SCHENECTADY — New curbs, sidewalks, paving and streetscape improvements will result along State Street under a $1.089 million contract approved by the Schenectady County Metroplex Development Authority board Wednesday evening.

Low bidder Callanan Industries of Schenectady won the contract for the work on the street, from Erie Boulevard to South Church Street.

Ray Gillen, Metroplex Chair said, said investing in the streetscape will make that part of downtown "as attractive and as pedestrian friendly as the Proctors Block."

Other projects approved Wednesday:

Rebuilding the Franklin/Liberty Parking lot and the construction of a landscaped pedestrian pathway to connect Metroplex parking lots at the corner of
Broadway and Liberty Streets to Center City and the Proctors Block. Luizzi Brothers will be paid $434,800 for the work.

A $75,000 grant will improve 151 Lafayette St., at the corner of Lafayette and Franklin Street. JT Pollard, owner of Re4orm Architects of 323 Clinton St.,
bought the building from the city last year for $115,000. He cleaned up the site and is investing more than $700,000 to turn it into retail and commercial space. A CrossFit fitness facility and a hot yoga/Pilates studio have already signed leases to occupy space in the building, Gillen said.

A $450,000 grant for the tech company Quirky Inc. was approved. Earlier this month, the company opened a 22,000-square foot office at the Center City
building. Quirky is working with General Electric and other companies, and an on-line audience, to bring new products to market.

Quoted from rpforpres

Ray Gillen, Metroplex Chair said, said investing in the streetscape will make that part of downtown "as attractive and as pedestrian friendly as the Proctors Block."

great...pedestrian friendly...so its going to be for people aimlessly walking around...there's no place to shop there...unless its just for bar hopping?

Nero fiddles while Rome burns.

BUT NO MONEY TO PAVE STREETS WHERE THE TAXPAYERS LIVE


People in the neighborhoods pay almost the highest taxes in the state, yet can't get their neighborhood streets paved nor even potholes filled.

But for the rich political cronies of the dems, the dems can force homeowners to pay up for downtown under threat of having their homes taken away.

And peoples homes are falling in value in records amounts.

The dem leadership doesn't care.  They are giving to their rich cronies.   There's got to be kickbacks somewhere

Metroplex has the magic checkbook with no oversight.

Quoted from rpforpres

Ray Gillen, Metroplex Chair said, said investing in the streetscape will make that part of downtown "as attractive and as pedestrian friendly as the Proctors Block."

Nothing like putting lipstick on a pig .. with the taxpayers footing the bill, again.

Great investment in the continuing RENAISSANCE of the City-County of Schenectady.  Stayed tuned for MORE great news for our beloved City-County in the weeks and months ahead.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

Great investment in the continuing RENAISSANCE of the City-County of Schenectady.  Stayed tuned for MORE great news for our beloved City-County in the weeks and months ahead.

And DV, what about the streets where the taxpayer live??????      Yes, must send these messages of nonsense that you post, must send it to your colleages on the town planning committee, let them see you are too much of a coward to explain why people in the city should suffer with lousy streets while the city spends so much money on downtown.

DV, tell us, what is the return on "investment" that the homeowners are getting form all the spending on downtown?????   Why would a supposedly educated person with supposedly a bachelor's degree be unable to state what the homeowners and the neighborhoods are getting in return?

We have you discussing things and voting on things that affect us and all you do is chose to spend our money, you cheer for taxing people out of their homes.

And then you are too much of a coward to carry on an intelligent conversation.   And you claim that county taxes are lower than 50 years ago, and that city taxes are lower now than they were under Mayor Al.   Would your colleages on the town planning board like to know of your lack of ability to provide evendence?

Great news,yeah right,now maybe metroplex will give some of that money to the public works dept,these guys are runningall over town trying to fix all the water main breaks,and can't keep up.Was on Van Vranken and Seneca,and guess what,another water main break there covered up by wooden boards and city of Schenectady cones,with the water leaking on the side of the curb down towards nott street.These public work boys work hard,to keep the city of Schenectadys aging septic lines working properly!Hey ray,give these boys some metroplex coupons,because if downtown sinks or floods,it will be public works dept.working overtime to keep Schenectady above water!!!

more money spent downtown...on the backs of taxpayers...while in the rest of the city, we have closed bridges, closed pools, parks in shambles, and roads that in some cases are barely passable...
The RESIDENTS of the city that have to foot the BILL get SCREWED again....

Quoted from 55tbird

more money spent downtown...on the backs of taxpayers...while in the rest of the city, we have closed bridges, closed pools, parks in shambles, and roads that in some cases are barely passable...
The RESIDENTS of the city that have to foot the BILL get SCREWED again....

