SCHENECTADY : $500,000 demolition grant OK’d BY KATHLEEN MOORE Gazette Reporter
In a split vote, the Schenectady City Council decided it would be “reasonable” to give Galesi Group $500,000 to demolish a building owned by the private developer. The council voted 4-2 Monday to apply for a $3 million demolition loan from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. That loan, which the city would pay off over 20 years, would include the $500,000 for Galesi. The rest of the loan would be used to demolish about 88 vacant buildings in the city, prioritized by their likelihood of collapse. To get the loan from HUD, the city had to include some rebuilding project. But council members were initially critical of the proposed project: $1.3 million to help Galesi renovate the former Department of Social Services building on Nott Street into an apartment building. Council members and some members of the public immediately objected. The project would not only take up nearly half of the loan, but it would go to a private developer who would use it to make a profi t. Councilwoman Leesa Perazzo proposed a compromise: demolish the building and let Galesi pay for a new apartment complex. Demolition would still be costly, but not nearly as expensive as renovating, she argued. On Monday, at a special council session, three of her colleagues agreed with her. But Councilwoman Marion Porterfield and Councilman Vince Riggi voted against the idea, saying the city shouldn’t spend such a large amount of taxpayer money on a building that would be used by a private developer. Galesi would pay taxes on the new building, but spokesman Gerald Hennigan said he would apply for any PILOT or other initiatives available to other developers in the city. It was not clear whether he would be able to get a PILOT. A payment in lieu of taxes agreement is usually part of an economic deal to persuade a developer to take on a project. Galesi has already committed, in writing, to building the apartments if the city pays for the demolition. But the company has not paid taxes on the building in the two years it has owned it.Mayor Gary McCarthy said the city held the title in the Industrial Development Agency until city officials could create a deal to make a project happen. He emphasized that approving the deal would help the city. “Right now we’re not getting anything,” he said. “You’re going to have a brand-new building there, going on the tax roll.” Hennigan told the council that Galesi had to have help with the building. “There’s nothing we could do with it that was economically viable,” he said. “If we have assistance with demolition, we will pledge to have a building up in 18 months, with at least 14 apartments, maybe more, depending on the market.” Perazzo said she was convinced that Galesi couldn’t do the project without help. “I respect this plan because it’s a way of moving forward,” she said, before adding, “It’s also uncomfortable.” She said she understood that many of her constituents opposed the idea of giving half a million dollars to a private developer. But, she said, it was worth getting the project done.
Here we go again, the generally low income taxpayers in the city are being ROBBED by the dems, stealing from the people to give money to a guy who is so filthy rich that he (Galesi) could stop doing anything to earn money, he could quit working, etc. and his descendants, the next 20 generations at least, would never have to go to work for an income and they would still live like royals with never a financial worry.
Typical homeowners in the city whose total household income is under $40,000 according to OFFICIAL records (the census), homeowners struggling financially to pay for necessities, will most likely be paying the property taxes on this property owned by this guy who is so filthy rich he has multiple, MANY multi-million estates in which to live himself.
And so once again, the city's tax base will drop next year.
And so, once again, the taxes on the struggling homeowners will increase again.
And what do those who do NOT pay taxes say about yet another project that takes money from the taxpayers and gives it to the political cronies of the Dem party?
Not to worry -- the shrines for former Mayor Stratton and former County Legislature chairwoman Savage are still in existence --- we built new and separate shrines for Mayor McCarthy and others. I am not at liberty to tell you to whom all of the shrines are dedicated --- as the Democratic Temple is only open to privileged members of the Democratic party and we are forbidden to describe the full glory of this magnificent Temple to non-believers.
And yet, with the overwhelming proof of no return for the residents of the city, the plummeting tax base, falling home values, non-stop increasing taxes, the non-taxpayer is TOTALLY SILENT on those issues. Just keeps up with stupid babble.
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
This is the result of the voters electing friends and family instead of capable, concerned, and qualified people, NYS let them get away with what they have been doing for years even when an audit proves what they are doing is not in the peoples best interest.
"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."
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