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SCHENECTADY COUNTY
Metroplex cites project revenues
Tax-cut incentives still help localities BY BETHANY BUMP Gazette Reporter


   More than $9.2 million in revenue has been generated so far this year from 51 payment-in-lieu-oftaxes agreements administered by the Schenectady County Metroplex Development Authority, according to a report it issued Thursday.
    The revenues to local governments, school districts and the county have more than doubled from about $4.45 million since the last report was issued in February 2011. Revenue will continue to grow over the years, since PILOT payments typically increase in size with each year.
    “We are taking property that paid little or no taxes before and we are building projects at these sites that create new jobs and new revenues for local governments,” said Metroplex Chairman Ray Gillen in a news release.
    The majority of the PILOT agreements are on projects that were built in the last several years at sites with empty buildings, vacant land or formerly tax-exempt property that was returned to the tax rolls. The rest are from companies that have made site expansions. These also tended to produce the most in revenues, the total generated this year is $9,230,318.
    The projects also generate revenue from ad valorem taxes, or special district taxes like those paid to a fi re district.
    PILOTS are voluntary agreements and designed to offset the property tax revenues that an organization or company would be expected to pay if it were not exempt. Some are negotiated based on square footage, others are reached by weighing the economic impact of an organization in terms of job retention or creation.
    More than a third of these payments in Schenectady County came from expansions at the $100 million General Electric battery plant and the $45 million Global Renewable Energy Headquarters, both of which added a total of 470,000 square feet of renovated space at GE’s downtown Schenectady campus. The agreement on this project has generated more than $2.6 million so far this year.
    Nearly a dozen other projects are expected to increase revenues next year, including a hard-fought agreement between GE and Rotterdam that will generate $4.8 million, the new Target store in Glenville, and the return of the former Curry Road Shopping Center in Rotterdam to the tax rolls.
    Following is a breakdown of some of the details from the four-page Metroplex report:
    Nine company expansions generated some of the highest PILOT revenues. The largest of these include:
    A 40,000-square-foot expansion at SI Group in Rotterdam Junction generated $626,703, and an 83,640-square-foot expansion at SI Group in Niskayuna generated $570,000.
    Three PILOTS totaling nearly $599,308 were negotiated at the GE Global Research Center in Niskayuna for an expansion of its chemical engineering building and Energy Learning Center, and a new manufacturing facility.
    Seventeen projects were built on vacant land that formerly generated around $50,000 in taxes and are now paying more than $1.8 million in pilot payments. The largest of these include:
    A 220,000-square-foot Railex warehouse built on vacant land in the Rotterdam Corporate Park generated $394,648 so far this year.
    A 152,000-square-foot FM Ventures building on once vacant land inside the Rotterdam Corporate Park generated $275,504 so far this year.
    Dimension Fabricators, of 2000 7th St. in Glenville, generated $212,066 on a 152,000-square-foot building on formerly vacant land.
    Fifteen projects on former government-owned or tax-exempt land that produced no revenue are now generating more than $1.7 million in PILOT payments. The largest of these include:
    One Broadway Center, a 140,000-square-foot offi ce building in downtown Schenectady, returned to the tax rolls and generated $307,455 this year.
    The former Scotia Navy Depot in Glenville generated $271,869.
    MVP Health Care headquarters at 625 State St. in Schenectady generated $256,569.
    Ten projects were built at formerly vacant buildings that paid nominal or no taxes are now producing $783,002. The largest of these include:
    A once empty building, World Star at 450 Duane Ave. in Schenectady generated $179,229 so far this year.
    Center City, a formerly vacant four-building complex at 433 State St. in Schenectady, generated $150,000 so far this year.
    BN Partners, at 1510 Maxon Road in Schenectady, the Golub headquarters, generated $140,150 in the former Big N Plaza.
    For the full list of 2012 PILOT revenues, visit http://www.schenectadymetroplex.org.

http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01105&AppName=1

If all that money is being generated by Metroplex as stated, where is it going because the money isn't being used to lower the taxes that residents pay which was supposed to be one of their primary goals.

Here's the thing..................the businesses that were tax exempt for years have made a huge profit!!

Example....one business is tax exempt but should have been paying....oh let's say $80K in taxes.....for the last 5 years.
Then ya have an existing business that has always paid their $80K in taxes.

The tax exempt business has made approximately almost a 1/2 a million in profits!!!

The reason I use this as an example is that we have heard this exact story from a few disgruntled non-METROPLEX/GILLEN businesses.

They said they would like to have an extra 1/2 a million!!!

