SCHENECTADY COUNTY IDA May 19, 2011 — 8:00 a.m. Minutes Present: Gary Hughes, Stephan Mesick, Paul Webster, Evan Christou and Catherine Gatta Absent: Bernie Mericle and Martin Finn Others: George Cregg (Agency Counsel), Ray Gillen, Jayme Lahut, Mark Storti and audience of 3 Mr. Hughes called the meeting to order at 8:15 a.m. 1. Approval of Minutes: Mr. Webster moved acceptance of the December 3, 2010 minutes as presented; seconded by Mr. Mesick. The minutes were approved. 2. Treasurer’s Report: Jayme Lahut summarized financial activities through April 30, 2011 noting that there were no unusual expenses. With new projects in the pipeline, revenues would increase by mid-year. Cash on hand stood at $73,904. Mr. Christou moved acceptance of the Treasurer’s Report; seconded by Mr. Mesick and approved. 3. Annual Meeting / Election of Officers: Resolution 301-11 Pursuant to Agency By-Laws, Resolution 301-11 presented the following slate of appointments: Bernard Mericle, Chair Gary Hughes, Vice Chair Paul C. Webster, Secretary Martin Finn, Treasurer Catherine Gatta, Assistant Treasurer Stephan Mesick, Assistant Secretary Evan Christou, Assistant Secretary Ms. Gatta moved Resolution 301-11; seconded by Mr. Webster. There was no discussion. Resolution 301-11 was unanimously approved. 4. 2010 Audit: Resolution 302-11 — Adopt Audit for the Fiscal Year Ending December 31, 2010 The Fiscal Audit Committee convened prior to the Board meeting and recommended acceptance of the 2010 Audit prepared by Bollam Sheedy Torani CPAs. The audit was clean and unqualified with no material findings. Resolution 302-11 accepts the audit which will be distributed to the Chair of the Schenectady County Legislature, the Authority Budget Office and posted on the Agency website. Mr. Mesick moved Resolution 302-11; seconded by Mr. Webster and unanimously approved. Schenectady County IDA May 19, 2011 Meeting Minutes Page 2 of 3 5. SRS Niskayuna LLC (ShopRite Square Project, Niskayuna): Resolution 303-11 – SEQRA / Type II Exempt Action SRS Niskayuna LLC, an affiliated entity of the Columbia Development Companies which is the development arm of BBL Construction, has purchased 4.35 acres together with the former Grand Union at St. James Square in Niskayuna which has been vacant since 2001. Joseph Nicolla, representing Columbia Development, made a presentation about the entire project and plans for revitalizing the site. He noted that the company will spend about $7 million to renovate and prepare the store for ShopRite, repave, restripe and install new lighting for the parking lot, and make other site improvements. The developer requests an exemption from sales tax for construction materials, supplies and related purchases as well as an exemption from the mortgage recording tax. The project is characterized as a Type II action in that it involves replacement, rehabilitation or reconstruction of a structure in kind including building upgrades to address building and fire codes issues. Mr. Webster moved Resolution 303-11; seconded by Ms. Gatta. Following discussion, Resolution 303-11 was unanimously approved. 6. SRS Niskayuna LLC: Resolution 304-11 — Hold a Public Hearing The resolution called for holding a public hearing on the project at Town Hall in Niskayuna in early June. Mr. Christou moved Resolution 304-11; seconded by Ms. Gatta and approved. 7. ShopRite Square Project: Resolution 305-11 — SEQRA / Type II Exempt Action The resolution completed the environmental review for the tenant portion of the project, i.e. ShopRite Supermarkets leasing and improving the 58,000 square foot space. The project involves a $5 million investment to fit-up and fully equip the supermarket. Shop Rite is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wakefern Food Corp. headquartered in NJ that operates 230 stores in the northeastern U.S. Shop Rite expects to hire nearly 300 full and part-time union employees. ShopRite seeks an exemption from sales tax for equipping the supermarket. The project is characterized as a Type II action. Mr. Christou moved Resolution 305-11; seconded by Mr. Webster and unanimously approved. 8. ShopRite Square Project: Resolution 306-11 — Hold a Public Hearing The resolution called for holding a public hearing on the project at Niskayuna Town Hall in June. Mr. Christou moved Resolution 306-11; seconded by Ms. Gatta and approved. 9. Reauthorize Property Disposition Policy: Resolution 307-11 The policy follows the guidelines posted by the Authority Budget Office with respect to selling personal property and real property valued in excess of $5000. Resolution 307-11 reauthorized the policy, reaffirmed the Executive Director as Contracting Officer for monitoring compliance and accepted the annual Real Property Disposition Report for submission to the Authority Budget Office. Mr. Mesick moved Resolution 307-11; seconded by Mr. Webster and approved. 10. Adopt Investment Report: Resolution 308-11 Jayme Lahut reviewed the Investment Report regarding management and investment of the Agency’s funds during 2010, a compliance requirement of the Authority Budget Office. Mr. Webster moved to adopt the Investment Report; seconded by Ms. Gatta and approved. Schenectady County IDA May 19, 2011 Meeting Minutes Page 3 of 3 11. Other Business: Discussion followed regarding the new funding for Schenectady’s Amtrak station, the downtown library expansion, the Glenville Target project, and cleanup of the Scotia McDonald’s site. 12. Adjournment: Mr. Webster moved to adjourn; seconded by Mr. Christou. The meeting was adjourned at 9:00 a.m. Respectfully submitted, Jayme B. Lahut Executive Director
