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Wednesday, November 25, 2009, 2:35pm EST
Schenectady Museum interested in armory for new home
The Business Review (Albany) - by Michael DeMasi

The Schenectady Museum wants to study the cost and feasibility of renovating the old Schenectady Armory to serve as a new home for the museum.

Executive Director Kerry Orlyk said today she and other museum officials recently toured the armory and believe it could be a workable solution for the museum, which wants a bigger facility in a more centralized location.

“It’s an historical structure that fits in well with the museum’s mission of appreciating the past to be able to understand the present and the future,” she said.

The Schenectady Museum and Suits-Bueche Planetarium is located on a hill off Nott Terrace, away from the heart of downtown. The entrance is marked by an old locomotive built by American Locomotive, which was once one of the city’s biggest employers.

The museum draws 40,000 to 45,000 visitors annually, but officials believe many more would come to an expanded museum and science center.

The museum studied another possible site a few years ago, a municipal parking lot on Broadway. The study estimated it would cost $60 million to $70 million to build a new, 120,000-square-foot facility there.
............................>>>>.....................>>>>.................http://albany.bizjournals.com/albany/stories/2009/11/23/daily26.html?surround=lfn

Ok, who didn't see this happening?

Quoted from 147

Ok, who didn't see this happening?

I agree. But is the move 'really' necessary? And what would become of the building that houses the museum now?

GREAT MOVE......

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SCHENECTADY
Armory eyed by museum
BY MICHAEL GOOT Gazette Reporter

    Schenectady Museum and Suits-Bueche Planetarium officials are interested in relocating to the Schenectady Armory.
    Executive Director Kerry Orlyk said Monday that museum officials want to study the cost of using the facility at 125 Washington Ave. She said the museum could attract many more visitors at the armory than its current 40,000 to 45,000 people a year at the Nott Terrace site.
    “We have studies showing us that we could serve up to 300,000 visitors per year if we had a larger facility,” she said.
    Museum officials have been searching for a larger home for several years. An earlier plan adopted in 2004 had called for the construction of a $72 million, 114,000-squarefoot science and technology center on a parking lot on Broadway near Villa Italia. The museum still has an option from the Metroplex Development Authority on that parcel, according to Orlyk. ........................>>>>...............>>>>..................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r00905&AppName=1

Another indication of how wonderful the Downtown "renaissance" is going. Not one private party is interested in the old Armory? This would make a great dance hall/live band stand. A showcase for the great SCCC Band.

   Yeah great move-keep this off the tax rolls permanently. They should dust off plans to move to the Harriman Campus in Albany. 40,000 visitors? ROTFLMAO!!

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Armory dumped as museum site
By Lauren Stanforth Staff Writer
Published: 12:00 a.m., Friday, November 26, 2010
  
SCHENECTADY -- Its cavernous shell is historic. Its location near General Electric and Schenectady County Community College could be considered prime downtown real estate. Yet the Schenectady Armory sits mothballed on Washington Avenue about two years after its closure -- and there are no current plans to revive it.

The state Office of General Services canceled an auction of the 74-year-old facility a year ago after it appeared the Schenectady Museum and Suits-Bueche Planetarium wanted it for a planned expansion.

Museum Executive Director Kerry Orlyk said recently that after studying the 65,000-square-foot structure, the museum had to walk away -- and the nonprofit has had to drastically reconsider its own plans for a new location in the wake of the recession. Orlyk said the museum originally thought it could model itself after the Museum of Science and Technology in Syracuse, which reused that city's armory.

"It just had so much charm and because we have been in community for 76 years, we thought it would be a great way to demonstrate the past," Orlyk said. But she said the building's infrastructure of heating and wiring would have to be replaced, in addition to whatever renovations would be needed. "It would cost more than if we built a new building ourselves," she said.

Schenectady County Community College, which has little land to expand on, used the building for women's and men's basketball before the state Division of Military and Naval Affairs announced in 2008 it would decommission the armory. Now, the teams play at the Schenectady YMCA that recently relocated to a newly remodeled facility at Center City on State Street.

