Big House story raises questions about Waite, and Gillen
Re April 30 article, “Big House project falls through — Restaurant will not be built”: If anyone else in the city did anything like what owner Stephen Waite and Metroplex Chairman Ray Gillen did regarding the Big House, they would be raked over the coals. Everyone would be yelling and screaming, but all is quiet. Why? Mr. Waite admits he basically lied to get Metroplex money, that he was never dedicated to the idea of a restaurant, that he had to come up with a project so he could get the money. Also, the article states that Mr. Gillen knew of Waite’s change in plans at least since January. Mr. Gillen has said numerous times, both on television and to the county Legislature, it would definitely be opening soon. I believe that charges should be brought against Mr. Waite for receiving money under false pretenses, and Gillen should be criticized for not making it clear to the public, and not trying to get Metroplex’s money back, as soon as he knew that Waite was not pursuing the original plan. How are you going to rent a building out with a nightclub in the basement? So Mr. Waite wants the top floor for his law offices, I wouldn’t go to him or recommend him to anyone after reading or knowing about the Big House ruse. I do believe Metroplex has other members on the board, but the only one you see or hear from is Mr. Gillen. Now I read in the May 3 Gazette he doesn’t think the Silver Diner should be sold because it is not going to be a restaurant. It’s a historical building. I can remember going to the Silver Diner when I was growing up, and that was quite a few years ago. But for four years, Ed Zemeck has tried to purchase the diner and the answer is no! Mr. Gillen, unless you are planning to buy the building, make the repairs to bring it back as a restaurant personally with your own money (not Metroplex’s), make the deal. Why should Mr. Gillen make this decision? MARGARET DWYER Schenectady
You go there Margaret!! And I believe that Waite should be brought up on fraud charges and Gillen and gang as his co-conspiretors. I believe that the major drug bust in Schenectady will just be the tip of the iceburg for the city. Cuomo is going to launch a full investigtion into the matter and perhaps into the entire political machine that runs it!!
Taxpayers have been sending letter after letter and making phone calls after phone calls to the AG and the Comptroller's office about the dictatorship. We think we finally got their attention. So don't stop now...keep those cards and letters flowing folks!!
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
I was just reading the business review and it had an article where banking/loan institutions are tightening their restrictions on loans due to the economy. I strongly suggest that the plex follow suit. Key Bank is intertwined with the plex, so you would have thought they would have had some business sense...guess not!!
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 State Street project back on track Bar, law firm to use building BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter
Frustration, repeated delays and growing criticism have greeted efforts to rehabilitate 411 State St. and convert it into a nightclub and site for retail and professional offices. Relief may now be added to the list. The project is back on track, with workers from Hoosick Valley Contractors putting finishing touches on the four-story structure, said Ray Gillen, chairman of the Metroplex Development Authority. They have been working there for more than a week, he said. Building owner Stephen J. Waite has obtained approximately $400,000 to complete the project, launched in 2005, and has resolved various liens filed against him, Gillen said. Waite will install a fire alarm system this week and will begin finishing work on the Big House Underground, a night club that will occupy the basement. Waite expects to obtain a temporary certificate of occupancy soon, allowing him to occupy the top floor of the building with his law offi ces by Aug. 1, Gillen said. “This has been a difficult project for Metroplex and the owner of 411 State St. Much of the renovation work is now complete. We regret the delay; 411 State St. must be done right, and we have continued to work with Mr. Waite to get the job done,” Gillen said. Once the $3 million project is completed, Gillen said, it will generate $60,000 in property taxes annually. He would not say when the rest of the building will open. Waite stopped providing opening dates after a series of planned openings failed to occur. At one point, he stopped speaking to the media after being subjected to critical stories on the project. SKEPTIC’S VIEW The delays also prompted sharp attacks from county Legislator Joseph Suhrada, R-Rotterdam. On Thursday, Suhrada said of the latest announcement: “I hate to be skeptical, but I don’t know if I can believe anything coming out of the Democratic Metroplex releases anymore. But I do wish the project would be a success so the taxpayers can get a payback someday.” In a statement Thursday, Waite said the old building — in recent memory a Dollar Store — required more work than originally anticipated. “This caused unexpected delays and began to stretch our resources. Those issues have now been resolved, and the resources needed to complete the project are now available to us,” he said. To date, Waite has invested more than $1 million in private and personal financing into the total rehabilitation of the 100-year-old building. Metroplex provided him with a $1 million, 15-year loan, a $250,000 facade grant, $50,000 to remove asbestos from the structure and a $100,000 loan toward a tax payment under the Empire Zone plan. Waite did not seek additional financing from Metroplex to complete the work, Gillen said. Gillen said “rehab is very tough. When we build new … work moves along very nicely.” He said some of the buildings downtown were neglected for so long that they need a tremendous amount of work to bring up to code. He added that construction pricing increased so rapidly that “it is not surprising that on one project we had a developer both go over budget due to condition of the building and run short on funds due to increasing scope and pricing.” Gillen said 411 State St. is “more than just a club.” The building is just less than half the size of the Hampton Hotel, with 26,000 square feet; it required an elevator, new bathrooms and complete heating, ventilation, mechanical and plumbing systems as well as a new roof.
