Monday, July 7, 2008 - 2:24 PM EDT Former Woolworth's in Sch'dy receiving a $200K makeover The Business Review (Albany)
One of the blandest-looking buildings in downtown Schenectady, N.Y., will be getting a $200,000-plus makeover.
The grayish stucco facade on the two-story office building at 401 State St. will be upgraded to blend in with other properties on the street that have been built over the past few years or received a face lift.
The Downtown Schenectady Improvement Corp. will provide a $60,000 matching grant to the property owners -- The Galesi Group of Rotterdam and BBL Construction Services of Albany -- to do the work.
Formerly a Woolworth's, the building was retrofitted in 1998 for a new tenant, the New York State Commission on Quality Care.
City officials welcomed the 100 or so jobs to inject life into what was a moribund downtown, but some in the community were disappointed by the uninspiring exterior after the building was renovated.
David Buicko, chief operating officer for The Galesi Group, said the company had to work within the budget constraints of the state's lease.
Now, 10 years later, with a new hotel, movie theater and restaurants downtown, the Galesi Group will absorb the cost for the new facade, minus the $60,000 grant.
The Galesi Group has a big stake in commercial real estate downtown: It owns and manages Bow-Tie Cinema, Center City, the MVP Health Care headquarters as well as the new Golub Corp. headquarters on Nott Street.
"It's important to step up and bring up the quality of the rest of the facades," Buicko said of 401 State St.
The total cost will exceed $200,000. The Galesi Group has hired BBL Construction to complete the facade project before this winter. The architect is Stracher, Roth Gilmore Architects in Schenectady.
The state commission occupies both floors of 401 State St. and the first floor of an adjacent building at 409 State St. that the Galesi Group also bought and renovated. The second floor in 409 State St. is vacant.
Logged
Salvatore
July 7, 2008, 11:33pm
Guest User
I know what ya want to say but DONT! G_les_ has deep pockets for the right trial lawyer to sue you if you do, Shhhhhhhhh........qieut now....Just THINK what ya want but please please please be careful and don't end up in jail or anything from slander since you know if they could afford Metrolplex they could afford each judge they wanted too........OK people????
SCHENECTADY Building to receive face lift BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter
A prominent downtown building will see its drab facade replaced by colorful architectural features reminiscent of State Street’s appearance of more than 100 years ago, officials said. The Galesi Group will spend at least $200,000 to replace the facade at 401 State St., a building it co-owns with BBL Construction and rents to the state Commission on Quality Care. It will use a combination of its own money and a $60,000 grant from the Downtown Schenectady Improvement Corp. The facades on State Street and Broadway will be replaced. DSIC Executive Director Jim Salengo said the facade work is important because of the building’s location. “It is on a prominent thoroughfare coming into downtown,” he said. The building is across from the Bow-Tie Cinema, another building Galesi owns. It is catty-corner from the Department of Labor regional headquarters. The Metroplex Development Authority, the DSIC, the city, the county and private developers have made significant investments along the 400 block of State Street over the years, part of efforts to revitalize downtown, Salengo said. “If you look down that 400 block, you will see a lot of improved facades.” Salengo described 401 State St.’s current exterior as a flat slab of gray stucco with some simple architectural elements. The proposed exterior will feature historic colors and elements like cornices, window vaults and columns. “The new design will make it fit into downtown’s classic historic look,” he said. The look reflects a time when downtown was the economic heart of the city, populated with dozens of stores and shops. Metroplex Chairman Ray Gillen said fixing 401 State St.’s exterior is “the top priority for our facade program and we are very pleased that this key building downtown will receive a new look.” Galesi executive Dave Buicko said the facade work will “reflect the great history of Schenectady while adding to the city’s bright new future.” The Galesi Group has hired BBL Construction to complete the facade project. The architect is Stracher, Roth and Gilmore, based in Schenectady. Metroplex provides the DSIC with an annual grant for the facade program. It gave $495,000 to this year’s program, bringing to $1.6 million the total it has distributed to the organization since 2002. The grants have, in turn, 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, Gillen said.
BARRY SLOAN/FOR THE DAILY GAZETTE The building at 401 State St. in Schenectady is pictured on Monday. The co-owners are planning to add colorful features to the facade.
The $60K DSIC grant is not being "invested" to rehabilitate a building or to create employment opportunties, but rather to make a fully functional and recently renovated building more appealing by the standards of those who control the DSIC and, no doubt, city and county government. That money could have been better invested outside the 3 to 4 block section of State Street surrounding Proctor's theater.
The fleecing of Schenectady County taxpayers continues ...
Logged
