SCHENECTADY Former Sons of Italy home to be razed Parking planned for downtown workers BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Michael Lamendola at 395-3114 or lamend@dailygazette.com.
The Sons of Italy building on Liberty Street will be razed next month to make way for a downtown parking lot, removing the fraternal organization’s last presence in the city. The Metroplex Development Authority spent $400,000 to buy the site. It will now spend another $38,000 to have Dan’s Hauling & Demo of Albany remove the structure in February, said Chairman Ray Gillen. Once demolition is complete, Metroplex will turn the site into its ninth downtown parking lot. Metroplex also operates the parking garage on Broadway near Proctors and the Bow Tie Cinemas. Gillen said the new parking lot will add 40 spaces to the existing 85 spaces lot for city employees at Broadway and Liberty. City employees will continue to park free at the site. The remaining spots in the lot will become part of the Metroplex parking system. Laz Parking manages the lots. Motorists get two hours free and then the charge is $3 for up to three hours, $4 for up to four hours and $5 to park all day. The fees have remained unchanged since Metroplex assumed ownership four years ago. Gillen said the new lot on Liberty Street will provide more parking for employees working downtown as well as to support the $12 million renovation of the Center City complex, which is now under way. MVP will be relocating employees to Center City and Metroplex has an agreement to provide parking to 350 MVP employees. Gillen said Metroplex has monthly parking contracts with 1,675 people who work and or live downtown, up from 580 in 2004. The Sons of Italy building has been vacant for a year, after the club relocated to a smaller hall on Hamburg Street in Rotterdam. It moved out of the city after seeing its membership decline from a peak of 500 to 188. Since relocating, the organization’s membership has nearly doubled. The decline in members was compounded by the nearly $3,000-per-month cost of upkeep of the much larger Liberty Street hall, home since the 1950s. Dr. Vincenzo Sellaro founded the Sons of Italy in America June 22, 1905. Its goal then was to help assimilate Italians into American society during the immigration boom of the early 20th century. It, like other fraternal clubs, now offers a cultural connection and gathering place for later-generation Italian-Americans. Bethesda House, which provides housing and services to chronically homeless and disadvantaged people in the community, had bought the Sons of Italy building for $400,000, and had planned to build a facility to house long-term homeless people on the site before learning it was too small under zoning regulations. Metroplex bought the building for the same price that Bethesda House had paid, and at that time said a new buyer would be sought to develop the lot. The city and Bethesda House then worked together to find a new site on State Street. The project is currently facing a $1 million shortfall. In addition, Metroplex is providing $35,000 to fund the demolition of a building at 560 Broadway later this month. Gillen said the building is obsolete and the site is needed for the Broadway Commerce Park, an in-city business park that is being developed in cooperation with Highbridge Development. Gillen said Broadway Commerce Park has 96,075 square feet of new and renovated buildings, and Highbridge just completed a 27,000-square-foot building for Griffin Greenhouse and Nursery Supply. Highbridge, a Schenectady-based developer, plans to construct two additional buildings at the site. They will contain more than 50,000 square feet of new space. “We are pleased that all of these projects are moving forward. They will result in more ...............http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....amp;EntityId=Ar01000
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January 7, 2009, 6:18am
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Bethesda House, which provides housing and services to chronically homeless and disadvantaged people in the community, had bought the Sons of Italy building for $400,000, and had planned to build a facility to house long-term homeless people on the site before learning it was too small under zoning regulations. Metroplex bought the building for the same price that Bethesda House had paid, and at that time said a new buyer would be sought to develop the lot.
Another lie. Another parking lot worth $438,000 taxpayer dollars. How exactly is this economic development? How is this benefiting the taxpayers of Schenectady? At $5day for 80 parking places ($400) it'll be 1095 days before those taxpayer dollars are recovered (that's 3 years folks) - BUT keep in mind, MOST of those spots will go to City employees who pay NOTHING for parking. (Ironically, that's exactly 3 years - to the day - 365*3=1095)
Every time I drive thru downtown Schenectady it's pretty obvious that the residents of this county refuse to pay for parking and usually find the free parking lots near the post office. Only people who attend an event at Proctors pay for their parking because they're afraid to walk too far for fear of being mugged. We all know attendance is down for Proctors so how will another parking lot help the taxpayers of Schenectady County when no-one uses it?
