By Steve Barnes Exclusive: Mexican Radio coming to Schenectady April 10, 2010 at 3:48 pm by Steve Barnes, senior writer Mexican Radio, a restaurant born in Manhattan that has had an outpost in Hudson since June 2003, is developing a Schenectady location that should open by early next year.
Lori Selden, who owns Mexican Radio with her husband, Mark Young, told me she cannot yet disclose the street address, but the restaurant will be in what she called “the ‘new downtown’ area.”
She said, “As founding members of Columbia County Bounty” — which connects culinary businesses with nearby farmers and food producers — “we plan to keep using local food as a big part of our menu and look forward to working closely with the Schenectady Greenmarket to bring a lot more local food to local dining tables in Schenectady. Perhaps even Schenectady County Bounty will be part of our game plan!”
Right-finally some excellent Mexican fare. A business that will actually increase sales tax revenues-something unique. Hopefully, they will lower their Manhattan prices.
Do you really think they would open in Downtown without the requisite governmental handout? What's sauce for the many gooses...
Right-finally some excellent Mexican fare. A business that will actually increase sales tax revenues-something unique. Hopefully, they will lower their Manhattan prices.
Do you really think they would open in Downtown without the requisite governmental handout? What's sauce for the many gooses...
I wouldn't say "excellent" - but good, certainely better than Bombers, IMHO. Their prices are fairly high, I've eaten in the one in Hudson. 3 of us left after we dropped $150 (dinner and drinks) including tip.
SCHENECTADY Mexican Radio plans to open new restaurant downtown BY JESSICA HARDING Gazette Reporter
Quoted Text
A downstate Mexican restaurant is planning to open a new location in downtown Schenectady Lori Selden, owner of Mexican Radio, which began in New York City, said the site is expected to open in early 2011. She wasn’t able to say where the restaurant would be, but said it would be downtown. Selden said her restaurant wouldn’t be too far from another Mexican restaurant, Bombers Burrito Bar, but “we’re complimentary,” she said. “We don’t do the same thing and we’re firm believers in the more the merrier.” Bombers owner Matt Baumgartner agreed and said he thought a new restaurant would add to the diversity of the area. “We do sell burritos and tacos, but we are completely unlike Mexican Radio, which serves more authentic Mexican food,” Baumbgartner said. “We’re more of a TexMex casual place.”
Quoted Text
Selden said she has been in touch with Mextroplex, the county’s economic development agency, but they aren’t accepting any loans or help from the organization. “We’ve spent the last year researching and visiting Schenectady and we just like the vibe there,” she said. “It’s got a great industrial chic thing going on. The buildings are beautiful and obviously Proctors is very important. People who love Schenectady have made us fall in love with Schenectady.”
SCHENECTADY Mexican Radio to occupy OTB Center BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Justin Mason at 395-3113 or jmason@dailygazette.net.
