Exciting developments are underway in Schenectady, with plans to build a full-service grocery store on a 2-acre plot between Albany and State streets, previously occupied by a car sales lot, steadily moving forward.
Lawmakers in Schenectady County are gearing up to transfer the ownership of 754 State St. to the Capital Region Land Bank. This organization will supervise the redevelopment of the property, which is conveniently located on the outskirts of downtown and adjacent to the Hamilton Hill and Vale neighborhoods. The property was formerly the Mohawk Auto Center, a used car lot that ceased operations in February 2022.
The county’s Committee on Economic Development & Planning gave their approval for the transfer on Monday. The full Legislature is anticipated to give the final green light to the plan next Tuesday.
Ray Gillen, the chair of the Schenectady Metroplex Development Authority, informed lawmakers that the redevelopment project is now entering a “critical phase.”
“Our vision is to create housing and retail spaces on this site, with a particular focus on a full-service grocery store that would cater to both downtown and the Hamilton Hill and Vale neighborhoods, as well as the wider community,” he stated. “We are making significant strides towards realizing these objectives.”
The redevelopment plans for the property were initiated in September 2022, when county lawmakers approved the use of $10,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to secure the right to purchase the 2.13-acre parcel for a year and a half at a cost of $950,000. This was done to evaluate the property. An additional $3 million in ARPA funding was also earmarked to aid in the development of a grocery store.
The county proceeded with the purchase earlier this year.
The redevelopment initiative has also benefited from a $2.75 million Restore NY grant, which Gillen stated will be utilized to demolish the existing building on the property and prepare the site for future development. There are also plans to leverage the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation Brownfield Cleanup Program, which offers additional funding opportunities.
Gillen highlighted the past successes that Metroplex and the county’s economic development team have had with redeveloping brownfield properties, including the former headquarters of the American Locomotive Co., the once abandoned property along Erie Boulevard that is now home to Mohawk Harbor.
“We’re going to replicate our successful brownfield clean-up efforts at the former Mohawk Auto Center on State Street,” Gillen said. “We take great pride in our brownfield clean-up initiatives in this county.”
This is not the only development project in progress in the area.
Last year, Metroplex announced plans to invest $550,000 to demolish seven vacant buildings along Albany Street to make way for future housing. These Albany Street properties, which have a long history of code violations, are located near the former car dealership.
Efforts to introduce an additional grocery store to the Electric City have been a long-standing priority for lawmakers and local advocacy groups. They aim to improve access to fresh, healthy food in an area where options are limited and transportation can be challenging.
The city, which has a population of over 65,000, currently has only two grocery stores: Market 32 on Eastern Parkway and Price Rite Marketplace in Crosstown Plaza, near the Rotterdam border. An Aldi grocery store located in the Woodlawn neighborhood relocated to the Five Corners intersection in Rotterdam.
Last year, ShopRite announced plans to close its five Capital Region locations, including its Niskayuna storefront. This sparked concerns among community leaders, who were worried about the loss of another local grocery store. However, it has since been announced that Price Chopper/Market 32 purchased the sites, with plans to reopen the stores.
Establishing a grocery store at the former Mohawk Auto site is not the only local initiative to address food access.
The Electric City Community Grocery — previously known as the Electric City Food Co-Op — is developing plans to construct a storefront location along lower Erie Boulevard. This area provides easy access to the Interstate 890 exchange and is close to a transit hub just a few blocks away on lower State Street.
Schenectady County has also committed $3 million in ARPA funding for this project, and the Schenectady City Council has allocated $1 million of its own ARPA funds towards the project.
Grocery Store on State Street in Schenectady Making Progress – I disagree, the store still has a long way to go before it’s up to par with others in the area.
Hi there, just became aware of your blog through Google, and found that it’s truly informative.
I’m gonna watch out for brussels. I’ll appreciate if you continue
this in future. A lot of people will be benefited from your writing.
Cheers! Najlepsze escape roomy
You have remarked very interesting points! ps decent web site.!
Aw, this was an incredibly good post. Taking a few minutes and actual effort to generate a top notch article… but what can I say… I hesitate a whole lot and don’t seem to get anything done.
This is a topic which is near to my heart… Cheers! Where can I find the contact details for questions?
I couldn’t refrain from commenting. Very well written!
I was excited to uncover this web site. I want to to thank you for your time for this particularly wonderful read!! I definitely enjoyed every bit of it and i also have you book marked to check out new things on your site.
Aw, this was a very good post. Taking a few minutes and actual effort to generate a top notch article… but what can I say… I procrastinate a whole lot and don’t manage to get nearly anything done.
Way cool! Some extremely valid points! I appreciate you writing this article and also the rest of the website is very good.
I need to to thank you for this very good read!! I certainly loved every little bit of it. I’ve got you book marked to look at new stuff you post…
Hi there! This article couldn’t be written much better! Looking through this post reminds me of my previous roommate! He always kept talking about this. I am going to forward this article to him. Pretty sure he’s going to have a good read. I appreciate you for sharing!
I blog frequently and I really thank you for your information. The article has truly peaked my interest. I will book mark your site and keep checking for new details about once per week. I subscribed to your Feed as well.
Hi, I do believe this is an excellent blog. I stumbledupon it 😉 I will come back yet again since i have book-marked it. Money and freedom is the best way to change, may you be rich and continue to help others.
Spot on with this write-up, I seriously believe this website needs far more attention. I’ll probably be returning to read more, thanks for the info!
I’d like to thank you for the efforts you’ve put in writing this website. I am hoping to check out the same high-grade content by you in the future as well. In truth, your creative writing abilities has motivated me to get my own, personal website now 😉
You ought to be a part of a contest for one of the finest websites on the web. I will recommend this web site!
