SCHENECTADY City parking use increases Metroplex says numbers show more people working downtown BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter
The Metroplex Development Authority this month reached an all-time high in the number of monthly parking spaces it leases downtown. Metroplex is now leasing 2,018 monthly parking spaces, up from 350 in 2004, or an increase of 476 percent since it took over downtown’s parking system in 2004. It hit the milestone when it rented out 50 spaces in the Broadway Parking Garage to three new tenants of One Broadway Center, also known as the Lottery Building. Metroplex owns the garage and nine surface parking lots. Metroplex Chairman Ray Gillen said the milestone is evidence of more people working downtown. “Those are real numbers. People are using our lots and the garage. We have more people, more jobs downtown than ever before,” he said. The leases generate approximately $800,000 in annual revenues, Gillen said. In 2004, revenues were about $105,000, he said. Even with the dramatic increase in permit revenues, Metroplex has yet to break even on operating the lots and garage, Gillen said. “We would be there by now, but we are investing in parking infrastructure,” he said. Over the last five years, Metroplex has spent more than $2 million to repave, repair and upgrade the lots and parking garage. It also remains responsible for the debt on the parking garage. In 2004, Metroplex paid the city $1 million to purchase seven surface parking lots and $4.7 million to take over its debt on the money-losing Broadway parking garage. Since then, Metroplex has acquired two more lots, the most recent being the site of the former Sons of Italy building. “Our goal was to build parking revenues and to build a first-class parking structure downtown,” Gillen said. The 50 spaces leased to new tenants will be used by the Social Security Administration, which relocated from Franklin Street; Send Word Now, which moved from the OTB Building on State Street; and GTECH, which expanded operations at Broadway Center. Omni Development Co., which owns the building, said the new leases account for more than 19,000 square feet of office space, and that they bring the building to full occupancy. The space became vacant when Sunmark Federal Credit Union relocated to new headquarters in 2008. The move left the building with its first vacancy in more than a decade. The state Division of Lottery, which occupies 120,000 square feet, is the building’s biggest tenant. Other tenants include the state’s Office of Racing and Wagering and Department of Taxation and Finance. ...........>>>>..................>>>>...........http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....amp;EntityId=Ar01001
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June 30, 2009, 6:17am
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Ok, fine. There's more parking places being rented/leased.
How about a more "green" approach and encouraging car pooling, public transportation - or hey, here's a novel idea - get workers to actually LIVE and spend their MONEY in Schenectady!!
Metroplex will continue to be a failure until we the people see our taxes lowered due to the increase in money in the tax base, right now all this progress is just smoke and mirrors.
Schenectady, N.Y., March 27, 2007 -- Metroplex today released information on use of its seven parking lots and parking garage by visitors and people working downtown in 2006. The results show more people are working, visiting, shopping and enjoying the performing arts in downtown Schenectady.
"As the revitalization of downtown continues, we are seeing an across the board increase in use of our parking lots and garage," said Metroplex Chair Ray Gillen.
The number of downtown employees holding monthly parking permits either in the Metroplex-owned garage or seven surface lots increased 15% last year. Metroplex now has 1,300 monthly parking permit holders, up from less than 500 in 2004.
The number of cars utilizing paid parking lots increased 20% over 2005 with 86,000 users. The number of cars utilizing free two hour parking totaled nearly 69,000.
Overall revenue from the parking system was up 48.2% to $526,000.
Metroplex assumed control of the downtown parking garage and surface lots in 2004 from the City of Schenectady. Improvements have been made to the parking lots including reconstruction, landscaping and re-striping. In addition, substantial upgrades have been made to the parking garage.
Parking Numbers Show Increased Activity in Downtown Schenectady
Schenectady, N.Y., March 21, 2008 - Metroplex today released information on use of its seven surface parking lots and parking garage in 2007. The results show a major increase in the number of people working, shopping and enjoying the performing arts in downtown Schenectady.
"As the revitalization of downtown continues, we are seeing an across the board increase in use of our parking lots and garage," said Metroplex Chair Ray Gillen.
In 2007, there was a 40% increase in daytime visitor parking with 128,859 parkers during business hours compared with 92,164 in 2006. Metroplex does not track evening visits as parking is free after 5 pm except in two lots directly behind Proctors. Visitors to Proctors or Bowtie Movieland can park free of charge anytime in the Broadway Parking Garage. Daytime free parking in the surface lots is limited to two hours.
The parking data also shows that visitors to downtown are staying longer. Twenty-one percent (21%) of customers stayed longer than 2 hours, which represents an 84% increase over 2006 (27,332 vs. 14,892).
Monthly parking permits for people working downtown have increased to 1,471 up from 350 in 2004.
Metroplex assumed control of the downtown parking garage and surface lots in 2004 from the City of Schenectady. Improvements have been made to the parking lots including reconstruction, landscaping and restriping. The parking garage has also received substantial upgrades including new lighting and security cameras as part of a network of wireless cameras being installed downtown.
Metroplex has just added an 8th lot surface lot this year behind the Center City complex to accommodate additional visitors and employees coming to downtown.
"Metrograft has yet to break even on parking!" If it's such a huge success how come they keep losing money? Of course when you take over every lot usage should increase. No room for independent parking lots Downtown? Great news? You keep losing money on Downtown lots. Only the Gazetto could view this as positive. Get back to the City Schools scandal.
Smoke and mirrors is right. Where are the promised retail jobs? This is all socialism on steroids-your money. People in Rotterdam need to wake up. They are taking your sales tax money to give to Rotterdam businesses to move Downtown.
Boy, you can tell it's an election year and Lamendola is the cheerleader! If ya really read M.L.'s article carefully, you will notice that the increase in parking leases was do to the relocation of businesses from one area of the city to another. In which many of these jobs are taxpaid state/county jobs. Not private sector jobs.
And if these parking areas are going to be so profitable, why didn't a private concern purchase and manage them? It is clearly all smoke and mirrors that we will see even more of before November.
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
No private concern wanted it because it is a MONEY LOSER. These horrible story is right up there with how Bombers is helping competitors and so busy its closed on Sundays.
One Broadway Center Tenants- Division of Lottery 120,000 sq feet Office of Racing of Wagering State Tax and Finance Social Security Administration (moved from Liberty Street)
It's the state......we have our heads so far up our a@#es that Mr. Madoff(and ALOT of his friends) bilked billions and the biggest employer IS the state.....
so let's see......Mr.Madoff and friends along with Mr.Spitzer's little roll in the hay.....you cant tell me there's no monkey on the back of this state.....although,,,,,after watching the state senate------IT'S ALL IN THE FAMILY.....there's something in the water and I think it's called Paxil....kind of like Soma........
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
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"Metrograft has yet to break even on parking!" If it's such a huge success how come they keep losing money? Of course when you take over every lot usage should increase. No room for independent parking lots Downtown? Great news? You keep losing money on Downtown lots. Only the Gazetto could view this as positive. Get back to the City Schools scandal. 