The FACT is that the infrastructure (roads, curbs, etc.) need to be improved on Lower State Street just like work needs to be done on other streets.
The FACT is that it would cost the taxpayers to make these needed improvements WHEREVER they are done.
The FACT is that ALL the residents benefit from improving infrastructure in the city and ALL the residents will benefit from the economic development that IS COMING and WILL BE COMING to Downtown and Lower State Street.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

The FACT is that the infrastructure (roads, curbs, etc.) need to be improved on Lower State Street just like work needs to be done on other streets.
The FACT is that it would cost the taxpayers to make these needed improvements WHEREVER they are done.
The FACT is that ALL the residents benefit from improving infrastructure in the city and ALL the residents will benefit from the economic development that IS COMING and WILL BE COMING to Downtown and Lower State Street.

But explain, DV, explain this.   The FACT is that why can't the taxpayers get "their" streets paved?????  Downtown millionaires and billionaires pay no taxes,


The people who pay the high taxes and see their home values in free fall losing value, and blight spreading like wildfire, TELL US DV WHAT THE TAXPAYERS ARE GETTING????

You claim economic development and the residents will benefit from it.   Well how the residents are benefitting.  Downtown millionaires and billionaires have gotten taxpayer subsidized fancy schmancy new expensive buildings and they don't largely don't pay taxes.  So we have theaters and gin mills, no stores.

Tell us DV, tell us what the residents have gotten from 15 years of this so called economic development??????
MASSIVELY FALLING TAX BASE
Home values in free fall tumble
People fleeing the city in droves
Houses don't sell even after two years.
Home sale prices falling like never before seen.
All this so called economic development as you call it have Schenectady being THE ONLY MUNICIPALLITY in the capital region whose home sale prices are averaging under $100,000, and those prices are 60% less than the next closest "low selling price."
Abandoned houses spreading like wildfire
Blight spreading like wildfire
Tax foreclosures at records highs
Central Park largely ignored
Essential services like road paving and filling potholes IN THE NEIGHBORHOOODsd WHERE THE TAXAYERS LIVE are NOT getting done.

And the taxes continue to go up up up

Now, DV, tell us what the taxpayers are getting in return.   Come on, tell us, provide the evidence - or are you a COWARD to provide an answer?????



Of course, we know DV's comments are lies, fairytales, and nonsense babble because he cannot state ONE thing, NOT ONE THING that the taxpayers have benefitted from

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

The FACT is that the infrastructure (roads, curbs, etc.) need to be improved on Lower State Street just like work needs to be done on other streets.
The FACT is that it would cost the taxpayers to make these needed improvements WHEREVER they are done.
The FACT is that ALL the residents benefit from improving infrastructure in the city and ALL the residents will benefit from the economic development that IS COMING and WILL BE COMING to Downtown and Lower State Street.

But explain, DV, explain this.   The FACT is that why can't the taxpayers get "their" streets paved?????  Downtown millionaires and billionaires pay no taxes,


The people who pay the high taxes and see their home values in free fall losing value, and blight spreading like wildfire, TELL US DV WHAT THE TAXPAYERS ARE GETTING????

You claim economic development and the residents will benefit from it.   Well how the residents are benefitting.  Downtown millionaires and billionaires have gotten taxpayer subsidized fancy schmancy new expensive buildings and they don't largely don't pay taxes.  So we have theaters and gin mills, no stores.

Tell us DV, tell us what the residents have gotten from 15 years of this so called economic development??????
MASSIVELY FALLING TAX BASE
Home values in free fall tumble
People fleeing the city in droves
Houses don't sell even after two years.
Home sale prices falling like never before seen.
All this so called economic development as you call it have Schenectady being THE ONLY MUNICIPALLITY in the capital region whose home sale prices are averaging under $100,000, and those prices are 60% less than the next closest "low selling price."
Abandoned houses spreading like wildfire
Blight spreading like wildfire
Tax foreclosures at records highs
Central Park largely ignored
Essential services like road paving and filling potholes IN THE NEIGHBORHOOODsd WHERE THE TAXAYERS LIVE are NOT getting done.

And the taxes continue to go up up up

Now, DV, tell us what the taxpayers are getting in return.   Come on, tell us, provide the evidence - or are you a COWARD to provide an answer?????



Of course, we know DV's comments are lies, fairytales, and nonsense babble because he cannot state ONE thing, NOT ONE THING that the taxpayers have benefitted from

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

Great investment in the continuing RENAISSANCE of the City-County of Schenectady.  Stayed tuned for MORE great news for our beloved City-County in the weeks and months ahead.

What is the measurable return on the investment and what is the time frame which we will see the returns?  

Quoted from CICERO

What is the measurable return on the investment and what is the time frame which we will see the returns?  

Answer:

No return on the investment. Just call it charity/welfare.

Time frame? Never.