ALTAMONT — The Guilderland Planning Board on Wednesday got its first look at a proposal to build two dozen apartments on a 1.54-acre parcel of land sandwiched between Crossgates Mall and the Hilton hotel on Route 20. 

Viscusi Builders is seeking approval to construct the four-story residence at 2 Crossgates Mall Road. The building’s first floor would be dedicated to parking with apartments located on floors two, three, and four. The covered parking area would contain over half of the development’s 49 parking spaces (another 15 spaces are shown as banked, or potential future, parking).

The land, which was subdivided in 2017 to make way for the dual-branded 192-room Tru and Homewood Suites hotel from Hilton, is currently owned by Crossgates but under contract to the Rotterdam-based Viscusi, according to the project narrative provided to the planning board. 

The parcel abuts Site 3 of the contentious three-site development project from Crossgates’ parent company, the Pyramid Management Group, which has faced two lawsuits over the proposal.

One suit by a group of Westmere residents initially stopped Pyramid’s planned 222-unit apartment development and proposed Costco Wholesale, but was overturned on appeal. Pyramid then successfully turned back a lawsuit from Save the Pine Bush, but the not-for-profit advocacy group chose to challenge the lower court’s decision and is currently appealing the ruling.