SCCC music program downtown would be good for everyone
Re your Aug. 14 editorial “SCCC should make music with Proctor’s”: I have heard a lot of criticism of the idea of SCCC moving downtown. I think some of these imaginary obstacles demand correcting. First, we should, of course, commend the faculty and leadership of the college’s music program. They have had great success in promoting, refining and expanding the college’s program. In fact, that an issue of space for practice facilities exists is a testament to the great achievements of the program and its increasing demand. The idea that they will somehow no longer be able to offer such a great program if it were in the downtown should be considered as it rightly is: an insult to their hard work and proven track record of success. There has been a lot said about how horrible it would be to break up the program from the rest of the campus. This myth is easily dismissed by the fact that many campuses are successfully spread throughout different locations. As a student who attended SUNY at Buffalo in the 1980s, I took shuttle buses between three campuses spread around the city on a daily basis; at SUNY Albany, students must drive or take the bus to from the main campus in the town of Guilderland to the downtown Albany campus. New York University is often held up as an example of a highly successful urban campus. It has six major campus centers throughout Manhattan. I doubt that the average student would have more trouble getting from Elston Hall to Proctor’s compared to a student getting even a few blocks in Manhattan. Not only can programs survive being separated from the rest of the campus, these examples prove that those programs can thrive. The idea some have stated that students choose schools based completely on the academic program rather than the surrounding community shows a detachment from reality. My son is currently in the process of selecting colleges, and his decision-making involves many different factors. I am sure students are interested in the area around SCCC, especially for music students, with Schenectady’s healthy and vibrant arts district anchored by Proctor’s. The experience of playing in the Proctor’s facilities would definitely be a great opportunity for SCCC musicians. Since music students will be expected to travel from the college to Proctor’s Theatre and back during their school day, and recognizing that many of the students don’t have cars nor the money for parking, the parties involved should partner with CDTA on this project, to provide free rides on any of the numerous buses that travel between Proctor’s and the community college during any given hour. We must not let imaginary obstacles stand in the way of a great idea. This plan does not sacrifice the music program, it enhances it. This is not only good for the community college, it’s good for the whole community. THOMAS L. BELLICK Schenectady
Since music students will be expected to travel from the college to Proctor’s Theatre and back during their school day, and recognizing that many of the students don’t have cars nor the money for parking, the parties involved should partner with CDTA on this project, to provide free rides on any of the numerous buses that travel between Proctor’s and the community college during any given hour.
I'm sure Metroplex would be up to this....there is always a price to pay....
...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
I was surprised and disappointed to read that Schenectady County Community College [SCCC] is opposed to moving all or part of its music program downtown [Aug. 14 Gazette editorial]. Over the last few years, the downtown area has undergone a dramatic shift. As a result of the changes, both people and businesses are again being attracted to the area — which has finally returned to its rightful place as the center of the city. It is disappointing that SCCC does not want to participate in, and enhance, this success. Throughout the state, as others have attempted to rebuild the economy and communities of upstate New York, the participation of public colleges and universities has been a critical component of the effort. The actions of the University at Albany constitute a good example of how a public university can integrate its educational mission with the provision of help in community economic development. The nanotech program at the university has helped attract jobs from throughout the county, and bring major investment dollars into the area. This collaboration offers an even larger promise for the future. This was possible only through the university’s commitment to work with the community to promote their mutual interests. Currently, SCCC is being asked to join in the success of the revitalized downtown. Bringing the students downtown would provide great opportunity and experiences for the students, and also help draw the college closer to the community it serves. The college could play an important role in helping to enhance the local economy. Concomitantly, it would benefit greatly from the revitalization and investment that is already there. It would be able to raise the visibility of its many wonderful academic programs and, at the same time, enhance the heart of the county it serves. SCCC has a responsibility to both its students and those whose tax dollars support it. This plan would serve all involved parties well. FARRELL S. MALKIS Niskayuna
SCHENECTADY COUNTY SCCC pressed on music project Legislators want award-winning program to be relocated downtown BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter
