CBS6 News has learned a new retail business is heading for downtown Schenectady. Schenectady County Legislature Chairwoman Susan Savage says La Sartoria will soon be setting up shop on State Street, across from Proctors Theatre.
La Sartoria already has a location in Saratoga, and sells upscale clothing.
Meantime, there is still no word on when the Big House will open its doors. The bar and restaurant complex on State Street has been plagued by delays and has been funded in part by more than a million dollars in taxpayer money from the Schenectady Metroplex Development Authority. Our calls to the Big House owner and Metroplex were not returned.
First of all, LaSortia was talked about over a year ago. This is nothing new...just an update. And I am glad that channel 6 emphasized the fact that the Big House has been funded in party by more than $1Million of taxpayers money. Where is our return on that one? And what is Savage...the spokesperson now? She must be pumping up herself for her future political career!
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
$1M in money from the Metroplex to open the Big House? Well, since we've paid ahead, when we go in, I guess they can just take it off our account, right?
The news reported that there was a $1M loan and a $300K grant to the owner(s) of the Big House. I found in the audit document (page 23, URL below) posted on the Metroplex website, that the Metroplex has approved a grant of $300K, a no-interest loan of $1.1M, and $100K in "related expenses" to the Big House owner.
During the interview, Savage could not provide any assurances of if/when the Big House will open. She stated that the building required much more work than initially expected and planned for and that is what has delayed the opening. She said that she hopes that the business opens soon.
The reporter also interviewed the Big House owner. He couldn't provide any date for when the business will open.
Brad on the news last night a reporter went to visit the Big House to see how the development was doing and found the door locked and no one around, like the construction was stopped for some reason. Too many questions about this to be ignored.
If anyone is interested in contacting Mr. Madej of the State Comptroller's Office - Office of Local Government & School Accountability, the contact information, including an email address is provided below. (hint, hint)
ALBANY REGIONAL OFFICE Kenneth Madej, Chief Examiner Office of the State Comptroller 22 Computer Drive West Albany, New York 12205-1695 (518 ) 438-0093 | Fax (518 ) 438-0367 Email: Muni-Albany@osc.state.ny.us Serving: Albany, Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Schenectady, Ulster counties
Re Dec. 8 article, “SLOC planning to make move to bigger venue”: I was interested to read that the Schenectady Light Opera Company is looking to move to a new home, since they have outgrown their current location. If Metroplex Chairman Ray Gillen is so big into theater, and thinks that the Metroplex is going to do so much for the county, why not look for a place in the surrounding communities to move the theater to? Scotia is just over the river. Minority Leader Robert Farley said recently at a county board meeting that towns are generally built around a theater. Where is Rotterdam’s theater? Or do we not care about the other municipalities in the county? If theater is so good for downtown, why not spread the good things around the county? How about putting it right at the old Main Florist, at the end of Campbell Road? It would have good access to I-890, plenty of room for parking, and imagine having the theater right next to Rotterdam Square Mall. It could actually get people to come to the county to go to the theater, and then send them over to buy more merchandise they don’t need at the mall! Or is Metroplex just worried about State Street? KEVIN MARCH Rotterdam
I await the publication in the Daily Gazette in the coming days of Letters to the Editor that are written to counter your position and assertions. The letters will, no doubt, be scripted by those who control the county government and/or the Metroplex Development Authority but will appear as though written by concerned county residents.
Kevin, excellent! You hit everything right on the head. And I agree with Brad, that we will be waiting anxiously for the counter replies to your article. Sometimes it makes me wonder if the Gazette gets the city legislatures 'stamp of approval' on these editorials before print. I mean we know they have the power to EDIT! Although I know these are not edited, it just may be that Brad is correct when he says they will be well scripted. I wonder if they are fore warned before print.
I know that I sound like a conspiracy theory thinker, but I put absolutely nothing past these numb skulls.
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
SCHENECTADY 3 big projects on planners’ plate Panel to consider Pizza King, Golub, Broadway efforts BY KATHLEEN MOORE Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Kathleen Moore at 395-3120 or moore@dailygazette.com.