The project is back on track, with workers from Hoosick Valley Contractors putting finishing touches on the four-story structure, said Ray Gillen, chairman of the Metroplex Development Authority. They have been working there for more than a week, he said.
In early May, Greg Floyd of WRGB CBS6 reported on the delays in opening the Big House. At that time, both Waite and Gillen stated that the business would open by the end of May. The subordination of the collateral position (from 2nd to 3rd) of the Schenectady Metroplex to Hoosick Valley Contractors Inc. was approved by the Metroplex Board of Directors on May 23, 2008 (see meeting minutes at link provided below). And it is reported in today's edition of the Daily Gazette that the contractors have been working for (only) "more than a WEEK"?
Interesting that there has been no update story by Mr. Floyd. Has he been silenced? I note that the Gazette only publishes positive stories about the Metroplex and the (sales)taxpayer funded projects. Where have the objective investigative news reporters been during the past many months?
The issuance by the City of Schenectady of a Certificate of Occupancy for 411 State Street signals that the project is complete. Loan payments should commence, property taxes should be levied, and county sales tax revenue should begin to be collected.
According to the Schenectady Metroplex Development Authority June 26, 2008 Governance Committee Meeting Notes, the field work should be completed about August 1st. The report issuance will follow. The audit began on April 14th.
Interesting to read that the Governance Committee discussion "focused on areas where the (Metroplex) charter may be in conflict with Authority By-laws or the Metroplex statute." Regardless of the findings by the NYS Office of the State Comptroller, the audit has prompted the Metroplex Board of Directors to review their actions in relation to the By-laws and Metroplex statute (i.e., legislation that authorized the formation of the public authority).
Quoted from Shadow: I'll bet the report won't be published until after the elections in Nov.
I would encourage the county residents to contact the Office of the State Comptroller and New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to request that the report be issued prior to the election to allow the voters to make informed decisions in the voting booth.
I clearly appears that Gillen or anyone else on the plex is not knowledgeable in the field of rehab and engineering. Perhaps Gillen should be replaced by a certified architect and an engineer that specializes in rehab work. The taxpayers are paying dearly for the plex's lack of knowledge in this area. All the plex does is dole out our money with out knowledge of construction that would over see these projects. They appear to be taking the word of the developers. Not good business sense.
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
I think the reps should consider themselves lucky that the gazette prints at least ONE reps comments. (joe s.)
Some people have said that the reps have written and sent in editorials into the gazette and they were never printed. Sooooooo the gazette 'allows' joe s's comments to be printed. why is that do you suppose?
And if the gazette won't print some of the reps editorials, why don't they post them here? Everyone else does.
And regarding the PLEX...we can thank the reps for creating it, the dems for running it into the ground, and the reps again for extending it's life!
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
In that final vote I saw that it was Ang voting against it but I am not sure if Joe S did too, maybe someone can fill me in on this here but, anyway, Ang is the man for taking on Metroplex THANKS ANG!!!!
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