ROTTERDAM Metroplex looking to buy bakery building BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Michael Lamendola at 395-3114 or lamend@dailygazette.com.
The Metroplex Development Authority is setting its eyes on a huge prize in the Rotterdam Corporate Park — the 260,000-squarefoot former state bakery and warehouse. Metroplex is negotiating with the state to purchase the structure, also known as Building No. 14, for $1 million. It will hold a public hearing on the purchase next month. “This is one of our major goals for Rotterdam. Building 14 is one of the largest commercial buildings in the county,” said Metroplex Chairman Ray Gillen. He expects the sale to occur later this year. State Dormitory Authority spokesman Marc Violette said there have been discussions between his agency and Metroplex about the sale of the property. The Dormitory Authority owns the building and has begun the process of having the building declared surplus, officials said. After the sale, Metroplex would lease the structure to the Galesi Group, which owns the corporate park, Gillen said. Galesi would put the building back on the tax rolls and allow Metroplex to market it to companies. The park is off Duanesburg Road and close to the Thruway. Gillen did not know how much in taxes the structure would generate, saying assessors will have to set the value after the sale. Metroplex expects to recoup its $1 million purchase price through the lease agreement, Gillen said. The Dormitory Authority arrived at the $1 million value based on several appraisals, he said. Building 14 has been tax exempt for more than 50 years. It is one of 14 buildings of a former Army depot. The Army closed the depot in 1969, and the Galesi Group purchased 13 of the buildings. The state took Building 14, opening up a bakery and warehouse there. Former Gov. George Pataki closed the bakery in 1995 as part of efforts to privatize public services. About 80 of the 200 workers at the warehouse were laid off. After the closure, the state signed a master lease with the Galesi Group and worked to find tenants for the structure. In time, tenants filled around 160,000 square feet of the 260,000-square-foot building. Gillen said Metroplex and Galesi have been unable to fill the remaining space because the lease will expire in 2009 and the state does not plan to renew it. “The state is saying no more tenants can move in, and we can’t offer tenants a longterm lease,” he said. “We are a bit frustrated now because our hands are tied because of the fact the current master lease will expire.” Under the new lease, “we will be able to create jobs and expand the tax base,” Gillen said.
Why isn't Galesi buying this building themselves? I'm sure there is one, but what is the financial benefit to the taxpayer for the Metroplex to buy the building only to lease it to Galesi?
Why should $1M of public revenues be spent to purchase the building so that it can be leased back to Galesi Corp? Why would Galesi Corporation not want to purchase a property/building located in its own corporate park?
This arrangement spends $1M of public revenue by the Metroplex that cannot be invested to support other projects. The Gazette fails to provide the important details including those pertaining to the lease agreement. The reporter (Lamendola) reports that, after the lease is executed, Galesi would put the property back on the tax roll. How will this occur if the property is owned by the Schenectady Metroplex (a public authority). Do public authorities pay property taxes on owned facilities? Lastly, it is reported that Galesi Corp will then "allow Metroplex to market it to companies".
So, as I read the article, taxpayer funds will be used to purchase and own a building that will be leased, at an undisclosed rate, to a developer who will then (sub)lease the property through the marketing efforts of the owner (the Metroplex)? And, the oppressed taxpaying county residents should accept, without question, Gillen's statement that "Metroplex expects to recoup its $1 million purchase price through the lease agreement".
Does any of this make sense? Galesi was recently sold the building on lower Broadway that will house DSS. The developer is rehabilitating the building to lease back it to Schenectady County for an extended period of time. Meanwhile, the Metroplex is purchasing a building in the developer's corporate park to lease it back to the developer who will sub-lease it to business tenants secured by Metroplex. Perhaps, the Metroplex and Schenectady County should find a way to exchange the titles to these two properties.
The fleecing of Schenectady County residents continues ... Demand answers and accountability.
After the sale, Metroplex would lease the structure to the Galesi Group, which owns the corporate park, Gillen said. Galesi would put the building back on the tax rolls and allow Metroplex to market it to companies.
Somebody correct me if I'm not interpreting this right.
The Galesi Group, which owns the Rotterdam Industrial Park, has a vacant building which is currently owned by DASNY. DASNY is another one of New York's many authorities. The Schenectady Metroplex Authority is going to pay DASNY $1M, and then lease the building to Galesi. Then Galesi is going to ALLOW Metorplex to market it to companies.
Can anybody explain why DASNY can't lease the building directly to Galesi without Schenectady County taxpayer being the middle man and putting up $1M of our money.