Darren Johnson, the college's assistant dean of planning, accountability and advancement, said SCCC has no plans for the building, but "if it becomes open, we would consider a partnership exploring new opportunities."

Schenectady Metroplex Development Authority Chairman Ray Gillen said the state will no doubt put the armory back on the market now that the museum is out of play. The property would likely be thrown into the same pile as many other buildings the state wants to discard, including shuttered prisons, group homes and offices....................>>>>.......................>>>>..................http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Armory-dumped-as-museum-site-832967.php

So much charm?-lol-Would love to see the armory go on the auction block to see what a "renaissance" Death Ray has created. No "renaissance" for Downtown property values which continue in free fall.

     No business is interested in a huge drafty building in record tax Downtown Schenectady. Going up another 6% with to DEM fiscal leadership. 2 options-SCCC to keep it off tax rolls or the wrecking ball.

They couldn't even give it away.  Beautiful.  

I got an idea, let's build a MEGA bar and art studio.  Oh wait, parking sucks.

Let the rehab "expert" master planner Death Ray buy it for $1. Then he can open another governmental gin mill/rage hall.

     Another outrage that this joke museum can't draw flies. Less than 800 visitors per week! Give away free cheese. How much State/County/City tax money is wasted keeping their doors open? The museum will be "an economic catalyst for the Eastern Avenue Business District" stated Gary McCarthy-lol-These DEM morons can't even run a Festival of Nations on a profitable basis. Throw the lot out next year.

there is a renaissance.. you refuse to see it... so shame on you and you alone.. you said they would never tear down alco -- they are... you said they would never improve downtown, they did...

the gin mills were done mostly with private money and have turned into substantial businesses that bring people downtown... kudoes for that.

procotors does not receive any metroplex money .. sorry to burst your bubble.

the renaissance is now moving down lower state street... contrary to your myopic vision.

so friendly's closes? how is that metroplex;'s fault.. maybe it is a corporation fault, eh?

anyways... keep drinking the kool aid... you guys are a hoot...

The renaissance is moving to lower State? What a laugh. Death Ray announced a retail mecca at Robinson's Furniture five years ago-lol. Lower State looks like a neutron bomb went off. Buildings up but no people.

     Proctor's didn't get Metrograft money but got over $10 million in County funds. Gin mills like The Big House that got over $1 million and never opened. But who cares? Not SS Savage, Mayor SOS nor rehab "planner" Death Ray. Of course Death Ray is qualified he was DEM chair in Niskayuna for 2 years-that's all that matters.

Quoted from Smoking Bananas

procotors does not receive any metroplex money .. sorry to burst your bubble.

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The Metroplex Development Authority has also provided more than $10 million in funding to Proctors.....http://www.schenectadycounty.com/newsitems.aspx?m=13&amid=4974&redir=0

You might want to get a hold of whoever maintains the county website and have them fix the 10 million dollar misprint.

Quoted from Smoking Bananas

there is a renaissance.. you refuse to see it... so shame on you and you alone.. you said they would never tear down alco -- they are... you said they would never improve downtown, they did...

anyways... keep drinking the kool aid... you guys are a hoot...

The city is laying off firefighters!  Metroplex has 10+ years of "economic development",  the bulk of which was downtown, and they are cutting vital public safety services.  Yes, things are working just wonderfully.

There's a "renaissance"? Right in bankruptcy lawyers, relocation specialists and moving van rentals. The City can't pay for basic police/fire services or cut grass in their parks. The Mayor got caught in illegal scheme to pad pensions and his travel expenses.

      The County can't site a nursing home that it already took a $50 MILLION bond for. The towns are looking at record property tax hikes. Property sales are tanking and a house in the GE Realty Plot is given away at foreclosure auction. Metrograft is out of funds and at it's debt ceiling. When the DEM "leader" of the County ran for State Senate she couldn't get 40% of the vote in Schenectady County. The jig is up.