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Just wondering who did the excellent research on the buildings tax exempt downtown, including Marcella's. I can't find the thread, can someone help me find it?

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SCHENECTADY
Coffeehouse has new name, atmosphere
BY KATHLEEN MOORE Gazette Reporter

    A new home has been found for the apostrophe that used to be in Proctor’s Theater.
    Or so said Philip Morris, the Proctors CEO who just took over the coffeehouse in the lobby of his theater.
    He decided to rename the space Apostrophe, in honor of the apostrophe he removed from the theater’s name.
    “So when people ask where the apostrophe went in Proctors, we’ll say it’s still in Proctors,” he said with a laugh.
    The space has gotten much more than a new name.
    First, the looks: the counter has been turned to face the seating area, and sugar and coffee mixers are no longer hidden in a corner at the back of the room.
    Morris is shopping for new furniture. For now, the seats and tables haven’t changed — but there are no longer men sleeping in chairs while others huddle over laptops all day.
    Whenever a non-customer settles in with the clear intention to stay, employees call a Proctors supervisor, who evicts the loiterer.
    In one week, the new policy has had a dramatic effect. During Friday’s lunch rush, only two tables were occupied — and both were being used by customers.
    Morris is also turning the coffeehouse into a cafe, with wraps, panini sandwiches and soups. There are half a dozen other sandwich shops within a block, but Apostrophe has found one new niche: its make-your-own sandwich toppings include zucchini, squash, spinach and pesto, which are not found at many of its competitors.
    Customers are responding en masse.
    Sunday’s reopening brought in more sales than the space has had on any day in the last two years, Morris said. That includes days in which Proctors sold out Broadway shows, bringing thousands of potential customers into the building.
    Many of those customers gave up after waiting in a line out the door at the coffeehouse. On Sunday, Morris added extra staff for the weekly Greenmarket, and customers fl owed in.
    “Having enough people that people don’t have to stand in line made the difference,” Morris said.
    But customers said they came because the cafe finally has good food. “I didn’t like the food selection [before],” customer Gail Wilson said. “I didn’t like it at all. I only came once.”
    She’s come back twice since the reopening, buying soup for lunch.
    “It’s really homemade, real soup,” she said. “It’s delicious.”
    The workers like it better too.
    “I feel less like I’m just serving coffee,” employee Courtney Marston said. “We’re different.”
    She’s also happy to fi nally have someone to call to get rid of loiterers, who she thinks scared away some customers.
    “The demographic has certainly changed,” she said. “People would come in and fall asleep. Not buy anything. Now it’s more what you’d expect to see fl oating around Proctors. I think it’s better for our reputation.”
    Morris took over the space in hopes of creating a Broadwayworthy cafe before “The Lion King” starts on Feb. 22. .............................>>>>...................>>>>..............http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01202&AppName=1

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“The demographic has certainly changed,” she said. “People would come in and fall asleep. Not buy anything. Now it’s more what you’d expect to see fl oating around Proctors. I think it’s better for our reputation.”

It's a flop house.

Long time Proctor's employee Gail Wilson says "It is good"! Real unbiased source Gazetto.

     Who do we call for sleeping City/County politicians? They should sent up a separate area in the vast Muddy Cup for political cooping.  This "news" is a transparent attempt to address the mounting criticism. Where's the PILOT Morris? Stick a PILOT in your morning joe.

I know where I'd like to stick an apostrophe.

Another ad for a coffee house that doesn't amount to a hill of beans. Taxes paid ZERO/PILOTS paid ZERO. If you like burnt coffee come in and say hello to coffee maven/tv producer/catering hall founder/Rotterdam's own Mercury Morris.

     When is the sale of 440 State from Morris to a "corporate headquarters" set to happen? Morris promised to put this large building back on the City/County tax rolls when he seized Key Bank. Morris/Death Ray stated months ago that "finishing touches" are all that's missing.

I just had to repost this............it is GREAT!!

Sooooo.........the muddy cup got a face lift and more employees, huh? They can....they are doing it with taxpayer's money!!!!! They have and endless supply of money..........from the residents..............SO FAR!!! People are leaving schenectady at an alarming rate. Who will be the cash cow when the working slobs are gone?

