And now a new business is leaving Hannaford Plaza,

I saw the Daily gazette article on here about Pioneer Savings bank moving out of the plaza and moving down the Street.. I called the branch to confirm, and sadly the rumors are true.. They are moving out of the plaza...


CVS, Scarboroughs, Hollywood video, The Dentist office, now Pioneer,

For Residents like myself in the coldbrook section that plaza used to be extremely convenient and had everything one needed.. From the dentist to the bank to department stores... to grocery stores... It had everything...

Now everything is gone... and no one seems to give a damn about keeping life in that plaza or bringing life into it...

What is it that you suggest as a solution?  How about bringing some of those ideas to the town board at their next meeting?  Plus, there's all the changes that are supposed to come about on Hamburg Street.  It appears that the Plaza may be a little over.

Quoted from rotterdamres

And now a new business is leaving Hannaford Plaza,

I saw the Daily gazette article on here about Pioneer Savings bank moving out of the plaza and moving down the Street.. I called the branch to confirm, and sadly the rumors are true.. They are moving out of the plaza...
CVS, Scarboroughs, Hollywood video, The Dentist office, now Pioneer,
For Residents like myself in the coldbrook section that plaza used to be extremely convenient and had everything one needed.. From the dentist to the bank to department stores... to
grocery stores... It had everything...
Now everything is gone... and no one seems to give a damn about keeping life in that plaza
or bringing life into it...

I wouldn't say that "no one seems to give a damn" -- considering the tough economic times --
one would expect that some businesses would close.    There are still a lot of good businesses
in the Plaza  .. and we should continue to support them.    CVS moved to consolidate 2 stores
into 1.  Pioneer Bank wants to move to build a stand alone facility -- which will greatly improve
the eyesore where Edgewood Restaurant once was in business.   Hollywood Video went the way
that most video stores are going -- technology has made them obsolete.    I don't know the
reason for Scarborough's moving -- but it was probably an opportunity to grow their business.

Given the vacancies in Hanaford Plaza and at Rotterdam Square Mall and the vacant or under
utilized commercial parcels in other parts of town  -- I am glad that the Rotterdam IDA has
partnered with Metroplex and the Schenectady County Economic Development team  .....
we need to WORK TOGETHER to bring good, economic development to Rotterdam  and make
it not only a great place to live .. bu a great place to do business.

I hate to say it, but that's what you get when you bring a Walmart in.
Yeah, I shop there, I'll admit it... but you have to admit the need for police presence went up ten fold once the Walmart opened.  I doesn't take long to figure out why the altamont ave price chopper gets twice the business the Hannaford gets... it sure isn't twice the store..

I agree. People from rotterdam are concerned that the plaza will just become a selling spot for drugs. Actually it has already begun. Many rotterdam residents won't go there after dark.

Quoted from Kevin March

What is it that you suggest as a solution?  How about bringing some of those ideas to the town board at their next meeting?  Plus, there's all the changes that are supposed to come about on Hamburg Street.  It appears that the Plaza may be a little over.

This is not nor should it be a 'government' issue. Let's face it, there are no businesses that 'wants' to move into depressed schenectady county UNLESS they get a government taxpaid handout from the metroplex.  Again projecting a false sense of economic security.

IF schenectady county were such an economic mecca....businesses would be beating down the county's door and competitively bidding for the honor. Instead the county is just shuffling one business from one area within the county to the other.

Thanks to Susan Savage, increased crime, murders and one of the highest taxed counties in the country is certainly not an admirable draw for any SMART businesses.

Quoted from bumblethru

Instead the county is just shuffling one business from one area within the county to the other.

in other words, re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic

All of the businesses that have moved WITHIN the county did so for good business reasons --
the county didn't force them to make the move --  and as long as they stay IN the county
they remain a part of our tax base  (sales and property) and our employment base.

I was suggesting that maybe they could make a comment on the fact that the Plaza is emptying out and that maybe it's due to the high cost of doing business in town and in the county.  Maybe if the town would do something about lowering those costs, there may be more businesses willing to move in, or at the very least, less businesses moving out.

Quoted from Kevin March

I was suggesting that maybe they could make a comment on the fact that the Plaza is emptying out and that maybe it's due to the high cost of doing business in town and in the county.  Maybe if the town would do something about lowering those costs, there may be more businesses willing to move in, or at the very least, less businesses moving out.

We also need to update the Comp plan and Zoning Codes and implement "performance
standards" as  the Town Planner spoke about last night at the Town Board meeting.

I think that some businesses would have come to Rotterdam and even help build the sewers
and other infrastructure  IF the town  had a more pragmatic, welcoming approach to business.

Just the fact that there are not performance standards gives the impression that all potential
businesses would not be treated on "equal footing" when they attempt to build on or redevelop
a property for a business.   There is that "smell" that some are favored and some are not --
and that impression has been around whether there are Democrats or Republicans in control of
town hall.