Another lie and complete rape of the oppressed County taxpayers! This is a taxpayer handout to Bethesda House and City Hall employees. Nothing more. The only people that will use this lot are City employees, for free. There is no businesses that would attract anyone. Its too far to run to Proctor's, especially through a dark, empty Jay Street. Glad Shadow mentioned Proctor's, another flop Downtown which is lucky to fill a quarter of the theatre.
Death Ray initially lied that several businesses were interested in purchasing the old Sons building. Just like with the Van Dyke Scandal, no one was. Death Ray said that the best thing Metrograft ever did was take over the Downtown parking lot. Surprised he didn't list the Big Hose or Robinson Square? The best thing Sons of Italy did was leave Downtown for Hamburg Street. Now they are in a real, crime free, Italiano neighborhood and are growing by leaps and bounds.
So, in other words, the county residents are paying about $500,000 (HALF A MILLION DOLLARS) to buy a building and rip it down. Then, we get the shear pleasure of paying to park our cars that we already paid exorbanant taxes on the gas so that we can go to businesses which already took our tax money for products that we really don't need.
Seems as though the back pocket's reaching around and taking money out of the front pocket...which has it's hand in another's back pocket. Join in the chain, all!
So, in other words, the county residents are paying about $500,000 (HALF A MILLION DOLLARS) to buy a building and rip it down. Then, we get the shear pleasure of paying to park our cars that we already paid exorbanant taxes on the gas so that we can go to businesses which already took our tax money for products that we really don't need.
Seems as though the back pocket's reaching around and taking money out of the front pocket...which has it's hand in another's back pocket. Join in the chain, all!
Yep, that about sums it up nicely. Thank You Metroplex for this PRIVILEGE!
So, in other words, the county residents are paying about $500,000 (HALF A MILLION DOLLARS) to buy a building and rip it down. Then, we get the shear pleasure of paying to park our cars that we already paid exorbanant taxes on the gas so that we can go to businesses which already took our tax money for products that we really don't need.
Bend over and smile!
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
Wednesday, January 7, 2009, 12:50pm EST 3 Sch’dy buildings being demolished The Business Review (Albany)
The Schenectady Metroplex Development Authority is demolishing three buildings to make way for redevelopment projects.
The buildings are the former Sons of Italy lodge on Liberty Street, 560 Broadway and a vacant oil change facility on Balltown Road near the Niskayuna town line.
The Metroplex board is expected to approve a $38,000 contract to Dan’s Hauling & Demo Inc, of Albany to take down the former Sons of Italy lodge. The parcel will be turned into 40 parking spaces. The lot will be adjacent to an 85-space lot at the corner of Broadway and Liberty streets used by city employees.
The new lot is needed to provide additional parking for downtown employees and support the $12 million renovation of the Center City complex. Metroplex has monthly parking contracts with 1,675 people who work and/or live downtown, up from 580 in 2004.
Demolition is expected to begin in late February.
Metroplex will also pay $35,000 to demolish an old building at 560 Broadway. The site is needed for further development of Broadway Commerce Park, which has 96,075 square feet of new and renovated buildings. Highbridge Development is the developer of the business park.
Parking for the empty Center City? According to the Gazetto, Death Ray has been in discussions for months to bring in the YMCA, without a pool. No retail=no sales tax revenue.
Things are so great we are knocking down solid buildings BECAUSE NOBODY WANTS THEM. More smoke and mirrors. Nobody but Joe Suhrada demands his immediate resignation.
Nobody but Joe Suhrada demands his immediate resignation.
I agree. But Suhrada has to get out and mingle more with the people that he 'actually' represents. He shouldn't wait until it gets closer to election time. Politicians are so famous for that.
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
It can't be Ray driving he couldn't get the roller in gear.
IMHO
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
There's what looks like an article on page 7 of the Spotlight News about this. The only problem is that that "article" looks more like an ad, as there is no author's name, the photo states it's a "submitted photo," and I searched Spotlight's site and couldn't find the article. I think it's tax money paying for an ad to look like a story.
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Another lie and complete rape of the oppressed County taxpayers! This is a taxpayer handout to Bethesda House and City Hall employees. Nothing more. The only people that will use this lot are City employees, for free. There is no businesses that would attract anyone. Its too far to run to Proctor's, especially through a dark, empty Jay Street. Glad Shadow mentioned Proctor's, another flop Downtown which is lucky to fill a quarter of the theatre.