I am going to assume that during those 13 years Building 16 was vacant, DASNY was marketing it to potential companies.(that's assuming that these authorities are really concerned about the taxpayer, and getting a 260,000 sq ft. building back on the tax roll) I'm also going to assume Galesi was aware that DASNY owned Building 16, and seeing how Galesi makes its money by leasing buildings in the park to companies. You would have to believe Galesi did their own marketing of building 16, to no avail.
So what we have is an authority buying a building off another authority, leasing it to a private business, for I'm sure considerably under market value. Then having the tax funded authority do the marketing for the private business. Eliminating another expense for Galesi.
"Broad-minded is just another way of saying a fellow is too lazy to form an opinion."-Will Rogers-
Folks, this is Galesi we're talking about ... they get WHATEVER they want ... they've got an awful lot of political power in this county right now - a lot of "chips" in the game that can be called in at any time. The "favored son of Metroplex".
Single Party Tyranny Begins January 20, 2009 - Stay Tuned.
No you people are all wrong my friends, the Gal_sis are paisans of Rotterdam people and should get the white gloved treatment and of course the demos are for the little guy only not the big businessmen
You are a sly one Sal.....I'm sure you are a rep just trying to stir the democratic pot!!!
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Another time of the (Communist organization) Metroplex working behind the iron gate. The ONLY way a project in Rotterdam gets Metroplex money, even though we pay it in.
Salvatore, if I were you, I would be comparing the Conservative line with the Republican line. If they match, then vote the Conservative line. If not, turn around and vote the Republican line. It doesn't show much in the end, except that there are people looking for conservatives, not just voting the Republican party line. This is exactly what I had to do in the last County election. I voted for Mr. Santabarbara on the Conservative line and Mrs. Lazzari on the Republican line, since that was the only place I could find her.
well she snubbed hereslf when she said she couldnt run and then change the mind over there. finally she ran as a running mate behind Angelo and she didnt do a bad job but Ang could have picked a better number 2 person in the end since she didnt run strong. being a flip flopper and changing her mind reminded me of Ross Perow.
I happen to like Carolina. But I think she lost that last election, in part, because she is taking tax money to fund her 'historic barn'! Although I heard that the historical society approached her many years ago to keep the barn...she didn't approach them. But people still didn't like a candidate that was dissing the opposing party because of them using and abusing the tax payer's money. Some looked at her as doing the same.
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Railex invests $800G in new track at Rotterdam facility Friday, August 22, 2008 By Justin Mason (Contact) Gazette Reporter
ROTTERDAM — Railex has nearly completed work on a new track near its 250,000-square-foot facility in the Rotterdam Corporate Park. The new set of rails is the fourth at the facility and represents a nearly $800,000 investment by the fledgling company, which first opened for business in October 2006. Paul Esposito, vice president of sales and logistics for Railex, said the tracks will help accommodate a third train the company expects to add in late September. But instead of bringing produce from the company’s warehouse in Wallula, Wash., the new train will be hauling agricultural goods from California’s sun belt. By next month, Esposito said Railex will open a 200,000-square-foot cold storage facility in Delano Calif., which will begin shipping a variety of sensitive, West Coast-grown produce to the East Coast. These items include everything from lettuce to cherries and grapes, “pretty much whatever the consumer demands,” he said. Esposito said the climate-controlled trains have already been hauling loads more sensitive than the onions, citrus and potatoes they initially carried. But instead of hauling it from the source in California, trucks have shipped the produce and products north to the company’s facility in Washington, which packages the trains for Rotterdam. The third train will operate much like the others, with the company’s usual guarantee that product will move from west to east in less than five days. The company expects to haul the equivalent of 400 truckloads of product from its California facility each week. Esposito said products aboard the Railex trains won’t be limited to produce. The company has already shipped more than 1 million bottles of wine from the Columbia Gorge region on the border of Oregon and Washington. “They used to have the long haul by truck,” he said, “but they saw the benefit of utilizing the Railex system.”
Metroplex Development Authority is considering purchasing a 260,000-square-foot facility in the Rotterdam Corporate Park for use by the Galesi Group.
The facility, also known as Building 14, is owned by the state and was formally used as a bakery and warehouse until 1995 when the state worked to privatize public services.
According to Marc Violette, spokesman for the Dormitory Authority, the state is considering an offer by Metroplex for $1 million.
“We consider that to be a legitimate offer based on our evaluation of Building 14,” Violette said.
However, Violette said the Office of General Services is looking at the building for uses by the state. He said there is no fixed deadline for a state decision.
If purchased, Metroplex would turn the building over to the Galesi Group for leasing of the space.