Schenectady County Legislature leaders are pressing their case to relocate the community college’s entire award-winning music program downtown as a way to save money. County and Schenectady County Community College leaders are preparing to discuss a proposed $5.7 million addition to Begley Hall. The addition would contain a classroom, recording studio and 10 practice rooms for the college’s music program. The college wants the county to release $2.7 million toward the construction of the addition, or else the state will not be able to include the project in an upcoming bond issue. This would delay construction of the proposed addition for months. SCCC had hoped to break ground on the addition this year. County leaders say they want more long-term planning from college officials in view of the college’s vision of spending $78 million between 2008 and 2014 to repair existing campus buildings and for expansion. The college released its 2007 master plan in June, outlining the plan to expand beyond its current site near the Western Gateway Bridge and to maintain existing buildings. Prior to this, county officials had planned to spend $9 million through 2012 on college repairs. As the college’s chief sponsor, the county is responsible for half the costs of any capital projects. If the county is to invest in Schenectady County Community College, “We want to invest in some- thing more spectacular rather than just what gets the job done,” said Susan Savage, D-Niskayuna, county Legislature chairwoman. “It makes sense to move the music program to a location where we would create a school of performing arts in the arts and entertainment district and which would create opportunities with Proctors to share the black box theater and to enhance and showcase their program,” she said. Savage said the county pressed the college more than a year ago to look at moving the music program downtown. “When we gave them money for design, we asked them to look at properties and to do a design plan for the downtown arts and entertainment district. They decided to pursue an on-campus plan,” she said. At the time, the county Legislature gave the college $117,750 to develop plans to expand the music program into an addition to Begley Hall. William Meckley, chairman of the music program at SCCC, said college officials were already deeply into the design plans for the Begley Hall addition, and moving the new addition downtown was not practical. Savage said college officials “gave us a laundry list why they couldn’t do it and preferred the status quo.” LONG-TERM PLANS County Attorney Chris Gardner said the county needs to consider the appropriate cost-effective measures in view of the college’s updated master plan. The plan calls for $14 million in repairs to Elston Hall, $3.6 million to Begley Hall, $2.9 million for athletic improvements and $53.9 million for expansion. These costs are separate from the proposed $5.7 million addition to Begley Hall. The $53.9 million represents longterm proposals that may or may not come about, and include the construction of a parking garage at $22 million and of a new public safety and business center at $24 million. “There are lot of things that need to be done at the community college. We don’t want to build additions to a building that is severely challenged,” Gardner said. He said the college can move the entire music program downtown without problems. “Students won’t be there all the time, but would take courses at the main campus. A trolley would go back and forth every 15 minutes or so,” Gardner said. He said the cost of moving the program downtown would be offset by not building a $5.7 million addition to Begley Hall. “If you look at the fact that the existing space could offset other possible program expansions, it could be done in a cost-effective manner,” Gardner said. Savage said moving the music program downtown would help it in the long run. “When you have a premiere program, you want to have ability to expand it,” she said. Meckley said the music department’s staff remains firmly opposed to moving part of the program downtown. “They are very strongly for keeping the music department on campus because we believe that is what we need to do educationally. What is going downtown is great. It is just not the best thing for us to do,” he said. Meckley said a downtown-based music program would present challenges. “On one level, that would be exciting, that would be cool,” he said. But the proposed facility would have to provide students with the types of support services they now find at SCCC, he said. Students also would require dedicated performance spaces, a band room, chorus room, keyboard room and a music library. The college requested the Begley Hall addition following an accreditation review in 2002 by the National Association of Schools of Music. The association said the college could maintain its accreditation only if it added faculty and additional practice rooms for students. The college has already added faculty.
Savage said moving the music program downtown would help it in the long run. “When you have a premiere program, you want to have ability to expand it,” she said. Meckley said the music department’s staff remains firmly opposed to moving part of the program downtown. “They are very strongly for keeping the music department on campus because we believe that is what we need to do educationally. What is going downtown is great. It is just not the best thing for us to do,” he said. Meckley said a downtown-based music program would present challenges. “On one level, that would be exciting, that would be cool,” he said. But the proposed facility would have to provide students with the types of support services they now find at SCCC, he said. Students also would require dedicated performance spaces, a band room, chorus room, keyboard room and a music library. The college requested the Begley Hall addition following an accreditation review in 2002 by the National Association of Schools of Music. The association said the college could maintain its accreditation only if it added faculty and additional practice rooms for students. The college has already added faculty.
There is that word---- accreditation,,,it does throw weight into the mix.....let's see what else is accredited.....
...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
They need to sell enough tickets over the next 15 years to make back the $3.45M they're promising from the county coffers. Metroplex has to get them to sell LOTS of tickets to get that.
