Rensselaer will be the lead agency in the environmental review of the proposed Capital Gondola project, coordinating with Albany. The city planning commission unanimously approved that role Tuesday night.

The $25 million gondola proposal is a project put forward three years ago by a group of local companies. It would connect the Rensselaer Train Station to downtown Albany. 

One area Rensselaer will be closely examining is parking. 

"It's a big issue with the train station. Some of it overflows into the residential areas," said Charles Moore, Rensselaer director of Planning and Development. "So we want to make sure we look at that and make sure we can get as much benefit as we can, to draw in more people to the city — which may lead to more businesses and more retail and things like that."

Albany will also have to approve the memorandum of understanding. Moore estimates this process will take several months.