David Buicko, chief operating officer of the Galesi Group said it is too early to determine what the Galesi Group would use the space for if purchased by Metroplex.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” Buicko said. “It’s too premature.”
Through a master lease with Galesi, the state has attempted to rent the space.
The Corporate Park, located off Duanesburg Road, contains 19 buildings that average 268,000 square feet each, providing distribution and manufacturing space, as well as office space.
Building 14 was one of several buildings that was used by the Army during the 1920s for storage and deployment of military equipment. The federal government decommissioned the depot in 1969 and the state purchased the building for a bakery.
Metroplex will hold a public hearing on the proposed purchase next month and could complete a sale of the building by next year.
It would appear to some, that the Metroplex is clearly in bed with Galesi. For the Metroplex to spend $1Million dollars of taxpayer's money to buy a260,000 sq.ft. building from the state, ONLY to hand it over to Galesi is absurd and shameful. Galesi and the Metroplex have joined forces and will spend the taxpayer's money only 'as they see fit'.
It only makes sense that the two entities are making profitable decisions that will benefit only them. There are many many other areas of Rotterdam that are in need of financial support/help.
Paying and playing politics MUST NOT be tolerated. It is shameful, disgraceful and boarder line illegal. It is totally irresponsible and we the people should be infuriated!
Metroplex should not be spending our tax dollar to help fund (with our tax dollar) a multi million dollar private entity. An entity that could nicely afford to purchase this building themselves.
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I KNOW indeed that Ang will be the only leader to be agianst this here for the good of the taxpayers and the rest of them will be in the pot for the guys with the cash you know whooooo. I wont use the names over here. But the others are sell - outs and Angelo is the real deal a true conserv all the way over here. He will be a shoein next year against Bob GOD, Judy D and Surhada, no problemo.
I've come to a conclusion folks, see if you agree with me.
I'm betting that our friend "Salvatore" is really a Democrat, tossing names like "Ang" around (whom he admits he really doesn't "know") - just to make Angelo Santabarbra LOOK like a bad guy. he's certainly not doing "Ang" any favors with his comments/remarks - and his constant women bashing - then comparing it to good ole "Ang" - is hurting Angelo's reputation. I think it's time we make Angelo aware of these comments and see what he has to say about good ole' Salvatore.
Whatcha think?
Single Party Tyranny Begins January 20, 2009 - Stay Tuned.
Hmmmmm....Guess you are just jelous of the new 'young reps'...perhaps???
Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil, The Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.
I've come to a conclusion folks, see if you agree with me.
I'm betting that our friend "Salvatore" is really a Democrat, tossing names like "Ang" around (whom he admits he really doesn't "know") - just to make Angelo Santabarbra LOOK like a bad guy. he's certainly not doing "Ang" any favors with his comments/remarks - and his constant women bashing - then comparing it to good ole "Ang" - is hurting Angelo's reputation. I think it's time we make Angelo aware of these comments and see what he has to say about good ole' Salvatore.
Whatcha think?
SAL IS A REP...no question! With privie to the 'inside'. But trying to hurt ANG through some sick reverse phsycology.
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Weird ways of showing it - but ok, I'll take your word over his any day. I stand corrected.
Hey..you could be right too. This is just my take on this fake italian speaking 'person'.
Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil, The Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.
I KNOW indeed that Ang will be the only leader to be agianst this here for the good of the taxpayers and the rest of them will be in the pot for the guys with the cash you know whooooo. I wont use the names over here. But the others are sell - outs and Angelo is the real deal a true conserv all the way over here. He will be a shoein next year against Bob GOD, Judy D and Surhada, no problemo.
Sal,,,,seems you try to mean well,,,,but the HUGE skeptic/cynic that I am......they should all hold their hands high above their heads while the public frisks them and pats them down and bolts down the furniture in the room least they steal that too.......I am a NYS dissident......sorry, but, the evidence is against all of them no matter which party.....The public needs to learn to dress-down their elected officials and not in the gossip way but the way of wisdom and knowledge.....ALL the politicians know and knew about the subprime/credit crap and the effect......if they didn't they should have never ever sold themselves as warriors for the people.....what a freakin' joke the whole thing is.......those with their hats in the ring now have ALOT to prove......the public is PISSED...... education of the masses is sorely lacking and frankly folks that is the way those few in charge like it........meanwhile America's skirt is up and the rest of the world is looking long and hard at our 'goods'......and the 'war effort' continues.....shame shame shame on our 'leaders'........
I need to make a new batch of bathtub gin.......anyone care for a party......
...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
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