They certainly can't tax the businesses, cause they will pack up and leave. The liberal socialists got themselves backed right into an over taxed corner!!!! They need to be voted out! And God help the new administration. It will take decades to undo this mess!

Quoted from rpforpres

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Great one RP and BT! Maybe we can see a longer piece on OSM Channels 16-18? LOL.

     The problem at Proctor's is not the long line for coffee twice a year. It is Mercury Morris. His greedy unwillingness to repay the County taxpayers-ANYTHING. There is no taxpayer dividend to any of this nonsense. The "coverage" by the Gazetto is laughable. They refuse to challenge Morris/Death Ray on anything. BTW, RP please post the names of the Downtown business owners who don't know they are being raped. Tell them to get their noses out of the Gazetto and read this blog.

The one store that used to be in downtown Schenectady that I most miss --- was the Planter's Peanut Shop in the old Hough building .. where the movie theater now stands.    When my parents used to drag us children downtown for hours of shopping, it was a treat to be able to buy some peanuts or other nuts at the shop.

Of course, most of us remember Carl's, Barney's and Wallace's  ---   and we miss them -- but there were a lot of those little specialty type stores that made going downtown interesting.    

Richardson's was another interesting store with all of the luggage and umbrellas and other accessories.   I seem to remember that Richardson's had this HUGE  (at least to me as a child)  steamer trunk on display.   Not that anyone uses steamer trunks anymore -- but one could imagine packing the trunk and spending months traveling the world.

Oh -- and Wallace Armer --   if you could not find the tool or hardware item there -- you couldn' find it anywhere.    The "big box"  places like Lowe's and Home Depot may be humongous .. but they are no where near as fun as it was to shop in as Wallace Armer.

Don't you think for $50 million dollars, Metroplex could have brought some interesting stores downtown? How is it that $50 million dollars hasn't even brought one major retailer into Schenectady? Then again, $50 million hasn't even brought any nano-tech or other industrial businesses either.

There was a time when businesses came to Schenectady without tax-exemptions and backroom deals, DV can attest to that.

Let's go to Proctors to pay for a cup of coffee we've already paid for.

Funny, we were just talking about the Planters shop the other day. It was cool seeing Mr. Peanut on the corner - and the smell of hot roasted peanuts.

Quoted from rachel72

Don't you think for $50 million dollars, Metroplex could have brought some interesting stores downtown? How is it that $50 million dollars hasn't even brought one major retailer into Schenectady? Then again, $50 million hasn't even brought any nano-tech or other industrial businesses either.

There was a time when businesses came to Schenectady without tax-exemptions and backroom deals, DV can attest to that.

Let's go to Proctors to pay for a cup of coffee we've already paid for.

Let's talk about Mr Peanut and not Mr Potato Head ruining Proctor's? Attention ALL sheeple: When at The Lion King make sure to buy and overpriced burnt coffee to help Mr Potato Head. All temporary Muddy Cup workers watch out for the mandatory summer vacation sans pay. For the money Death Ray made disappear Downtown 10 new technology parks could have been opened up. But who cares? Now you can enjoy a socialist gelato, coffee and bean burrito.

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A new home has been found for the apostrophe that used to be in Proctor’s Theater.
    Or so said Philip Morris, the Proctors CEO who just took over the coffeehouse in the lobby of his theater.
    He decided to rename the space Apostrophe, in honor of the apostrophe he removed from the theater’s name.

More quality reporting from the Gazette... or maybe they just didn't read their own story as they  (or someone else) was writing it.

Stating that the apostrophe was removed in sentance 3 of the story, right after you used it, errantly, yourself in the first sentance?

But it's got to be right, it was in the Gazette.

Basically, Morris was given the nod to purchase the muddy cup for the LION KING and THE LION KING ONLY!!! And at the taxpayer's expense....again! Why not send them to Dunkin Donuts on broadway hill for their coffee?

Hey, they will do anything to keep the proctor's patrons from venturing beyond it's property line for all to see the sh!thole schenectady really is!!!

It would be interesting to see how many schenectadians actually will and can afford to attend the lion king. How's Proctor's and the lion king working out for the dss recipients?

I think that all schenectadians should picket proctors when lion king is playing. They should be carrying signs, proudly touting the award for being the highest taxed county in the state and the 19th highest in the country!! Wouldn't that be a sight!!!!