If my figuring is right on this, in order to make that back with the county sales tax on the tickets (which I'm currently figuring at 4 1/4%), Proctors ONLY needs to sell $81,176,470.59 worth of tickets in the next 16 years. About $5,073,529.41 per year, on average. Good thing they moved the Christmas Holiday Parade so that they could sell a few more tickets to a show this year, huh?
It's like I've always said, Proctors is a cost burden!
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
They talked about this a bit tonight. The main concensus is that this money is not coming from the taxpayers that reside in Schenectady County, as this money comes directly from hotel taxes.
While this is a valid point, people may decide where they want to stay depending on price, and that includes all taxes. At the same time, this is not pulling away from the sales tax revenue of the city and county with the exception that the money that is spent on these hotel taxes is not put into local businesses and spent on actual products and services to help give more people jobs (besides the people who work at Proctors).
I'm still a little confused about this. I don't know if they were putting a floor or a ceiling on how much tax revenue was coming to Proctors from this. Is it an annual floor, which once Proctors gets a specific amount, then some of the other money can start to go somewhere? Is it a check directly to Proctors and all other money goes to somewhere else?
Well, these taxes are to be used for arts and entertainment. Now, I don't know where it can specifically be used besides right at Proctors. Some of the legislators said tonight that there were a couple other places that could have taken some of the money, but also some of these places had closed down in the past.
I say that we bring back an idea that Pat Zollinger had a while back. We need a Nascar track right here in Rotterdam, and guess how much would be paid in hotel taxes in the county if we got that. It would be other entertainment that this money could go to. And I also say that if Proctors (officially a non-profit organization) can change the schedule of Schenectady County, in renaming the Christmas Parade as the "Holiday Parade" to be PC, and to get it rescheduled so they don't lose "much needed revenue," then maybe Proctors is past its time. They say because of the hotel and the fact that this is becoming more of a convention center, things should be turning around. Now, here's something funny and sad for yu at the same time. As I understood it (along with Z2IM), I thin that one of the legislators that was sitting on the board said one of the two following things. The less likely is that A) There are specific days that Proctors has nothing going on, but they should be getting opened on these days and doing something.
The more likely thing was B) that even though Proctors is open and has specific activities going on somewhere around 300 days a year, it would be better for the business (although they said they were a non-profit ) that they would make more money if they were to close down a few days???
Facts show county has been quite supportive of community college
The idea that politicians are seeking back-room deals to destroy Schenectady County Community College is simply disconnected with the facts. The county has been extremely supportive of the community college by supporting and funding several large expansions along with its continual operating support. The culinary arts program outgrew its space within Elston Hall; Schenectady County and the state paid for the $6.2 million addition that was critical to the program’s expansion and survival. The college must be aware that it is blocked in by the natural flood plain it borders and needs to expand in the other direction. The county paid for purchase of the old Triple A property in order to prepare for these necessary future expansions. These are not the actions of greedy politicians, but of concerned representatives who are worried about the future of these programs. In fact, it would be easier for offi - cials to sign off on the expansion and ignore the future problems it will create. They are instead continuing to show concern for the long-term vitality of the college and not just short-term expediency. The work of the county in redeveloping the downtown has greatly enhanced the ability of the community college to recruit. The students no longer feel compelled to leave Schenectady at the end of every day now that they actually have attractions, including myriad dining and entertainment options. Now the college has been able to actually begin the process of having private developers come in and build dorms to further enhance the downtown. This was not possible before the county led the way by investing in a unified redevelopment plan that showed developers such a plan could be viable. The idea that the county has not contributed its share to the success of the college is wrong. Let’s end the rhetoric. Instead of dismissing the concerns and ideas of our elected officials out of hand, people should listen and consider the merits of the proposal. Most of all, let us remember the commitment the county has continually showed to the college by funding its expansions and helping it become the great educational center it is today. FRED L. GOODMAN Niskayuna
The work of the county in redeveloping the downtown has greatly enhanced the ability of the community college to recruit. The students no longer feel compelled to leave Schenectady at the end of every day now that they actually have attractions, including myriad dining and entertainment options. Now the college has been able to actually begin the process of having private developers come in and build dorms to further enhance the downtown. This was not possible before the county led the way by investing in a unified redevelopment plan that showed developers such a plan could be viable.
This is so true.....I have a question...where have the Union folks been going all this time???? And what have they been doing???
