We'll see how long McGarry survives on the planning commission with his anti-metroplex position. If he were smart, he'd ask for grant for a photography studio and a 10 year PILOT program. He must feel dirty after leaving those PC meetings, breathing the same air as those people, like the millionaire banquet hall owners who feel entitled to taxpayer dollars so they can make themselves richer.
Brilliant. Another "near sighted" expert heard from. Don't forget to stop for a gelato apres Key Bank Banquet Hall-lol-
Brad doesn't even live in Schenectady County anymore ... why is his name being brought into this? He's not running for any office
Brad's name was brought up to reference the political machines that spit out independent thinking people who do not get involved so they can personally reap the benefits of having political power. Brad was already through it in Schenectady County. I don't know how long McGarry will be able to stomach what he is about to witness on the IDA.
Wait til Morris packs up and leaves and the County Taxpayers are stuck with his debt...
That is what cancer stick does. He goes from city to city making his artsey dreams come true and then moves on. But we can't blame this all on the cancer stick. He was used by the city/county/metroplex to make it 'appear' that they are doing 'something'. Cause clearly, all they have to work with IS proctors.
So both the local elected officials and the cancer stick have used each other as vehicles to get what they want in the end. Kind of like a marriage made in hell heaven! And just think....we get to foot the bill! >
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
Wait til Morris packs up and leaves and the County Taxpayers are stuck with his debt...
Why would he leave? Some other town's gonna give him a better deal-lol-We hear the same thing about the City Superintendent. Nobody's going anywhere. Now he's got 4 empty theatres.
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Key Hall at Proctors March 3, 2010 at 3:49 pm by Matthew Winans
So, as everyone knows, the former Key Bank is now going to be Key Hall at Proctors.
While I think this is great for Proctors, and for Schenectady from a Cultrual standpoint, I think this is TERRIBLE from a fiscal standpoint.
Think about it. That building most likely had the highest tax assessment of all of the buildings on the 400 block of State Street (that weren’t already off the tax rolls). This is a HUGE kick in the pants for every Schenectady taxpayer.
2 Comments » Agreed 100% Before you know it, all of downtown will be tax exempt and the rest of us will have to pay for it. Comment by Barbara S — March 3rd, 2010 @ 7:38 pm
Afer all of the public money that went in there from all the residents in the County, they take a building off the tax rolls! Comment by Jane Cerniglia — March 4th, 2010 @ 6:23 am
while I find art calming/beautiful and enjoy it,,,,,there is a reason one states----"starving artist".....it's certainly NOT meat and potatoes for survival......Even Hollywood is hooker/trash/drugs/gangs--- it only looks good behind the walls......and in very small areas.......anyone point out the MGM studio???
...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
Proctors shouldn’t be getting into the banquet business
The rebirth of downtown Schenectady has occurred in large part thanks to Metroplex and Proctors. Continued new development has and will continue to make Schenectady a model for other aging cities which deteriorated due to loss of major employers, dwindling tax bases and declining populations. But with the Proctors complex once again growing with the acquisition of the Key Bank building — a natural and appropriate addition in light of KeyBank’s long and important association with the theater — I have some questions about its impact on local businesses. First I question why the market value of the Key Bank building in 2006 was $824,900, but as of July 2009 had dropped to $538,900 — during a time when downtown locations were becoming more and more attractive. In addition, the March 5 Daily Gazette editorial [“Proctors still the sparkplug”] incorrectly stated that Key Bank taxes were $11,000, when in fact total (city, county and school) taxes were $21,927 for 2009. With Proctors being a nonprofit institution, that’s a signifi cant loss of revenue to the city. Second, articles in The Daily Gazette and Times Union indicate that the use of the Key Bank building will be for entertainment, banquets, conferences and weddings. In this recessive economy, when tax revenues are down, why would Proctors want to be in direct competition with local restaurants, hotels and catering facilities for banquets and weddings? For the sake of local businesses, wouldn’t it be best for Proctors to use the exquisite Key Bank venue for entertainment, theater-related events and large conferences? Leave the weddings, smaller conferences and banquets to existing establishments that have contributed to the tax base over the years. It would be interesting to see a marketing study to determine if the planned banquet/conference facility would indeed attract new customers or draw customers away from the eight or more existing venues located nearby. When Union College bought the Ramada Inn a few years back, it decided against renting the banquet facility for private parties and weddings once they were told it would have to pay property taxes on this for-profi t operation. Proctors CEO Philip Morris [has said] that if the city assessor determines Proctors is responsible for some taxes from the new activities at the Key Bank building, it would certainly pay them. Proctors should learn from Union College’s experience and focus on its not-for-profit objective of being, first and foremost, a theater.
ANITA M. HAUGEN Glenville The writer is a former Proctors employee who has also worked in the local banquet business.
OUTRAGEOUS! What a bunch of bullspit! My Lord when are we going to wake up and vote'em all out. What political incest. Now I know why Rotterdam IDA signed on with them. Metroplex my a$$. It is nothing but a tool for the libs to reward their own. JS had them pegged right from the get-go. You got to comeback Joe. We need your independent voice and reason.
What Anita fails to acknowledge, or perhaps she is unaware....this 'banquet service' will be catered by the 'chosen few'. It is just another arm or 'business building' and 'greasing hands' for the 'chosen few'.
Who will be cooking at the new golub office complex? NG is on the metroplex board. Did this project receive plex money? Galesi has a major part in this project. Mazzone will do the cooking. The unions got most of the building contract. You do the math! It is clearly 'business building' for the 'select few'. The same will happen in this case at Proctors.
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