Mexican Radio will be moving into three floors of the OTB Imperial Racing Center following an extensive overhaul of the building in the coming year, one of the restaurant’s owners confi rmed this week. The restaurant, with existing locations in New York City and the Columbia County city of Hudson, plans to lease space from local architect J.T. Pollard after he completes a deal to purchase and renovate the state-owned building. Mexican Radio owner Lori Selden said she and husband Mark Young were attracted to the building because of its prominent location in a downtown area that has seen extensive revitalization in recent years. “We’re going to restore it,” she said Tuesday. “We love these great old industrial-chic buildings.” Pollard, the owner of Re4orm Architecture on Clinton Street, has been involved in a number of highprofile projects throughout the city. His company helped design the new Center City building, the upcoming 6,700-square-foot expansion of the Schenectady County Library and the Bow Tie Cinemas complex, among other area projects. Pollard did not return calls for comment Wednesday. Selden said the restaurant will have dining room space on two floors and offices on the third fl oor. In addition, she said they plan to incorporate a private party room into the design. The building is located on State Street diagonally across the intersection from the Bow Tie building. Selden said the restaurant won’t have a State Street entrance, but will incorporate some of the property’s green space near the city’s train station for outdoor dining. Mexican Radio opened its fi rst location in a small storefront in New York City’s Little Italy neighborhood in 1996, but quickly outgrew the location. The eatery became known for its philosophy of using local products and working with area farmers for its produce needs. In 2003, Selden and Young opened their second location in Hudson. They’ve since created an organization called Columbia County Bounty, which works with farmers and restaurant owners to get local products into local restaurants. Schenectady was the top choice among a several communities the couple was considering before announcing their new location in April and they’ve already given city leaders a taste of their food. The restaurant served appetizers during the Downtown Schenectady Improvement Corp.’s annual building block party at the recently renovated Center City this month. “We’ve been looking around at various locations for at least two years,” she said. “And Schenectady has been the most exciting one for us.” The building once housed the upscale Imperial Cloak Co., an upscale department store that was a centerpiece of Schenectady’s downtown. OTB purchased the structure in the 1980s and transformed the building for betting operations. But in recent years, the structure has remained largely vacant. OTB downsized and now only occupies a small space on the fi rst fl oor. Offi cials with the county’s Metroplex Development Authority consider the building a critical piece of State Street’s revitalization and have been trying to redevelop it for more than a year. Metroplex Chairman Ray Gillen declined to discuss any sale of the property other than to say the main goal is to get it back on the tax rolls and redeveloped. .................>>>>.........................>>>>...................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r00602&AppName=1
Metroplex Chairman Ray Gillen declined to discuss any sale of the property other than to say the main goal is to get it back on the tax rolls and redeveloped.
GET IT BACK ON THE TAX ROLLS??????????
How many metroplex projects are ON THE TAX ROLLS NOW???
Perhaps Gillen should check out Marcella's, Villa Italia, Bow Tie, Paul Mitchell....................
Just another bullcrap rhetoric story!
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
How many metroplex projects are ON THE TAX ROLLS NOW?
ZERO! Just in time for Election Day. See, the "working together team" led by "planner" Death Ray is finally doing something?-lol-
No State Street door? Are they kidding? A huge undertaking, right by the railroad track with no front door on State. Hey Death Ray what was the property tax giveaway? Nobody on State Street plays full pop.
How ironic that the architect on many of the Metroplex projects is now "purchasing" this building. Gillen "refused to discuss any sale the property" because Schenectady taxpayers would probably ask him to resign! Another downtown property given away to a connected Plex friend, most likely tax exempt for 25 years and another tax burden for the middle class taxpayers and homeowners of Schenectady.
Gillen should come clean and tell the taxpayers how much he "sold" this buidling for and how much tax they'll pay.
Another great improvement project for Downtown Schenectady -- Great work by Ray Gillen, the Democratic County Legislature, and Metroplex as they continue to work together to make Schenectady County a great place to live, to work, and to do business.
George Amedore & Christian Klueg for NYS Senate 2016 Pete Vroman for State Assembly 2016[/size][/color]
"For this is what America is all about. It is the uncrossed desert and the unclimbed ridge. It is the star that is not reached and the harvest that is sleeping in the unplowed ground." Lyndon Baines Johnson
We will see if it ever happens. Remember the election is a week away. Just like the big store on Rt 50 that cannot be named.
"While Foreign Terrorists were plotting to murder and maim using homemade bombs in Boston, Democrap officials in Washington DC, Albany and here were busy watching ME and other law abiding American Citizens who are gun owners and taxpayers, in an effort to blame the nation's lack of security on US so that they could have a political scapegoat."
George Amedore & Christian Klueg for NYS Senate 2016 Pete Vroman for State Assembly 2016[/size][/color]
"For this is what America is all about. It is the uncrossed desert and the unclimbed ridge. It is the star that is not reached and the harvest that is sleeping in the unplowed ground." Lyndon Baines Johnson