...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
Carl Strock THE VIEW FROM HERE Legislators make up minds first Carl Strock can be reached at 395-3085 or by e-mail at carlstrock@dailygazette.com.
One thing about the Schenectady County Legislature under its current Democratic leadership is it does not have a stellar record for consulting with interested parties before taking action. That was true when it passed a law governing where sex offenders could live without consulting local law enforcement or the leaders of its own towns, and it’s true again now as it tries to move the local community college’s music program downtown without having first consulted the college president, the board of trustees or the music department chairman. They simply withheld a $2.7 million appropriation that had already been approved for an expansion of the existing music building, telling the college president, Gabriel Basil, he should put the proposed expansion downtown instead, which happened last December. The college, be it noted, is not far from downtown — only half a mile, or five longish blocks — but it is nevertheless psychologically remote, separated by a couple of broad unfriendly avenues, so that people ordinarily drive rather than walk the distance. So splitting the music program, with rehearsal space at one location and practice rooms at another would have been problematic, and college officials began to imagine students trudging through half a mile of winter slush with their tubas and their double basses in order to satisfy elected officials’ desires to enhance the renaissance of the central business district. They protested, and the county legislators, bless them, did get the message. They said OK, don’t just put the new expansion downtown, move the entire program, lock, stock and rehearsal rooms — into a retrofitted Center City, or into Proctors Theatre, or above the old Carl Company, or above the new movie theater. Great idea, perhaps, which found its way into the news, but, protests Bill Meckley, chairman of the music department, “Would someone please come and talk to us?” He’s the guy who has to deal with all this, and he’s the guy who built the current music department over the past 20 years from almost nothing into its current respected form, with some 140 students. And he’s also the guy who scrutinizes other colleges’ music facilities to see if they merit accreditation, in his role as a commissioner with National Association of Schools of Music. “I kind of know about this stuff,” he told me with some exasperation, “and nobody has asked me.” Likewise the president, Mr. Basil , who agreed, “Nobody has talked to us about that,” meaning moving the entire program. I advised him that no less an authority than the county attorney, Chris Gardner, had assured me that the new revised idea for a complete move had been “on the table for a long time.” “It might have been on their table but not on ours,” Mr. Basil said, though he added that he was willing to talk about it and it might be “a golden opportunity if funding and support were there to carry it off.” The chairwoman of the legislature, Susan Savage, meanwhile, denies that the $2.7 million was withheld as a way to coerce the college into accepting the move, though it clearly was. She says, sounding like an old-fashioned thought reformer, “We think we’re doing something that would be very good for the college, and they need to be able to accept that idea.” (You can read both her take and Bill Meckley’s take on these matters in the Opinion section of today’s newspaper.) Please note I express no view on the merits of the proposed relocation myself. I can understand why it might be desirable for a small school like Schenectady County Community College to remain intact, in one location, for the sake of many conveniences and economies, and I can also see how it might benefi t both the music program and downtown for it to relocate and be part of a larger entertainment district, though I do expect it would be hugely expensive. I just comment on the way the county Legislature goes about this business — making up its mind first and then expecting affected parties to accept its wisdom. And if the affected parties don’t accept its wisdom they are painted as obstinate naysayers and will not get the money to build an expansion which was already agreed to. But at the same the legislature will deny that it’s doing any such thing. “No threats have been made,” Chairwoman Savage assured me. The money just wasn’t given, despite being approved in the county budget, as a result of which an equal amount of matching money from the state won’t be forthcoming either, and no expansion will be built. The college will accept the Legislature’s unilateral idea, or the college will get no new rehearsal rooms or classrooms. That’s how things stand.
