Fort Orange General Store is back open, under new ownership and in a new location. The shop specializes in selling locally-made home goods and gifts.

"We want to highlight those products that you can’t find at a shopping mall," said owner Schuyler Bull.

Bull bought the brand after the previous owners closed the store last year. He stepped down as assistant director of the Downtown Albany Business Improvement District to open his own business on Broadway.

"It is downtown’s newest neighborhood. There’s over 100 new apartments being added every year and there’s a lot of events, so much investment in the Albany Capital Center and the Times Union Center, and it just makes sense historically," said Bull.

The new store is located in Albany’s Argus Building, blocks from the location of the original Fort Orange, the city’s first Dutch settlement.

“The earliest settlers were traders with the Native Americans, and this store is similar in that way. People are making amazing products and we are creating a demand for it,” said Bull.

Inventory includes hundreds of items from dozens of vendors with more products being added each week.

“The vision of the store was to have a really curated collection of items,” said assistant manager Paula Patterson.

“With the workshops that we’re bringing in and different makers and vendors that we’re supporting, this will really help to bring people into the area for something new,” said Patterson.

The two have ambitious plans to play a pivotal role in the revitalization of downtown Albany.

“We want to be the people to tell the story of Albany to those who are visiting,” said Bull.