Quoted from Kevin March

I never realized that Metroplex liked plaing three card Monte.
Shift things around to confuse everybody.

Except in 3 card Monte, the shill occasionally wins. In Metrograft the sheeple keep losing. Your money, your property rights, your representation, your sanity. And nobody says nuthin-except Joe Suhrada. The last 3 acts of Metrograft; new condos replacing a neighborhood store, new sidewalks for Upper Union Street, and moving an appliance store from Crane Street to Broadway.

Quoted from benny salami

new condos replacing a neighborhood store,  

Are you referring to Union St? That particular corner store is a dump and constantly has a bunch of low lifes running in and out. No loss IMO.  

Quoted from pg13

Are you referring to Union St? That particular corner store is a dump and constantly has a bunch of low lifes running in and out. No loss IMO.  

I agree with you about that corner, but I don't think the metroplex was created to build condos with taxpayer's dollars. It was suppose to be for job creation. The only job creation here will be short time construction work.

Quoted from pg13

Are you referring to Union St? That particular corner store is a dump and constantly has a bunch of low lifes running in and out. No loss IMO.  

Have you been to Mt. Pleasant lately? By the way who do you think lives "over there"? The dump generated sales tax revenue. Metrograft has no business building condos or any residential units. It is suppose to generate jobs and sales tax revenues. A complete taxpayer ripoff.

I agree. We don't need ANY more housing in the city of Schenectady, we need commercial businesses who operate in the light of day. How many more section 8 people do we need to lure here to get on the gravy train, democrats? Give us a BREAK

Quoted Text

EDITORIALS
Sch’dy more than downtown

    Appliance dealer John Marcella, whose business generates upwards of $400,000 a year in sales tax revenue for Schenectady County, is a pretty big fish as far as county retail operations go — too big for economic development officials to let get away. Thanks to the continued deterioration of his Mont Pleasant neighborhood, that’s apparently what he was planning to do until Metroplex made him a deal last week: a $250,000 grant and $400,000 low-interest loan to locate his big new retail store and distribution center on the outskirts of downtown Schenectady instead of on Fuller Road in Colonie.
    Neither Marcella nor Metroplex can be faulted here. A businessman would have to be crazy to keep a thriving business in a neighborhood so dicey his suppliers are reluctant to lend him promotional support. And even though, as columnist Carl Strock pointed out the other day, Metroplex is helping undermine a neighborhood within its very “service area” by supporting Marcella’s departure, it had to do something to keep the retailer from leaving the city and county entirely.
    Moving the business down the hill to lower Broadway, where it will greatly improve the looks of a major gateway into the city, will be a plus for Marcella’s as well as for downtown. So overall, it should be a plus for the city — although it exacerbates the dichotomy between the downtown business district and a growing number of its neighborhoods.
    They — most notably Mont Pleasant, Hamilton Hill, Vale and, lately, Goose Hill — continue to slide, largely inhabited by renters on public assistance and drug dealers. That situation is going to have to change because no matter how nice downtown is, outsiders will be hesitant to come if they think it’s unsafe. And they’ll continue to think it’s unsafe as long as there are reports of shootings, home invasions and the like making the news on a regular basis.
    Outsiders — potential business people, home buyers or just casual shoppers or arts patrons — might not know that the problem is isolated to a few neighborhoods, or they might not care. If the news coming out of Schenectady always seems to involve crime, they’ll be scared off.
    It’s probably time for Metroplex and city officials to rethink their approach to economic development in Schenectady, placing at least a bit more emphasis in the neighborhoods outside downtown. The $8.5 million Vale Village project, while helpful, was a decent first step but too costly ($8.5 million to rehab 20 houses) to................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....amp;EntityId=Ar04001

Quoted Text

Thanks to the continued deterioration of his Mont Pleasant neighborhood, that’s apparently what he was planning to do until Metroplex made him a deal last week: a $250,000 grant and $400,000 low-interest loan to locate his big new retail store and distribution center on the outskirts of downtown Schenectady instead of on Fuller Road in Colonie.

It is clear that the plex is doing nothing more than struggling to 'keep' businesses in the county. Clearly NOT bringing in new businesses. The plex has now become an authority that just gives existing businesses our tax dollar just to stay here and RELOCATE!!!
It's just become an expensive 'shuffle game'.

