Category Archives: Business News

By Greg Hitchcock

When New York City restaurateur Alex Rodriguez found out that Gennaro’s Pizza Parlor in Saratoga Springs was for sale, he jumped at the opportunity.

“I was looking for a slower pace,” Rodriguez said. “I like the small town feeling. We absolutely love Saratoga.”

When a friend relocated to Saratoga Springs, Rodriguez sold his apartment in New York City and moved upstate with his wife and two children.

Rodriguez purchased Gennaro’s on Oct. 1 and started renovations soon afterward,  adding a fresh coat of paint with a new pizza-esque style from floor to ceiling, designed by Manhattan artist Raphael Santiago.

Saratoga Springs City Center has launched  a revamped website it says offers quick and easy access to venue information for planners, trade show vendors and event attendees.

The website offers a more interactive experience for site visitors, officials said. A virtual reality tour of the City Center is available, allowing planners and event attendees to tour the venue at their leisure from their own computers or handheld device.

The website also has a comprehensive governance section with current and historical City Center Authority annual reports, budgets, monthly agenda and meeting minutes.

NY State of Health, the state’s official health plan Marketplace, announced a boost in participating employers in New York’s Small Business Marketplace (SBM) due to significant changes made earlier this year. 

State officials said it’s now easier for small businesses to access the federal Small Business Health Care Tax Credit, and there are more health plans for employers to choose from through New York’s SBM. 

In the first five months of New York’s re-vamped SBM, the number of participating small employers increased by over 300 percent and now exceeds 9,000.

The Adirondack Thunder and The Wesley Community have entered into a new partnership that will offer seniors a savings on home game tickets to see the Thunder at Cool Insuring Arena in Glens Falls.

Seniors ages 55 and older will receive a $2 discount on tickets to home games during the 2018-19 regular season, courtesy of The Wesley Community. The discount is available on all full-price tickets exclusively at the Upstate Chevy Dealers Box Office at the arena.

“We are extremely excited to announce this brand-new partnership with The Wesley Community,” Thunder President Jeff Mead said. “Adirondack Thunder hockey at Cool Insuring Arena is a great night of fun and entertainment for people in our community of all ages. Our goal is to always make Thunder hockey affordable for all and this new discount program will continue that push for the seniors in our region.”

A group of more than 50 trail enthusiasts turned out on Nov. 3 to cut the ribbon at the new entrance to the Bog Meadow Brook Nature Trail in Saratoga Springs conducted by Saratoga PLAN. 

The reopening culminates a season of trail renovations including the creation of a new spur trail at Meadowbrook Road, extended bog bridging to avoid wet areas, extensive raising and smoothing of the trail surface, numerous drainage improvements, and new additions to prevent flooding caused by an active beaver population, officials said. 

The trail had been closed since last spring while the renovations were underway.

Many volunteers who worked on the trail attended, along with representatives of business partners, the city of Saratoga Springs, and Saratoga PLAN staff.

By Maureen Werther

Chris Crounse and Darren Van Heusen have opened a new craft brewery and taproom, Hank Hudson’s Brewing Co., at the Fairways of Halfmoon Golf Course.

They are hosting a grand opening, dubbed Hanktoberfest, from 1-4 p.m.  Sunday, Oct. 14.

The taproom is newly constructed in the space between the Fairways clubhouse restaurant and the pro shop. The interior is constructed of reclaimed barn wood from two local farms on nearby Farm to Market Road. The seating consists mainly of long communal tables that facilitate friendly dialogue among fellow beer lovers as they sample pours from the 16 different taps at the bar.

It has a large stone fireplace and sliding glass doors that lead outside to a deck area. Outdoor patio seating is available in front of the taproom.

Key Capture Energy broke ground on Sept. 26 on its KCE NY 1 facility, which represents the commencement of construction on the project.

The KCE NY 1 facility is a 20 megawatt (MW) utility-scale battery storage project located at the Luther Forest Technology Campus in Malta.

The project is the largest lithium-ion battery storage project in New York state and supports he state’s commitment for the state to reach 1,500 MW of energy storage by 2025.

Airosmith Inc., a provider of wireless network support services based in Saratoga Springs, received funding from the Saratoga County IDA to help retain and grow its corporate headquarters.

The Saratoga Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) led an incentive application that went before the IDA in September.

The company’s services include site acquisition, radio frequency development and field support, systems installation, and trouble shooting and maintenance. It serves wireless service providers, utility service providers, tower companies, OEMs, and system integrators in the Northeast region and across the United States.