This web site certainly has all the information and facts I needed about this subject and didn’t know who to ask.
Greetings! Very helpful advice within this post! It’s the little changes that will make the most important changes. Thanks a lot for sharing!
Oh my goodness! Amazing article dude! Many thanks, However I am going through problems with your RSS. I don’t understand the reason why I can’t join it. Is there anybody else getting similar RSS problems? Anyone that knows the solution will you kindly respond? Thanks!
I have to thank you for the efforts you’ve put in penning this website. I really hope to see the same high-grade content from you later on as well. In fact, your creative writing abilities has inspired me to get my very own site now 😉
You made some good points there. I looked on the web for more information about the issue and found most individuals will go along with your views on this site.
Hi, I do believe this is a great website. I stumbledupon it 😉 I’m going to revisit yet again since I book marked it. Money and freedom is the greatest way to change, may you be rich and continue to help other people.
Spot on with this write-up, I really think this amazing site needs a lot more attention. I’ll probably be returning to read more, thanks for the information.
Great site you’ve got here.. It’s difficult to find high quality writing like yours nowadays. I really appreciate people like you! Take care!!
Very good article. I will be facing some of these issues as well..
I couldn’t resist commenting. Very well written.
Having read this I thought it was extremely informative. I appreciate you finding the time and energy to put this article together. I once again find myself spending way too much time both reading and posting comments. But so what, it was still worth it!
Your style is so unique in comparison to other folks I have read stuff from. Many thanks for posting when you have the opportunity, Guess I will just book mark this blog.
Greetings! Very helpful advice within this article! It’s the little changes which will make the most important changes. Thanks a lot for sharing!
Real great information can be found on weblog.
Euro travel guide
Greetings! Very helpful advice within this post! It is the little changes which will make the most significant changes. Thanks for sharing!
An impressive share! I have just forwarded this onto a coworker who had been conducting a little research on this. And he in fact bought me lunch because I found it for him… lol. So let me reword this…. Thank YOU for the meal!! But yeah, thanks for spending time to discuss this matter here on your web site.
This blog was… how do I say it? Relevant!! Finally I have found something that helped me. Thank you.
I’m impressed, I must say. Seldom do I encounter a blog that’s both educative and amusing, and without a doubt, you’ve hit the nail on the head. The issue is something which too few people are speaking intelligently about. I’m very happy that I found this during my hunt for something concerning this.
Greetings! Very helpful advice in this particular post! It’s the little changes which will make the largest changes. Thanks a lot for sharing!
I couldn’t resist commenting. Very well written!
Right here is the right web site for anybody who wants to find out about this topic. You know so much its almost tough to argue with you (not that I really will need to…HaHa). You definitely put a fresh spin on a subject which has been written about for ages. Great stuff, just excellent.
Having read this I believed it was extremely enlightening. I appreciate you taking the time and effort to put this informative article together. I once again find myself spending a significant amount of time both reading and leaving comments. But so what, it was still worthwhile!
This blog was… how do I say it? Relevant!! Finally I have found something that helped me. Appreciate it!
Greetings, There’s no doubt that your web site could possibly be having browser compatibility issues. Whenever I take a look at your blog in Safari, it looks fine but when opening in IE, it’s got some overlapping issues. I merely wanted to provide you with a quick heads up! Besides that, great blog!
An outstanding share! I’ve just forwarded this onto a co-worker who was doing a little homework on this. And he in fact ordered me lunch simply because I found it for him… lol. So let me reword this…. Thanks for the meal!! But yeah, thanks for spending some time to talk about this matter here on your web site.
This is the perfect site for anybody who would like to understand this topic. You realize a whole lot its almost tough to argue with you (not that I personally will need to…HaHa). You certainly put a fresh spin on a subject that’s been written about for decades. Wonderful stuff, just excellent.
Hi! I could have sworn I’ve visited this site before but after browsing through a few of the posts I realized it’s new to me. Anyways, I’m certainly delighted I discovered it and I’ll be book-marking it and checking back regularly!
Hi, I do think this is a great site. I stumbledupon it 😉 I may come back once again since I book marked it. Money and freedom is the greatest way to change, may you be rich and continue to help others.
Hello! I just want to offer you a big thumbs up for the excellent info you have right here on this post. I am coming back to your website for more soon.
You are so awesome! I don’t think I’ve truly read something like that before. So good to find another person with genuine thoughts on this subject. Seriously.. many thanks for starting this up. This site is one thing that is required on the web, someone with a little originality.
Oh my goodness! Incredible article dude! Thank you so much, However I am experiencing issues with your RSS. I don’t know why I can’t subscribe to it. Is there anybody getting identical RSS problems? Anybody who knows the answer will you kindly respond? Thanks.
Good information. Lucky me I ran across your site by chance (stumbleupon). I’ve book-marked it for later.
After I initially commented I appear to have clicked on the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now whenever a comment is added I recieve four emails with the exact same comment. Perhaps there is a way you are able to remove me from that service? Thanks.
Aw, this was a very good post. Taking the time and actual effort to make a great article… but what can I say… I hesitate a whole lot and don’t manage to get anything done.
Good day! I simply would like to give you a huge thumbs up for the great info you have got right here on this post. I will be returning to your blog for more soon.
Excellent post! We are linking to this great article on our site. Keep up the great writing.
It’s difficult to find educated people in this particular topic, however, you sound like you know what you’re talking about! Thanks
Everything is very open with a precise explanation of the issues. It was definitely informative. Your website is very useful. Thanks for sharing!
Spot on with this write-up, I truly feel this website needs a great deal more attention. I’ll probably be returning to read through more, thanks for the information!