Look, I agree that Marcella's is a great business. I go there myself, but again, what will be the return on fronting over 1/2 million taxpayer's dollars to keep the status quo? Yes it guarantee's the continued $400,000 in sales tax revenue, but come on....we are PAYING BUSINESSES TO STAY HERE!!!

Quoted Text

....most notably Mont Pleasant, Hamilton Hill, Vale and, lately, Goose Hill — continue to slide, largely inhabited by renters on public assistance and drug dealers. That situation is going to have to change because no matter how nice downtown is, outsiders will be hesitant to come if they think it’s unsafe.

First downtown isn't nice. The plex is pi**ing in the wind. The drug dealers/users are winning. They clearly have a much more lucrative business. THEY found a need and are suppling it. They appear to be growing at a rate much faster than the plex can ever match. Where the city has failed miserably, the drug dealers took advantage and seized the opportunity. THEY took over these areas that the powers that be failed to acknowledge. The powers to be, including the plex are so hell bent on state street and an arts district that is failing, that they have totally disregarded the surrounding areas. The drug dealer/users should be eternally grateful!!

Quoted from benny salami

Have you been to Mt. Pleasant lately? By the way who do you think lives "over there"? The dump generated sales tax revenue. Metrograft has no business building condos or any residential units. It is suppose to generate jobs and sales tax revenues. A complete taxpayer ripoff.

Ok...... Mt. Pleasant is a dump. We could talk all day about the problems in different neighborhoods in the
City including Mt. Pleasant.

My comments were directed at your Union St comment about losing that corner store. It's a dump that should not be in business. I imagine they pocket more sales tax revenues then they report. That store brings in
nothing but low lifes. That area is a combination of nice housing, thank you Union College, (but we lost
property tax payers) and a bunch of dumps which the proposed housing would wipe out a portion of and
should bring in a much higher "class" of people who hopefully will spend more money at legitimate
businesses in the area and INCREASE sales tax revenues.

And the new construction will pay more property taxes then what is there currently. I like the idea of this
new project and have mixed opinions with Metroplex being involved in the project. I agree with many others on this site that Metroplex's number one goal should be to bring in big business which in turn will bring
quality jobs to the area.

I just don't think anyone should stick up for the "hole in the ground" corner stores that bring a lot of
undesireable's to our City.    

pg13, I do agree with you that condos would clearly be better than what is presently there. My issue is 'how and who' are paying for those condos. Do we sell our soul to the devil so the ends can justify the means, so to speak? At what point do we put the brakes on the plex? The plex has gone off it's beaten course for what it was created for. It was created ten years ago to 'create jobs' NOT relocate and recycle them. While taxes are at an all time high!!!!

I mean what will be next....paying for people who are defaulting on their mortgage? Free bus tokens and cab fare so people can get to work? Helping the wealthy relocate somewhere else in Sch'dy county so they don't move out completely?

Union Street is failing just like the rest of the areas surrounding 'downtown'. The plex has been in existence for a decade to create a friendly business environment, so businesses would move into the area to create jobs. Instead they relocate businesses from one street corner to another, throw up a movie theater, that is hardly ever full, and a couple of bars and throw millions at Proctors that can't sustain itself.

YOU should be outraged that all they are throwing Union St is CONDOS, that will inevitably end up section 8 just like every other place.

While I agree with you in theory....when does it end?

The Gazetto contradicts itself-first they run a front page story on Goose Hill "renaissance". Now they lump it with troubled neighborhoods in free fall. They got it right the second time. Neighborhood Business Districts across the City are collapsing because of high taxes, record violent crime and Metrograft.

    These small groceries service the community that lives there. They are not bringing in "low lifes" from other areas. Closing them does not improve a neighborhood. It just hurts the residents. Residential doesn't generate any sales tax, it doesn't generate jobs, with Ray's property tax giveaways it doesn't increase property taxes. Metrograft should not be involved in residential housing. It's purpose is to increase sales tax revenues AND create jobs.