Moving SCCC music program a discordant discussion Proponents uninformed about cost, complexity of shifting classes, space BY WILLIAM A. MECKLEY For The Sunday Gazette
In fall 2005, the Schenectady County Legislature approved a quarter million dollars specifi - cally for the design of an expansion of the Begley Building, as detailed in the master plan of Schenectady County Community College. The design is now complete, and we on the music faculty are delighted with it and have eagerly anticipated its construction. Now we read in the Gazette, along with you, that the county wants to explore moving the entire program downtown. No one has proposed or discussed this with us. Up until September 10 we had been resisting an unworkable proposal to physically split the department into two or more remote parts. Moving our program downtown VIEWPOINT would be much more complex and costly than simply moving into some empty spaces. COMPLEX MOVE It would require college-controlled performance halls, a music library (and librarian), large and small rehearsal rooms with special acoustic construction, listening labs, music computer labs, keyboard labs, and dozens of other amenities for students, as required by our music accreditation — amenities that already exist on our campus. Much of the existing music facility at SCCC is wonderful. The excel- lent 400-seat Carl B. Taylor Community Auditorium (recently cited by Metroland as one the “Best” in the Capital Region.) suits our needs perfectly and does not require that we seek Proctor’s or anyone else’s permission for use. We have fine, acoustically designed band and chorus rooms, a music computer lab, keyboard lab and other specialized spaces. The College Library with music listening stations and extensive CD/LP collection is in our building. What we need are small individual practice rooms. We also need one more classroom for music theory and history courses. A recording studio for our music business program is part of the new design as well. All of these are found in the new plan, completed and paid for with money approved by the County Legislature. Their decision to give us a quarter of a million dollars to design the on-campus music expansion without the intention of actually building it is at, the very least, puzzling. We do not need a new auditorium. We do not need a new band room. We do not need a new chorus rehearsal room, nor library, or labs. What we need are those small individual practice rooms for students to jump into between classes. CAREFUL THOUGHT The sharing of Proctor’s facilities needs to be thought out more carefully. The GE black-box theatre is a commercial enterprise. If Proctor’s has the opportunity to bring in a profitable show, the students would likely be on the outs. If the main theatre brings in another month-long run of “Phantom of the Opera,” students would have no place to park in the daytime and there could be no evening college performances because of crowds. Besides, we have a great auditorium already. Come and hear a concert there sometime, we’ll make a believer out of you. The Gazette rightly points out that the county traditionally has not sufficiently funded the annual costs of running the college. Opening a second campus (requiring yet another bureaucratic process of seeking approval from SUNY) would add greatly to the annual operating costs of the institution. Maintenance and security, especially in the wake of evolving SUNY requirements after the Virginia Tech tragedy, could easily add several hundred thousand dollars to the yearly college budget, money the college simply does not have. Significant tuition raises or additional fees for music students would likely be the order of the day. Much has been made of the idea of music students being located in the Arts District and near Proctor’s. Again, this idea sounds like a dream. For music faculty, however, it is a potential nightmare. We expect students to become lonely practice hermits with metronomes and tuners. The last thing we want is for our students to be hanging out in coffee shops, bars and downtown eateries. Every moment they do so is another lost opportunity to work on that pesky scale or etude before their next lesson. At SCCC we host dozens of professional performances, workshops, clinics and other events that our students attend free. The list of distinguished guest artists who have performed and taught on our campus is long and includes major figures in classical, jazz and other musical styles. We offer so many concerts on campus that our students cannot attend them all, especially considering that most of them work full or part time and have family obligations. Come and hear for yourselves, then judge. As a national level Accreditation Commissioner, Program Evaluator and consultant for the National Association of Schools of Music, I travel throughout the country evaluating music buildings and building designs, curricula, and faculty. I guess this makes me something of an expert. VISIT BEFORE JUDGING Not once have the originators of this proposal asked for my or any other SCCC music educator’s opinion regarding our needs. Even more importantly, they have never thought to come visit the SCCC Music Department in order to observe what goes on there, or hear a concert in our auditorium. I therefore cordially invite anyone interested to please come see and hear us in order to develop a more informed opinion. Call or email me. Please. Our job is education. All of the stated rationales for moving the department have been economic. We may well lose this battle (we have been told that we will), but the SCCC music faculty would rather keep doing our best to foster young musicians in an inadequate facility than put the quality of our program at risk by making a move that has not been carefully though out. This is our life’s work. We on the SCCC faculty often hear from the county about the good job we do as music educators. If this is indeed so, then our opinions deserve respect. Come and talk to us.
