Dream project aims to brighten Schenectady Edison Exploratorium owner envisions massive museum, hotel to help city build on GE legacy
By LAUREN STANFORTH, Staff writer First published: Friday, January 25, 2008
SCHENECTADY -- Thurston Sack craned his neck up to look at his dream: a hanging drawing of a massive museum/hotel/conference center off Erie Boulevard in downtown Schenectady. The former paper goods business owner has thrown practically his whole life into the dream that the city will one day capitalize on its past as the birthplace of Thomas Edison's company, General Electric.
Sack managed to get two buildings from the city for $2 in 2004 and set up his modest museum space called the Edison Exploratorium on Broadway. But for him, that's nothing. His new conceptual plans, which now hang near the Exploratorium's front door, show a museum, engineering training center, parking garage and hotel/conference center built in the 100 block of Erie Boulevard that would be called Edison Tech Park. But for a small nonprofit organization that survives on a few hundred thousand dollars a year and draws no apparent public or private interest, what are the chances that the plans will ever be realized? Sack says simply: You have to start somewhere. "If I was going to pick one thing that would be better for the financial and economic vitality of Schenectady, it would be this mission," Sack said recently. Not everyone seems to agree with that assessment. Schenectady's largest economic engine, the Metroplex Development Authority, isn't connected to the project. Schenectady Mayor Brian U. Stratton didn't return calls for comment about the project. GE, the reason for the Exploratorium's existence, said employees are free to donate to the museum and get a match from the company. But that's it. "Sack is an energetic and dedicated person around this subject and has worked tirelessly to get to this point," said Jan Smith, spokeswoman for GE Energy in Schenectady. But "GE is not involved with the project in any way." Sack wants the Edison Tech Park to contain not just museum displays of the GE engineering that led to common household items, such as the refrigerator, but to have conference space for current engineers to debate topics such as renewable energy. One of Sack's current buildings, the former Daily Gazette pressroom, holds hundreds of donated items, from 100-year-old washing machines to shelves of phones, typewriters and desktop fans. Kerry Orlyk, executive director of the Schenectady Museum & Suites-Bueche Planetarium, said she sympathizes with Sack. The planetarium has heard its share of skepticism about its own plans to build a new museum and planetarium triple the size of its current Nott Terrace location. Sack has made an offer to the planetarium to locate near his project. Orlyk said the planetarium hasn't ruled out Sack's offer but has a purchase option on land Metroplex owns near Clinton Street and Broadway. The planetarium owns the Hall of Electric Fame once housed at GE, but Orlyk said the planetarium has no intention of competing with Sack's organization. In fact, she welcomes it. "The more cultural attractions you can build in a particular region, the stronger the visitation will be for every venue," Orlyk said. "It's almost a collaboration in itself." The planetarium is working with unnamed consultants to design what it says will be a premier family science museum, hopefully to be completed in five years. The museum also hired a lobbyist to search for federal funding.Sack's plans, however, aren't as definite. The Exploratorium held a news conference in November at which it said the museum would start purchasing six buildings to create a 12-acre site near GE on Erie Boulevard. But the Exploratorium needs to sell one of its current buildings at 134 Broadway to finance the new purchase. Sack hopes to do that this spring. Jay Bindell -- a representative from Quest Realty, which owns the first building Sack wants at 118 Erie Blvd. -- said he has talked to Sack about the Exploratorium either leasing or purchasing the property. "We hope he's able to fulfill his dream," he said. "It'd be a nice thing for Schenectady." Lauren Stanforth can be reached at 454-5697 or by e-mail at lstanforth@timesunion.com.
Yup, this should bring in some high paying jobs, huh? Let's see, so far we have proctors, a movie theater, bars, bars and more bars and now a possible museum. Now that is what I call economic development!
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
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