Quoted from Patches

Put them in little Italy.....let the familia take care of them....   LOL

OOOOOOOO,,,,even better

They can't 'wet their beaks' there. They want to take advantage of Proctors owned and operated heating/cooling bargain....funded by the taxpayers.

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Oddfellows coming down
Published 08:41 p.m., Monday, December 12, 2011

Demolition work begins on the former International Order of Oddfellows Hall, 440 State St., in downtown Schenectady. Transfinder Corp., which will be building its headquarters on the site, originally thought it could save the stone facade of the historic building, but found the masonry would not structurally hold up during the demolition. The building was most recently used by Proctors theater and was called Arts at 440.

Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Oddfellows-coming-down-2398449.php#ixzz1gPQA00sX

Changes are good ...but not when they interdere with history......

The money wasted in the City could have save this building...

Just keep knocking down and rebuilding.....Good bye to the City of old.....sad..

My only issue is that taxpayer's money is being used to prop up 'the selected few' private businesses. Hence....a false sense of financial and economic security.

Not to mention all of the taxpayer's money that already went into that building that will just end up in a pile of rubble!!

Quoted from bumblethru

My only issue is that taxpayer's money is being used to prop up 'the selected few' private businesses. Hence....a false sense of financial and economic security.

Not to mention all of the taxpayer's money that already went into that building that will just end up in a pile of rubble!!

Folks, it's only been 5 years since 1/2 million of your taxpayer money was used for the facade, a 'garden' grant and another $500,000 in Proctors renovations (which we know is Plex money).

How could a building possibly deteriorate so much in 5 years using a million in renovations???

It doesn't make any bloody sense.

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SCHENECTADY
New design expected for 440 State St.
BY KATHLEEN MOORE Gazette Reporter
Reach Gazette reporter Kathleen Moore at 395-3120 or moore@dailygazette.com.

    The company that’s knocking down the historic Odd Fellows Hall will be back before the Planning Commission on Wednesday to discuss the design of the new building.
    Transfinder plans to build a modern, high-tech office at 440 State St., where the International Order of Odd Fellows building is being demolished. Company officials had originally said they would save the intricate facade of the historic building, but then announced last month that the building had to be demolished.
    They have saved some of the “unique” items of the facade, which will be incorporated into the new design, Transfinder owner Tony Civitella said.
    But after numerous meetings with city officials, all involved said the design that will be made public next week may be far different from the modern building with glass facade proposed last month.
    City officials said they have met with Civitella and designers repeatedly to review drafts of the plan before Wednesday’s meeting.
    The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall.
    City officials declined to discuss the design, and Metroplex Development Chairman Ray Gillen said nothing has been decided yet.
    “They’re still working on it,” he said.
    Metroplex had promised $210,000 that was partially intended to help Transfi nder save the facade. However, the funding will remain despite the demolition, Gillen said.
    “His project costs have gone up,” Gillen said. “I don’t expect us to change the $210,000.” .....................>>>>............................>>>>.........................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01800&AppName=1

Why play the game? Really!

Transfinders will be allowed to do WHATEVER they want so the insignificant 'formality' of going before a planning board is a JOKE!!!

Love Gillen's quote "I don't expect us to change the $210,000." Guess what Ray Ray, Tony Civitella knows you will...or else he'll threaten to leave. That always works..AAA knew it...Marcella's knew it...and Civitella is well aware that his.

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“His project costs have gone up,” Gillen said. “I don’t expect us to change the $210,000.”

But you can bet that the 'unexpected' will happen and the $210K will be increased, just like everything else!! That is almost a given with the metroplex/gillen scheme!

and the RENAISSANCE goes on .....

The Gazetto has made a fool of itself. They said nothing before the demolition {like DVR} then after the DEM stooges voted to knock it down started a crying jag. Now they want the old facade to be incorporated in the horrible ice tray design. Nobody cares. A day late and a dollar short. The time to weigh is is before the DEM morons vote-not after the implosion. Another historic treasure lost by the DEM morons who don't give a s***. If you gots an envelope than they might pretend to care.

Planning Commission Meeting
Tonight. Wednesday, December 21, 6:30pm
Schenectady City Hall

Review of design for Antonio Civitella's new building at 440 State St.

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SCHENECTADY
Design plans tweaked, OK’d for Odd Fellows site
BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter
Reach Gazette reporter Justin Mason at 395-3113 or jmason@dailygazette.net.

    Members of the city Planning Commission unanimously approved design plans for the modern structure Transfi nder will build on the site of the soon-to-be demolished former International Order of Odd Fellows hall.
    The new design is similar to concept plans submitted when the Schenectadybased computer software design fi rm fi rst sought permission to topple the historic building at 440 State St. Architect J.T. Pollard tweaked several elements of the design, including the fi rst-fl oor storefront, the building’s color scheme and the hue of tinted glass used in its windows.
    The accepted design includes a mahogany-colored storefront similar to one that exists at the nearby Center City building. The windows will also be bronze-tinted and more transparent than the blue glass originally proposed.
    “We tried to warm up the appearance of the building,” Pollard said during the commission’s meeting Wednesday. “The mass and scale of the building remains generally the same.”
    The design retained the curved corner entrance originally proposed in the concept plan and three balconies. Tony Civitella, Transfinder’s founder and president, said the aim of the design was to have a modern look that is reminiscent of the old building and fitting with its surroundings.
    “We wanted to make sure this fi ts your downtown,” he told the commission.
    Transfinder purchased the property from Proctors for $600,000 and announced plans to extensively renovate the building in July. The company indicated the estimated $5 million project relying on $210,000 in Metroplex funding would save the ornate terra-cotta facade and about 20 feet of the front of the building.
    But in mid-August, Transfi nder paid the state Offi ce of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation $150,000 to lift a covenant placed on the building after a Heritage Area grant helped to install an elevator and stairwell in 1997. Then in October, an estimator with Bonacio Construction said protecting the facade would be costly and would have no guarantee of success.
    Civitella approached the city in late November with a markedly altered plan calling for full demolition. Commission members considered the demolition for more than two hours, until narrowly approving it on the condition that they have oversight on the new design. ....................>>>>.......................>>>>.....................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01801&AppName=1

........and the RENAISSANCE goes on........and ON..

Quoted from rachel72

They can't 'wet their beaks' there. They want to take advantage of Proctors owned and operated heating/cooling bargain....funded by the taxpayers.

DVR's Gravel Gertie backed into a meat grinder-now we have Hamburger! Wet their becks is one thing these political pigs are taking a bath and screaming renaissance on your nickle. It's all about the $600 large to Fat Morris-everyone else go to hell.