and a series of trolleys would bring people into the new and old existing business districts.

I previously wrote about rebuilding Franklin Square, designed in 19th century style and scale. Nuff said!

Another agenda item would be to rebuild 8th Street from Hoosick to Congress; formerly rows of homes, and now an expressway from the bridge to RPI. Hundreds of new row houses and small businesses would rise. I would also rebuild the similar 7th and 6th Avenues down the hill to the west.

I would tell RPI to put their 500 car parking lot elsewhere. It's bad enough to drive down every street and see holes (parking lots) punched in the streetscape. Do we need to see a car monument from all vantage points on the hill as well?

Our entire riverfront would once again become public. I would take the riverfront from one end of the city to the other and make it all green with walk ways, bike ways, parks, floating restaurants and marinas, a version different from the one currently being planned.

All downtown streets would have their Belgium block pavement re-exposed.

Awnings would be mandatory for all downtown businesses.

Ask RPI to give back the Beman Park Firehouse. How did they get it in the first place? I would turn it into a Troy Fire Museum. Our Fire Department has a great history. We could display Old Joke, the Burgh's first hand pumper, now at the State Museum.

I would help Tom Carroll build an industrial heritage village around the Burden Iron museum (get rid of the jail). We could reconstruct some of the early Wyantskill industries like nail and horseshoe making.

I would make Mount Ida Falls natural again. Get rid of the parking lot. I really feel like I'm communing with nature when I look up from the falls and see a row of Hondas looking down at me. Yeah, right. The city now wants to put another car view at Pawling and Congress. Give me a break. If you're too lazy to get out of the car and walk down to the falls, you don't deserve to see it.

I would buy former President Chester Arthur's house and restore it.

I would make the old Frear's department store City Hall and tear down the present concrete eyesore.

I would reopen the Ferry Street train tunnel and turn it into a railroad restaurant and museum. Sticking with the transportation theme, I would arrange to have a steamship line return and have daily trips from Troy to New York City.

Every Christmas Eve, I would read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas (Clement Moore's version, not mine) in front of the Troy Sentinel lot where it was first published.

My pet project would be to rebuild the Civil War Ironclad U.S.S. Monitor and have it moored at steamboat landing at the foot of State Street. Each year we would have a recreation of the famous battle between the Monitor and Merrimac.

Finally, I would create a 'Trojan Eye' program. Imagine a volunteer on every street corner in downtown with a two-way radio to the police. No dope, prostitutes, or criminal activity would occur when the bad guys know you're everywhere. Our slogan? "Relax and shop in Troy. We'll keep an eye out for you."