Month: November 2023

By Christine Graf

The Saratoga Regional YMCA recently celebrated the grand opening of its newly-expanded West Avenue facility. The $8.9 million expansion project was funded in part by a $3 million gift from Stewart’s Shop and the Dake Family. The Robert and Lisa Moser Family Foundation Inc. contributed $1 million towards the project, and additional funds were provided by individual donors and community partners. 

“We’re still raising needed funds to help offset the cost of the project,” said Saratoga Regional YMCA Executive Director Steve Butler.  

The 23,000-square-foot expansion includes a new gymnasium, an indoor play center, a wellness center, and an intergenerational lobby that connects the YMCA to the brand-new Saratoga Senior Center. The center relocated to the YMCA campus from its previous location on Williams Street and operates independently of the YMCA. 

“Members of the SRYMCA and members of the Saratoga Senior Center can now access both facilities seamlessly through our Robert and Lisa Moser Family Foundation Inc. Intergenerational Lobby,” said Butler. “The spacious lobby area has various seating options for individuals and families to connect and engage with one another, enjoy a cup of coffee together, participate in a virtual meeting, or play a board game.  It’s also a place where our Before & After School Program children can focus on their academics and finish up their homework during our care.”

The Village of Ballston Spa will soon become a winter wonderland. The Ballston Spa Business & Professional Association has begun preparations for its annual Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting taking place on Friday, December 1st on Milton Avenue.

 A hometown style tradition, this December favorite typically draws hundreds of spectators to Ballston Spa to watch the brightly decorated floats, fire trucks and community groups parading through the village. The parade steps-off at 6:30pm on the north side of Milton Avenue and proceeds to West High Street. Following the parade, Mr. and Mrs. Claus will arrive on the back of an Eagle-Matt Lee Fire Company truck to light the tree in Wiswall Park. 

 We are excited to announce the parade entries will be judged this year in the following categories: Best Emergency Vehicle Entry, Best Float Entry, Best Walking Entry, and the Brightest Light Award. The brighter and more festive the better.

The parade will once again spotlight the Toys for Tots campaign, in partnership with the Ballston Spa Community Emergency Corps, Saratoga County Sheriff Department and the U.S. Marine Corps. Volunteers from these organizations will be on hand to collect donations of new, unwrapped toys from spectators along the parade route as well as at the tree lighting.

Budgets. Strategic Planning. Annual Planning. ‘Tis the season … but who has time? For many business owners it can be hard to work ON your business, rather than feeling the pull to solve IN the business issues. In this article we’ll share a simplified approach to strategic planning.

Can you gather your leadership team and answer these 8 Questions?

1. What are your Core Values? 

I don’t mean your aspirations or the words on a plaque. Rather, what are the behaviors that define your best team members? Who do you LOVE working with – including vendors and clients? What do they have in common? Your core values define the right people for your company. They act as a magnet – both attracting and repelling!

2. What is your Core Focus? 

This is your reason for being; it’s what you’re best at doing! Others call it a mission. It comes from your core and it should give you a filter to help you focus your energy. In Good to Great, Jim Collins says. “You are more likely to die of indigestion of too many opportunities than you are of starvation of not enough.”

3. What is your Core Target? 

Pick a timeframe – 10 years? 15 years? Then identify what you REALLY want to accomplish. Be brave. You are inviting people to be part of……what?

4. What’s your Marketing Strategy? 

Who is your ideal customer and what do they need to hear from you in order to part with their hard-earned money? You don’t need to become a household name. You do need to focus your Marketing and Sales efforts.

By Christine Graf

Development of Perry Crossing, a 5-acre site located at3088 Route 50 in Wilton, is now complete. The property includes Advance Auto Parts, Sunmark Credit Union, and Chase Bank. Advance Auto Parts celebrated the grand opening of their 7,000-square-foot building in July. The 2,100-square-foot Sunmark Credit Union opened in September, and opening date for the 3,500-square-foot Chase Bank branch has yet to be announced by the company. 

