SCHENECTADY $600K funding to continue work on downtown Facade program getting largest grant BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter
Grants totaling $600,000 will be used to prepare a coffee house in the Proctors complex for a grand opening Sunday, to build a “vertical garden” near the Hampton Inn and to continue improving the facades of downtown businesses. The Metroplex Development Authority board agreed Monday to distribute the grants to the downtown projects. The largest grant of $495,000 goes to the Downtown Schenectady Improvement Corp.’s facade program, which Metroplex hopes to turn into a countywide program next year. The DSIC facade program improves the exteriors of downtown businesses using established architectural guidelines. Business owners who participate must at least match the Metroplex grant. Monday’s grant brings to $1.6 million the total Metroplex has distributed to the DSIC facade program since 2002. The grants have, in turn, have sparked owners to provide an additional $2 million in matching funds and to make a further investment of more than $4 million in interior building improvements, said Metroplex Chairman Ray Gillen. The current round of grants is targeted toward “key properties in and around the Proctors’ block,” Gillen said. Since 2002, the DSIC facade program has provided grants for 72 facade and sign improvements projects. The Metroplex grant allocates $60,000 for program administration and $40,000 for architectural services. An architect under contract to the DSIC offers technical guidance in project development and construction oversight, officials said. “We view this program as such a success that we are thinking of making it countywide,” Gillen said. “We are looking about expanding the program to the Hamburg Street corridor, the Scotia business district and to some of the other commercial corridors, including the corridor in Duanesburg,” he said. Metroplex is already providing grants to the Upper Union Street Business Improvement District for facade work. The awards have totaled $730,000 since 2004. “It’s nice to have a BID to work with. If we didn’t have a group like a BID, we would administer the grants directly or use a contractor,” Gillen said. Union Street formed its BID in November 2001. The Hamburg Street Merchants Association in Rotterdam is considering the formation of its own BID, officials said. COFFEE HOUSE In other awards, Metroplex gave a $50,000 grant to James Svetz to prepare 4,000 square feet inside the former Carl Co. for his Muddy Cup Coffee House and Cafe. The cafe is scheduled to open Sunday for Proctors open house of its $30 million expansion and restoration project. “I’m a determined person and I hope to be ready,” Svetz said Monday. He was taking a break from interviewing more than 100 candidates for 12 full-time slots at the Muddy Cup. As he spoke, workers were building the Muddy Cup from the ground up around him. “Everything is ready and in place, and everybody is working with us,” Svetz said. “We will offer a limited menu and all of our coffee house drinks on Sunday.” The Muddy Cup will occupy space in Robb Alley, the name given to the first floor renovated space of the former Carl. Co., which lies off Golub Arcade in the Proctors building. Svetz has already received a $50,000 loan from the Schenectady Local Development Corp. and plans to invest $50,000 in private financing to open the cafe. This would be his ninth cafe in New York state. Svetz said the cafe will be open seven days a week, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. weekdays and to midnight on weekends. “It’s important to be open after 5 p.m. as part of an area’s redevelopment,” he said. “There is going to be a night life here and people will be coming down.” To stimulate the night life, Proctors and the Muddy Cup plan to schedule concerts, poetry readings, open mike nights and more in open space opposite the cafe in Robb Alley. Clark Music was slated for the space, but backed out, citing delays in the opening of the area. Both Morris and Svetz see the open space as a positive for the community. “It’s great to have this extra space. We will use it,” Svetz said. The space can hold up to 150 people. Morris said other activities will include chess tournaments and more. VERTICAL GARDEN A third grant of $73,000 is going to Proctors’ 440 State St. to create a “living wall” opposite the Hampton Inn. Morris said the plan is to build a trellis along the exposed wall that faces the Hampton Inn parking entrance. “We will grow a vertical garden, which will be started next spring. This winter, we will paint the wall,” he said. The wall was exposed when adjacent buildings were demolished to create shovel-ready space for the aborted Diamond Cinema project years ago and then for the Hampton Inn. The 440 State St. building is owned by Proctors and contains a 100-seat theater and other space for cultural activities. It is part of the new Proctors facility, consisting of the Proctors main stage and the GE Theatre, which contains 450 seats and offers Iwerks movies.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
whoever controls the guns controls the masses and whoever controls the $$ controls the masses.......I do not dislike Mr. Tommasone but,damn, where is the fire.....Rollerrama, Samuels, the little strip mall, stewarts(almost,could look better),,,,,they are fixing,,,,,but, what about the 'big fish'?, Uhaul, CVS(it will be empty soon).......I live in the neighborhood and keep up my property..... The Mayor of Hamburg St. has been in Italy(or atleast the $$ collected is),,,,,,
We need to get off the studies....we know what we want folks, are we willing to go for it and own it....we live here!!!!!!!!!