Plan would have multiple benefi ts for both students and community BY SUSAN E. SAVAGE For The Sunday Gazette
Over the years, I’ve learned that change is more diffi - cult for some than others. But in Schenectady County, I have found that whenever I ask those in or around government to look at things in a different way, the fi rst reply is “No.” The second reply is always, “We’ve never done that before.” COLLEGE’S REQUEST Two years ago, Schenectady County Community College officials came to speak with then County Manager Kevin DeFebbo and me, requesting county funding for two major projects — a $6.5 million expansion for the SCCC Culinary Arts school and $250,000 VIEWPOINT to fund a design study for an expansion of the music and drama programs. The county Legislature funded both requests and asked SCCC President Gabe Basil to consider moving part or all of the music program to a downtown location near Proctors. In 2006, County Manager Kathleen Rooney, Ray Gillen, the commissioner of economic development, and I met with President Basil to again ask that SCCC at least consider a downtown site. We asked this for a few reasons. First, it is apparent to us that SCCC has an ambitious expansion plan. College officials recently released a master plan that calls for $78 million in capital projects over the next six years. SCCC’s location is landlocked and the majority of the campus is located on a flood plain. There is very limited space suitable for future expansion. Since land is limited and expansion may be necessary not only now but in the future, perhaps taxpayers’ dollars should be spent with an eye on the future rather than “doing things the way they have always been done.” LOGICAL LINK Second, the music program at SCCC is a premiere educational program that should be touted and showcased. Why not link the program to Proctors Theatre, which is the premiere entertainment venue in the region? Proctors’ CEO Philip Morris is an enthusiastic supporter of the community and has spent hours talking with college officials as to how a linkage with Proctors might be beneficial. One possibility might be to construct a new music and drama building across from Proctor’s that would contain both performance space and classrooms, practice rooms, and a music recording studio. In addition to their own facility, the college could also utilize Proctor’s theater and the new GE black-box theater, as well as the 150-seat theater at 440 State St. Certainly this approach should be exciting to prospective students as well as SCCC faculty and the board of trustees. Not only would students and faculty benefit from a new, centrally located facility, but I believe the community would be more inclined to take advantage of student performances than they currently are in the Carl B. Taylor Auditorium. Critics of the idea, including President Basil and some faculty, have said that the proposed facility is too far from the main campus. But it is only a matter of blocks between the two. On most college campuses, students travel much farther distances to their classes. I would also like to point out that many universities have arts programs on separate campuses. Fordham University, for example, has its arts program located at its Lincoln Center Campus. Most community colleges, including SCCC, also have satellite facilities at other locations in order to attract new students. I don’t propose these ideas in order to cut expenses or shortchange SCCC. However, a new building or expansion creates opportunities for other levels of government to help local county taxpayers pay for new projects. With $78 million in proposed capital projects, this must be considered. As the college sponsor, the county is responsible for half of the costs of any capital project. BALANCING NEEDS We need to balance the desires of the college staff and president with the needs of county taxpayers. If we follow this course, we would be investing taxpayer dollars in something spectacular that would not only serve the needs of current students but also make the music and drama programs ever more attractive to potential students. Representatives of the college have also stated incorrectly that county leaders want to create foot traffic downtown. While this may have been the case many years ago when leaders searched for anyone to locate downtown, the picture has changed dramatically in the past four years. Proctors, the new Bow Tie Cinema, and new restaurants and cafés, such as the Muddy Cup, have all transformed downtown Schenectady into a vibrant arts and entertainment area that students would enjoy. As the saying goes, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.” Isn’t it time that SCCC officials at least consider a new approach to expansion projects? Does the first answer always have to be “No” and the second, “We’ve never done that before?”
The college, be it noted, is not far from downtown — only half a mile, or five longish blocks — but it is nevertheless psychologically remote, separated by a couple of broad unfriendly avenues, so that people ordinarily drive rather than walk the distance.
How about building it in the 2-3block area??? make it friendly......
Aug 11,2007 gazette article: County officials want to add more foot traffic to downtown, believing students are a key to its continued revitalization
Quoted Text
Sept 15 2007 gazette article by Susan Savage: Representatives of the college have also stated incorrectly that county leaders want to create foot traffic downtown. While this may have been the case many years ago when leaders searched for anyone to locate downtown, the picture has changed dramatically in the past four years. Proctors, the new Bow Tie Cinema, and new restaurants and cafés, such as the Muddy Cup, have all transformed downtown Schenectady into a vibrant arts and entertainment area that students would enjoy.
Does old Suzie know what she is talking about? What the heck does she mean when she says that increasing foot traffic may have been the case years ago when leaders searched for 'anyone' to locate downtown? Downtown was GREAT! The so called leaders didn't have to 'look' for anyone! They came knocking on Schenectady's door. And my dear Suzie, that was only because of GE! Clearly not the great leaders of the city. Suzie talks about 'foot traffic', GE supplied all the foot traffic you needed. God, they employed just about everyone in the cite/county and beyond! She is truly a dimwhit!
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
Logged
) that they would make more money if they were to close down a few days???