TRUE!!

This is a trick. Purposely misleading, put out there by those that profit from Metroplex, printed as if it were fact, unquestioned by anyone. What does "generating revenue" mean, precisely? And how does this "revenue" help the taxpayer who were and still are supporting this Metroplex? Is the "revenue" minus the cost of Metroplex greater than what we put into these projects? How much greater? And why isn't the "revenue" being used to cut homeowners' taxes?
No wonder Bernie Madoff was so successful.

The Metroplex is creating nothing.  They are developing property with loans and grants by using the sales tax money Schenectady County resident’s pays on every purchase as collateral.  They are not measuring that money forcefully taken out of the economy to give it to millionaire developers chosen by Gillen and the party in power.

Too boot, if the business fails, the taxpayer gets stuck with the bill. That isn't to mention the PILOTS and exemptions given to the businesses on the backs of the homeowners.

They talk about the vacant properties without measuring the pain on the homeowners that are shouldering the cost for the municipal services and infrastructure.

This article is pure PR paid for by the Plutocrats.  They know the residents of Schenectady County are too ignorant to even understand how they are getting fleeced..  Half of them are on public assistance, a quarter of them are in the political class and on the take, and the other quarter is fully aware what is going on but do not have the political power to stop it.

The FACTS speak for themselves -- Metroplex under the leadership of Ray Gillen is providing REAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT that is generating increase revenues.  Despite the false claims of the ignoramus nayboobs - progress is being made and Schenectady County's Renaissance continues.

Okay, I see an OPINION followed by some name-calling. GB gets blamed for being the ONLY ONE incapable of carrying on a civil, intelligent discussion?
Let's see some answers to my questions. There won't be any, because no one reading that article has any more inkling than I do of what the real FACTS are regarding Metroplex.

What I find interesting is that the 2013 Budgets for both the Schenectady City and Schenectady County only show a total revenue of $1.5 million for PILOTS.  So the other $6 million is going where?  The Schools and Towns?  

I dont care what was "generated".  We are losing more in businesses going BK.  This is another fluff job.  

Quoted from CICERO

The Metroplex is creating nothing.  They are developing property with loans and grants by using the sales tax money Schenectady County resident’s pays on every purchase as collateral.  They are not measuring that money forcefully taken out of the economy to give it to millionaire developers chosen by Gillen and the party in power. Too boot, if the business fails, the taxpayer gets stuck with the bill. That isn't to mention the PILOTS and exemptions given to the businesses on the backs of the homeowners.

Exactly! Instead of paying the full assessed amount these connected DEM fat cats pay pennies on the dollar. If Metrograft is so great why is the City broke and the County going broke?
The problem with Metrograft is pretty soon you run out of other people's money. Businesses and taxpayer are fleeing in droves for Saratoga County. The DEM morons blame Union College's
"tax exempt" endowment ignoring the fact that all colleges are tax exempt and the DEMS gave away the store Downtown. Death Ray is a total incompetent who has attacked everyone
who really wants to do something positive. End Metrograft NOW!  Let that sales tax money go directly to the City and towns for tax relief instead of Death Ray's crony socialism.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

The FACTS speak for themselves -- Metroplex under the leadership of Ray Gillen is providing REAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT that is generating increase revenues.  Despite the false claims of the ignoramus nayboobs - progress is being made and Schenectady County's Renaissance continues.

Go peddle that rhetorical information to the overburdened, overtaxed taxpayer.
And while you are at it......peddle it to the businesses that are paying their FULL FAIR SHARE.....and never got a taxbreak. And let's be clear here....those businesses aren't asking for taxbreaks.........they just want the 'selected few' to pay theirs....past, present and future!!!

These 'selected few' have made hundreds of thousands if not millions while they were tax exempt. (and the taxpayers foot the bill)
There is clearly a NET LOSS. I would like to know how long it will take to recoup THAT lost revenue? I would guess years if not decades!

Another Gazetto fluff piece! Good try!

metroplex is called a laundromat in another language

The nayboobs can GFT.......

I'd like to point out that it isn't GB making obscene remarks and posting under more than one name.

I'd like to point out that it isn't GB making obscene remarks and posting under more than one name.

For YOUR information -- I am NOT posting under ANY OTHER IDENTITY..... Obviously you are an antique and quaint old GASBAG -- yet that does NOT change the FACT that the County is undergoing one of the most invigorated Renaissances in America. Perhaps it is YOU who is secretly posting under more than one name.. Perhaps you are even that nayboob insane person, GB himself. So all I have to say to YOU is GFY.