Metroplex and other initiatives like Proctor's Theater have been successful in bringing a "critical mass" of people BACK downtown -- office workers during the day and  theater goers/"people going for a night out" in the evenings.

I have publicly stated at City Council meetings in the past and to city officials that the one thing that is missing
in the downtown revitalization projects up until now -- has been   mixed use buildings such as they have in Saratoga Springs -- with retail, office and RESIDENTIAL.      

I can cite success stories in DC, Boston, Baltimore, Saratoga Springs and a number of other cities that includedthe residential component in their downtown revitalization plans.    Schenectady has failed to include that except for a few units in 2 or 3 projects.

As they move to revitalize the area between SCCC and Erie Blvd -- they really need to include residential along with the retail and office mix.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

Metroplex and other initiatives like Proctor's Theater have been successful in bringing a "critical mass" of people BACK downtown -- office workers during the day and  theater goers/"people going for a night out" in the evenings.

I have publicly stated at City Council meetings in the past and to city officials that the one thing that is missing
in the downtown revitalization projects up until now -- has been   mixed use buildings such as they have in Saratoga Springs -- with retail, office and RESIDENTIAL.      

I can cite success stories in DC, Boston, Baltimore, Saratoga Springs and a number of other cities that includedthe residential component in their downtown revitalization plans.    Schenectady has failed to include that except for a few units in 2 or 3 projects.

As they move to revitalize the area between SCCC and Erie Blvd -- they really need to include residential along with the retail and office mix.

Who'd want to live where you have no driveway, who'd want to live where people are brawling at all hours of the night.

And retail??????     Exempt for a handful of gin bills, and the high quality clothing of the long established Rudnicks, there's nothing to buy downtown.  Well, overpriced books.  Other than clothing from Rudnicks, there are no clothing stores, no shoe stores (I guess I sound like that Barbara Katz who wants a shoe store), no department stores, no place to by electronics, housewares, linens and things, bedding and bath stuff, etc. etc, etc.   No place to buy the things people need, items you might find from Walmart to Macy's.   And no well known businesses willing to open up downtown.  

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

As they move to revitalize the area between SCCC and Erie Blvd -- they really need to include residential along with the retail and office mix.

Not at the taxpayer's expense!!!

The residents are already at the end of their 'taxed rope'. They can not shoulder the unfair balance of taxes any longer. The metroplex's original purpose was to secure good jobs - NOT! It's purpose was to lower taxes -  NOT!

One can not be a proponent of the metroplex without disregarding the overtaxed residents. The metroplex is an enemy of the residents and a friend of 'the few'!! imho

Oh there's folks who like to live like that.....in a busy environment...that's fine....to each her/his own....problems

1. taxpayers being shaken upside down to empty their pockets
2. the push to 'clean out' those areas, hence DSS and the migration out of the city of the 'element'


where's the netting and base in the outlying areas around the county for the 'element'?
where's the return to the taxpayers of their investment?


those who control the $$ control the masses
those who control the guns control the masses

Quoted from bumblethru

Not at the taxpayer's expense!!!

The residents are already at the end of their 'taxed rope'. They can not shoulder the unfair balance of taxes any longer. The metroplex's original purpose was to secure good jobs - NOT! It's purpose was to lower taxes -  NOT!

One can not be a proponent of the metroplex without disregarding the overtaxed residents. The metroplex is an enemy of the residents and a friend of 'the few'!! imho

who said at the taxpayers expense ????      I said that a mix of retail, commercial and residential should be included in every project that is proposed in that area -- I never said that the project had to be funded by Metroplex.

Facts are, the Metroplex is tapped out and Proctors has become a money grubbing trollop with no shame. The Proctors cafe is competing with for-profit businesses in Downtown which is inexcusable as Proctors pays absolutely no taxes to the City or State.

If Proctors was truly an asset to the City, it would be contributing something back to the taxpayers. Right now, all it's doing is padding its silver lined pockets with profits...profits made with the County and City taxpayers support. This has crossed the line of non-profit and become a tax liability to the City.  

Proctors has become the perfect example of what a tax sucking  parasite is.

Quoted from Shadow

Proctors has become the perfect example of what a tax sucking  parasite is.

If we send you some free tickets to a Proctor's event,  will you change your tune and talk nice about Proctor's ?????

I have been to Proctors on occasion and the tickets are over-priced and the shows are mediocre.

Quoted from Shadow

I have been to Proctors on occasion and the tickets are over-priced and the shows are mediocre.

Shh you're not supposed to talk about 3rd rate road shows. Morris likes to pretend this is Broadway quality. Yes, it brings people Downtown for musicals and they leave as fast as they can. Literally running to their cars.

     The last thing the City needs is more surplus housing. Every housing proposal has gone belly up. Downtown needs retail to generate some sales tax revenue and stop giving away tax exemptions to DEM connected businesses. Nothing will change until we get regime change in this County.

Quoted from benny salami

Shh you're not supposed to talk about 3rd rate road shows. Morris likes to pretend this is Broadway quality. Yes, it brings people Downtown for musicals and they leave as fast as they can. Literally running to their cars.

For people who have never seen an actual Broadway show, or if they're tone deaf...Proctors is awesome! Lots of false promises with many of the performances. Then again, the whole theater is a taxpayer lie. As I've said before, I refuse to buy coffee I've already paid for with my City tax payment.  

Quoted from rachel72

For people who have never seen an actual Broadway show, or if they're tone deaf...Proctors is awesome! Lots of false promises with many of the performances. Then again, the whole theater is a taxpayer lie. As I've said before, I refuse to buy coffee I've already paid for with my City tax payment.  

Coming soon Promises, Promises!-By the 4th rate road company. Buy a $120 ticket to The Lion King and Mercury Morris and fleeing Mayor SOS (now of the Canal Corp) will throw in a free cup of coffee? NOT. Keep paying up. Money for nothing but no chicks for free.

Actually,   downtown needs good medium and high end residential units.   With the cost of gas rising - and peoples' lifestyles changing -- these types of housing units sell or lease very quickly.    

Once you get middle and high income folks living downtown, they demand a certain amount of goods and services  -- which the sparks retail businesses to come into the area.

You can't rebuild a downtown solely on offices and the arts -- those two have a place in the whole puzzle but you need to bring middle and upper income folks to live downtown to complete the economic development puzzle.

No one is going to chose to buy a home/condo in a City where there is a fee for everything, taxes are triple that of a surrounding towns, crime is on the rise and schools are sub-par. It doesn't matter if you build high-end units, people are smart enough to know that investing in Schenectady is a waste of money. There are hundreds if not thousands of empty houses no one is willing to buy.

The Downtown is a wasteland. $50 million spent for a low-end theater, burritos and high priced coffee. Now if GE was given incentives for re-locating back (we threw them out once) or another industry came in ...with jobs...

It's amazing that a non-profit is taking over for-profit businesses, the government access channels and the City taxpayers are supporting this habit.  

Nobody in their right mind would buy a house/condo in Schenectady in it's present condition, Rachel is correct that the taxes,fees, and high crime would drive people away.