I know that during the "Wal-Mart Uproar" in 2005 -- at least 3 potential new businesses walked
away from Rotterdam.    One of the town board members at the time .. kept saying (rather
unwisely because it left the town open to legal damages) that "we should change the zoning
to stop Wal Mart"   -- and then he foisted his own conclusions on the town after unilaterally
dismissing the work of the 25A Study Group.    And what has become of his "vision" for high
tech firms and office buildings on Burdeck St and at 25 A .. gone nowhere .. exactly as he was
forewarned by the experts who were on the 25A Study Group and those experts who were
advising the 25A Study Group.

I believe that we are turning the corner on this issue  .. but one way or the other we have to
send out  the message that Rotterdam is willing to work with good, legitimate businesses that
want to STAY IN or COME TO our town

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

I am glad that the Rotterdam IDA has
partnered with Metroplex and the Schenectady County Economic Development team  .....
we need to WORK TOGETHER to bring good, economic development to Rotterdam  and make
it not only a great place to live .. bu a great place to do business.

So, your answer is "make the taxpayers pay."   You DO see what has happened with all the tax money to downtown, right?   You DO see how all the rich people downtown are exempt from paying property taxes, which puts the burden on the homeowners who, in Schenectady, are lower middle income.  And what about the rest of the city, shootings all over, no money to go after crime.  Well, the money is there but instead of using the money for necessary city services, it's going to give rich people big tax exemptions

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

All of the businesses that have moved WITHIN the county did so for good business reasons --
the county didn't force them to make the move --  and as long as they stay IN the county
they remain a part of our tax base  (sales and property) and our employment base.

Yeah, the ONLY "good business reason" that Golub moved was because he wouldn't have to pay the property taxes on his new building.

And what is it when you take X number of people from a work location on Rt 7 and merely move them to a work location near Rt 5?   Hell, that's not creating jobs, that's just building more building and rich people taking more of the low income taxpayers money

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

We also need to update the Comp plan and Zoning Codes and implement "performance
standards" as  the Town Planner spoke about last night at the Town Board meeting.

I think that some businesses would have come to Rotterdam and even help build the sewers
and other infrastructure  IF the town  had a more pragmatic, welcoming approach to business.

Just the fact that there are not performance standards gives the impression that all potential
businesses would not be treated on "equal footing" when they attempt to build on or redevelop
a property for a business.   There is that "smell" that some are favored and some are not --
and that impression has been around whether there are Democrats or Republicans in control of
town hall.

I know that during the "Wal-Mart Uproar" in 2005 -- at least 3 potential new businesses walked
away from Rotterdam.    One of the town board members at the time .. kept saying (rather
unwisely because it left the town open to legal damages) that "we should change the zoning
to stop Wal Mart"   -- and then he foisted his own conclusions on the town after unilaterally
dismissing the work of the 25A Study Group.    And what has become of his "vision" for high
tech firms and office buildings on Burdeck St and at 25 A .. gone nowhere .. exactly as he was
forewarned by the experts who were on the 25A Study Group and those experts who were
advising the 25A Study Group.

I believe that we are turning the corner on this issue  .. but one way or the other we have to
send out  the message that Rotterdam is willing to work with good, legitimate businesses that
want to STAY IN or COME TO our town

A Walmart supercenter didn't belong in a quiet residential neighborhood.  Walmart's belong in commercial areas.  

The only role government has in the business world, is to provide a safe environment, low taxes and infrastructure that would surely attract and sustain businesses to it's area.

Luring businesses to an area via metroplex, with promising taxpayer's monies to relocate, build, seal private deals or hand out loans is NOT the way any municipality attracts good, solid, long term substantial businesses. It is a false sense of economic and financial security.

What schenectady county/metroplex is basically telling businesses is, 'even though we are one of the highest taxed counties in the country, and even though crime and murders are increasing, and even though the county is not lacking for drug dealers, and even though the roads are in shambles and the infrastructure is antiquated, and even though we have one of the highest welfare give a ways, and even though unemployment is at an all time high.........we are begging you to set up business here at the taxpayer's expense!'

Sorry folks....that is what they do and that is why the county is a sh!thole!! Smarten up people and get Susan Savage and the rest of the dems out of office!!!

Quoted from mikechristine1

So, your answer is "make the taxpayers pay."   You DO see what has happened with all the tax money to downtown, right?   You DO see how all the rich people downtown are exempt from paying property taxes, which puts the burden on the homeowners who, in Schenectady, are lower middle income.  And what about the rest of the city, shootings all over, no money to go after crime.  Well, the money is there but instead of using the money for necessary city services, it's going to give rich people big tax exemptions

We spent many years operating without Metroplex and County Economic Development help -- and
look where that has gotten us ????     The only major projects in Rotterdam in the last decade were
a result of Metroplex and County Economic Development work --- the Golub Freezer Project and the
RailEx project.
If you are content with taxes steadily rising and businesses moving out of town -- and our town
slowly dying --- then I guess you want to go back to the way economic development was handled
for so many years.
But if you want an expanding job and tax base -- if you want a brighter future for the town -- then
you will climb aboard the  "working together works'-express  ..as we revitalize Rotterdam.