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
ROTTERDAM Merchants’ resurgence continues Group marketing, possible fall festival are signs of growth BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter
Members of the Hamburg Street Merchants Association are taking the next step toward encouraging shoppers to visit their businesses. Co-director Frank DePalma said the group is putting together an advertising campaign for July that will list participating Hamburg Street shops together under a newly designed merchants association logo. So far, 19 businesses have agreed to contribute $100 toward the promotion, aimed at drawing more traffic to the two-mile stretch of small shops. “And I think we’re going to get more, once people see what we’re doing,” he said of the campaign Friday. Bill Carney, a local artist and bartender at D’Angelo’s Play-by-Play, designed the logo, which features Rotterdam’s landmark windmill and the group’s slogan: “We’re here to serve you.” DePalma said the aim is to create an identity for the association. “We want to promote the businesses on Hamburg Street and introduce it as a shopping district for people to visit,” he said. The merchants association is also in the process of planning its first street festival. DePalma said the group has received preliminary town approval to host the event at the parking lot of the Rotterdam Senior Citizens’ Center during the last weekend in September. DePalma said discussions about the festival are still in the beginning stages. However, he said the event will likely feature vendors and games. Business owners first organized the association in January 2007 in an effort to bring improvements to the once-bustling commercial strip. Since that time, the group has been active in lobbying town and county officials for improvements to the area, such as better street lighting and the formation of a sewer district. Hamburg Street business owners also represented the majority of those who capitalized on $2,500 matching facade improvement grants offered last year by the Rotterdam Industrial Development Agency. The program was successful enough that the agency plans to offer another round of grants next month.
So where are the sewers and better street lighting....Have i missed something ?? I know there is a strong desire and much effort into talking about it, but I dont see anything but continued deterioration....What actual plans toward improvements are in place, none that I know of..a couple of hundred bucks and a street festival ??? The real truth is the town is not doing anything and time just ticking away......Good Luck !!
I personally give the business owners credit for moving forward with this. Perhaps the town isn't moving as fast as we would like, but at least the business owners are working with what they've got.
Remember Biag, the lights, sewers etc....will cost quite a bit of money. And where do we think it is going to come from? The Metroplex showed interest in Hamburg St but that was about as far as it went. Rotterdam is the highest contributor to the sales tax in all of Schenectady County. So I would like to see Rotterdam residents gracing the county legislature meetings and address that issue to Savage, the legislatures and Mr.Gillen. It is time that the Metroplex give some our our sales tax money back.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
The business owners need to give attention to the street or die. The metroplex needs to help....the residents need to pay and everyone needs to work hard at cleaning the mess up...Where is Tommasone....Lip service...i want to see everything cleaned up as bad as they do.....HELP ROTTERDAM !!!
I have to agree, that people need to go to the county meetings and address the legislatures regarding Metroplex monies being used to not only revitalize State Street and Erie Blvd., but also the surrounding towns such as Rotterdam.
When is the next merchants meeting...I havent seen notification of one for a long time......People who care about Rotterdam need to get off their A_S and help make this happen.....We are running out of time and if anyone thinks we are making progress they are very missinformed....Lots of talk, we need Rotterdams help and we need to make noise to get that to happen.....As Senders states...PICK A TIME....Leaders help!!!!
Hamburg street should take a lesson from the new Victoria apartments on Carman road....Nice sidewalks and landscaping...all there property is well maintained and pride is definatley present.....I know it costs money, so does my residential property but I spend it...I want things to look good.....so should hamburg street......dont hold your breath waiting on someone else....clean it up..
Hey, I say this on the Schenectady County Chamber of Commerce website. Is this a new business?
Kathleen's Massage and Day Spa 2779 Hamburg Street Schenectady, NY 12303
Ph: (51 573-8612 Rep: Kathleen A. Carroll
Massage Swedish Massage, Hot Stone Therapy, Therapeutic Massage, Spa Treatments, Wraps, Scrubs, Feet & Hand Treatments
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Please join Owner Kathleen Carroll and the Chamber of Schenectady County for a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at 3:30 p.m. to celebrate the opening of the Kathleen's Therapeutic Massage & Day Spa.
Stop by for a tour of the spa and get a free chair massage while you're there!
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