More than $35 million in private development will be analyzed by the Schenectady Planning Commission tonight when it considers three major Metroplex Development Authority projects. First, the commission will review plans for the demolition and redevelopment of the Pizza King buildings across from the Hampton Inn on State Street. Then, the commission will consider the plans for the new Golub Corporation headquarters near Union College. As if that’s not enough, the commission will then head into the complicated proposal for the former Schenectady International complex on Broadway. And that’s just the beginning of the commission’s two-page agenda. The meeting will begin at 6:15 p.m. today in Room 110 at City Hall. The Metroplex projects have been brewing for months, all of them so critical that Metroplex Chairman Ray Gillen can’t decide which one is the most important. “It’s a big night,” he said. “They’re all important — we had to clean up the pizza block. It’s one of the last pieces of the puzzle for the Proctors block.” The three buildings surrounding the Pizza King, which has now relocated to Jay Street, have been falling apart for years. After the Hampton Inn opened across the street, the deteriorating buildings were covered with black material that locals dubbed “the cloak of invisibility.” The cloak won’t be there much longer — the buildings are slated for demolition in March, Gillen said. Workers are removing asbestos now. The buildings, at 453, 457 and 469 State St., will be replaced by one three-story structure named Clinton Square. Preliminary plans call for a $3.2 million building with retail stores on the first floor and commercial businesses and offices on the upper floors. Facades will break up the length of the building, making it look like three separate structures. Construction is expected to take 10 months. GOLUB HEADQUARTERS Gillen is just as enthusiastic about the next project on the commission’s agenda, the long-discussed Golub headquarters at College Park Plaza on Nott Street. Golub plans to build a $22 million, six-floor corporate headquarters for 750 workers across from College Park Hall, the former Ramada Inn, now a dormitory for Union College. Gillen hopes the workers will serve as a strong customer base for nearby businesses. “It’s going to be a signature building,” he said. “We really think this will help us with the Little Italy project, [and] we think it will be a natural for them to go to Van Vranken. There’s lots of good places to eat there.” The final Metroplex project up for review today will spruce up one of the city’s more derelict entrances, Gillen said. The vacant Schenectady International complex will be redeveloped by Galesi Group, which is already demolishing one building and will renovate another for the county’s Department of Social Services. The third building is still being marketed. So far, Galesi Group plans to spend $9 million on the project. “It just cleans up one of the gateways to the city,” Gillen said. “You see it from I-890. It looks tired now, and that one building was literally imploding around itself.” The other two buildings will become taxable properties, he added. “There’s two buildings both going back on the tax roll,” he said. “You’ve got a lot of development in one night.” Metroplex is not providing any money for the Golub and Schenectady International projects. The authority is spending $900,000 of public money to remove asbestos in the Pizza King buildings before demolition, and Metroplex will use a $1.4 million state RestoreNY grant to demolish the buildings. It also spent $110,000 to buy out the lease of Pizza King owner Jon Camaj and relocate him to 124 Jay St. BETHESDA HOUSE Once the commission gets through the Metroplex projects, there’s still a long way to go. The most controversial plan on its agenda is likely to be Bethesda House’s proposal to build a dropin center and residential home for the chronically homeless at 834-838 State St. The Schenectady City Council handed those properties to the agency after negotiating a sale with Fred Anderson, who ran a blacktopping business out of an office on one parcel. The other parcels have abandoned buildings that Bethesda House must demolish to make room for its proposal.
Metroplex Chair Ray Gillen will be presenting to the Schenectady County Legislature tomorrow (Monday) night at 7 PM. The meeting is an "informational" session. The public may attend, but there will be no opportunity for public comment/questions. I am disappointed that questions from the public to Mr. Gillen will not be allowed at this meeting. For those who have interest in the Metroplex Board of Directors' views regarding business development in the City of Schenectady and Schenectady County or who may have interest in hearing more about the status of projects funded by the Metroplex, come to the County Office Building tomorrow night and join me in the cheap seats.
If we can't make it, will it be televised on SACC, live tomorrow night?
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
Quoted from bumblethru: If we can't make it, will it be televised on SACC, live tomorrow night?
Bumble,
I believe that all meetings are video taped. It seems that the videos are broadcast on SACC-16 at some point in the future and are USUALLY unedited. I agree with MobileTerminal that it is unlikely to be aired "live".
I understand that there are several folks who plan to attend this meeting. I encourage everyone who has concerns about the operations of the Metroplex to attend the meeting. Though we cannot speak, we can show by our presence that we are watching and listening.
Logged