     The last thing the City needs is more residential. They are losing population. If you think this is a great idea, take a look at the failed condos project by the sewage plant on Anthony St. Nobody wants to buy condos in a tax crazy City. Funny you mention Union College. Pulling Ramada Inn off the tax rolls {$500,000 in assessment lost} for dorms and fixing up houses on Seward that permanently left the City tax rolls, has killed the City. On top of that they refuse to pay a PILOT, like RPI, Colgate and many other colleges do. It's all about choices. If Metrograft wastes money on sidewalks and residential there is less for corporate parks, rail lines and reindustrialization.

Quoted from benny salami

These small groceries service the community that lives there. They are not bringing in "low lifes" from other areas. Closing them does not improve a neighborhood. It just hurts the residents. Residential doesn't generate any sales tax, it doesn't generate jobs, with Ray's property tax giveaways it doesn't increase property taxes. Metrograft should not be involved in residential housing. It's purpose is to increase sales tax revenues AND create jobs.

I agree that some of the neighborhood stores provide a valuable service to its neighbors but there are
several that do not. Many that sell lose cigs,cheap cigars (that are used as blunts) and cheap 40 oz beers
while creating a hang out spot for undesireables and drug dealers. Not to mention a place wher a lot of stolen groceries and goods are sold. (baby formula etc) Many neighbors are scared to walk into these
establishments and it looks like hell to anyone that drives past it.

The block that we are speaking of has an undesireable, IMO, store and behind which is several apartment buildings that need to be torn down. A couple out-of-business old crack houses and a house where a poor
woman was killed in a fire. I really like the idea of improved housing with some "good" hard working folks living there, paying taxes and spending money in area businesses. It also could tie into the upgrades that
Union College did. They certainly did a nice job in that area but unfortunately it comes at a price of less tax revenues. Good this new development create a spark for additional private monies being invested in the
area? I'm not sure but maybe that's part of their thinking.

Again, the City has a lot of needs in a lot of area's and I agree with many of your points. I wish that
Metroplex could make significant gains in bringing in big business. Everyone knows that should be the
number one goal.

But I do think that this new development could be a good thing for the City on many different fronts and I
very much doubt that it would end up as section 8 housing like we now have next to the Rotterdam
Industrial Park   that I am very unhappy about.

If you are referring to the old army housing facility, they are not section 8. I called last year when they were first renting them out. They are 2 BR - $750.00/mo + utilities and 3 BR - $950.00/mo + utilities. That is too high for section 8. I asked them if they accepted section 8 and they said "no" because the rent was too high.

Quoted from bumblethru

YOU should be outraged that all they are throwing Union St is CONDOS, that will inevitably end up section 8 just like every other place.

While I agree with you in theory....when does it end?

I am outraged at a lot of things but this project really isn't one of them. I'm outraged about the Mayor
refuses to attempt to clean up our neighborhoods and is allowing crime to dominate in our City. I am
outraged that 70+% of our county budget is spent on handouts. I am outraged that government continues
to grow at unsustainable levels and NOBODY is doing a thing to control it. I am outragged that 90% of our
arrested felons get sweet plea bargains that do not send the message that we wont tolerate that kind of
business. I am outraged to have to support family generation after generation to welfare programs for
people that could work but choose not to because they get their rent paid, food paid, NIMO bill and health
treatments paid by all of us that work 1, 2 or maybe even 3 jobs! I am outraged that we have a system
that allows people to just move into this County and collect these benefits for the remainder of their lives.

Sorry, I went off on a rant, but when the hell are we going to fix the big ticket items around these parts.
We can't afford the lifetime handouts anymore. Our present Govenor Non-elect slashes a bunch of
programs but gives a double digit increase to welfare programs. WHERE ARE THE STATE LAYOFFS.........  

Quoted from JoAnn

If you are referring to the old army housing facility, they are not section 8. I called last year when they were first renting them out. They are 2 BR - $750.00/mo + utilities and 3 BR - $950.00/mo + utilities. That is too high for section 8. I asked them if they accepted section 8 and they said "no" because the rent was too high.

I was informed that there is presently a lot of section 8 in there but I do not know for sure. I know I often
see police cars in there.  

I read that the town board just voted that they need to seek a zoning change to rent those out as apartments. I don't think the town wants that there- they want some kind of commercial enterprise.