More tax free property coming for the IDA/Galesi group
Schenectady County Closes on the Sale of Former DSS Building
The Schenectady County Legislature has announced that Schenectady County has closed on the sale of the former Department of Social Services (DSS) building located at 487 Nott Street in the City of Schenectady. The County sold the building to the Schenectady County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) for $200,000.
“This is another great win for Schenectady County and a win for the taxpayers,” said Judy Dagostino, Chairwoman of the Schenectady County Legislature. "We thank our unified economic development team and the Galesi Group for finding a great new use for this building.”
The County IDA has approved a lease purchase agreement on the building with The Galesi Group, who plans to redevelop the building into corporate style apartments to attract employees of area businesses. The Galesi Group will pay the IDA $200,000 to lease the facility with an option to purchase. The developer has also applied to the federal government to list the property on the National Register of Historic Places as the building was once the Nott School dating back to 1875.
“This agreement will breathe new life into a deteriorating building and add to the continued redevelopment of this neighborhood,” Gary Hughes, Schenectady County Legislator and member of the County IDA.
The Galesi Group developed the nearby Golub Corporate Headquarters and is currently redeveloping the former Alco site in Schenectady. The company is headquartered in Rotterdam.
The building previously housed offices for the Department of Social Services. In 2009 Schenectady County opened a new Human Services Building at 797 Broadway in Schenectady. The new facility was the former Schenectady International Building and was redeveloped to allow Schenectady County to consolidate all the operations of the Department of Social Services under one roof resulting in increased efficiencies and enhanced services.
Work on the Nott Street property will begin next year after the process of getting the building listed on the historic register is completed.
and Schenectady is FULL of service workers that are subsidized AGAIN by the taxpayers....not a decent wage,,,,workers have the leverage because it doesn't matter if there is a threat to there job....WE PAY THEIR HEAT/RENT/CHILD CARE....
it's their second job just to stand in line at DSS to fill out the paperwork...although I think the local HR departments will MAN UP for this job....
pathetic...Rome and it's leaders are expensive for itself....this house is beginning to stink
...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
"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."
L4L is beginning to realize the game is rigged. We can thank our Republican leaders Hugh Farley, Jimmy Tedisco and Peter Guidarelli for creating the political slush fund disguised as "economic development". They set the table and bent the residents over...The Democrats are just ramming it in.
I thought Death Ray said the DSS asbestos building was going to be knocked down for a retail mecca- lol. A real win-win for a connected developer who will get a tax smear from the DEM friends and family idiots. 10 years after this Metrograft fraud not one "national retailer" has come Downtown. The DEM "led" County IDA should go the way of the joke Rotterdam IDA and the dodo bird. Come in Gov Cuomo and appointed a State Control Board for McCheese and his politards.
DSS Building and the falling down rat traps are Historic yet the IOOF Building wasnt anything. These guys really know how to manipulate the system.
Life is tough, but it's tougher when you're stupid - John Wayne
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I thought Death Ray said the DSS asbestos building was going to be knocked down for a retail mecca- lol. A real win-win for a connected developer who will get a tax smear from the DEM friends and family idiots. 10 years after this Metrograft fraud not one "national retailer" has come Downtown. The DEM "led" County IDA should go the way of the joke Rotterdam IDA and the dodo bird. Come in Gov Cuomo and appointed a State Control Board for McCheese and his politards.