Perry Crossing was developed by Kenneth Brownell and Barry Feinman, principals at Vanguard-Fine LLC. of Guilderland. A full-service real estate development company, Vanguard-Fine operates in Upstate New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Eastern Pennsylvania. Established in 1994, the company owns or third-party leases more than 4 million square feet of retail, office, and industrial space.

“We bought the (Perry Crossing) property almost 7 years ago,” said Brownell.  “It’s a great piece of property, and there weren’t really any properties left on Route 50. So, we purchased it, speculated on it, and waited for the right moment to develop it.”

It wasn’t until after the pandemic that Advanced Auto Parts and Sunmark Credit Union expressed interested in the site.

The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation has announced the successful completion of a façade restoration project at the Lincoln Bathhouse on South Broadway in Saratoga Springs. The $472,038 restoration enhanced accessibility and preserved historical features.

“Saratoga Spa State Park’s Lincoln Bathhouse is a distinctive landmark at the gateway to the city of Saratoga Springs,” State Parks Commissioner Erik Kulleseid said. “We are proud of the work to make the building more accessible to all visitors while honoring the park’s historic and aesthetic legacy.”

Most notably for accessibility, the project replaced a non-functional accessibility ramp with a modern and comfortable one that fits the bathhouse’s design. The terra cotta state seal that graces the front of the entrance has been restored to its original condition. The backlit lettering directly below the seal which has not been working in decades was repaired and modernized. Additionally, the building’s stucco had been repaired and repainted: the door hardware was upgraded and repairs to decorative metal railings and stone made.

Originally constructed in 1930, the building was built in the Beaux Arts Neoclassical style. Currently the Lincoln Bathhouse hosts the Saratoga Children’s Museum, the State Park Police, and the New York State Court of Claims. It is also set to become the future main office of Saratoga Spa State Park.

By Susan Elise Campbell

On Friday October 27th, The Summit celebrated the Grand Opening of its fifth and newest location offering independent living for seniors aged 55 or older. According to Jen Nelligan, director of community operations, BBL Construction broke ground just over a year ago, and while residents won’t begin to move in until the 20th of this month, occupancy is already at a pre-leasing commitment rate of 80 percent.

“We are moving in a record number of people in November,” said Nelligan. 

None had yet stepped foot into the new facility upon signing on the dotted line, but any who visited one of the other four locations would have “seen the quality of The Summit. The other buildings are models” for Halfmoon or any other location the profit-making company may construct in the future, she said. “Quality is part of our brand.”

Nelligan said the success of an independent living community is the location.

“Halfmoon is a huge and growing area with many conveniences and amenities on Route 9,” she said.

Seniors already living in the area can “maintain the familiar” and continue to go to their own bank, doctor and post office, which Nelligan said is very important to many.

Business for Good announces the hiring of Richard DeJesus, Chief Operating Officer of Hospitality, and Mare Pieper, Director of Giving & Grants. 

Richard DeJesus will be responsible for steering business strategy, revenue generation and growth, and operational oversight across the portfolio of hospitality assets, including Hattie’s Restaurants in downtown Saratoga Springs,Wilton, and the soon-to-launch Albany location; Bread Basket Bakery in downtown Saratoga Springs and Bread Basket Cake Shop in Wilton; and the soon-to-be-opened Blackbirds Tavern and Blackbirds Bike Cafe in Voorheesville. His team will play an important part in supporting Business for Good’s mission of making lasting change in local communities.

DeJesus is a seasoned finance executive with a proven record of leading companies to meet and exceed their revenue and profitability goals year-over-year. He brings more than 15 years of experience in various industries, including sports and entertainment, as well as three years in Big 4 accounting. DeJesus was the Vice President of Finance at Madison Square Garden Sports, where he achieved record revenues in 2022 and 2023. Prior, he was the Senior Director of Finance at Legends, where he facilitated investments and promoted future growth. He began his career as an Accountant at Centerplate (now Sodexo Live!), with oversight on financial details for that company’s exclusive food service agreement at Yankee Stadium.