Category Archives: Business News

By Jill Nagy

The former Turf Spa and Motel in Saratoga Springs Plans has a new owner, but plans are still in flux for its redevelopment, according to Mike Sheeran, vice president for operations and the lead project manager for the new owner of the property, John Larkin Inc., a hospitality and real estate development company in South Burlington, Vt.

The Vermont company purchased the property at 176 Broadway for $2.6 million in November. It consists of a 43-room motel and a mineral spa.

Larkin Hospitality, an affiliate of John Larkin, Inc., currently operates 10 hotels in Vermont and Massachusetts under the Comfort Inn, Fairfield Inn, Holiday Inn and Homewood Suites brands.

By Jennifer Farnsworth

Bonacio Construction has developed more than 1 million square feet of real estate in downtown Saratoga Springs, the newest being Spencer Condominiums at 55 Phila St.

The construction that started in 2016 is complete.

The Spencer property is attached to the Caffé Lena building and has room for retail space on the ground floor. Mandie Kozlowski, marketing and design coordinator for Bonacio Construction said they do not have any definite tenants for that space, but the company expects it will be filled soon, due to its prime downtown location.

“The condos at 55 Phila are all sold out, except for one. There were eight originally for sale,” said Kozlowski. They went on the market in the summer of 2017.

Capital Bank, a division of Chemung Canal Trust Co., will open a new, full-service branch in the Saratoga Springs/Wilton area.

According to Anders M. Tomson, president and CEO of Chemung Canal Trust Co. and division president of Capital Bank, “expanding deeper into Saratoga County has been a desire of ours for some time, but it was a matter of identifying the right facility with the right site. We are confident that this location is the perfect match.”

Capital Bank currently operates a branch in Clifton Park.

Located at 3057 Route 50, Capital Bank will lease a former First Niagara office, just on the northern edge of Wilton Plaza. The building has approximately 3,400 square feet of space and features a drive-in teller and a drive-up ATM.

Some $3.3 million in economic and community development funding was awarded to projects in Saratoga County through Round VII of the New York state’s Regional Economic Development Council initiative.

The funds include $300,000 for the Z-HUB project, which involves construction of a grain hub in the town of Moreau to grow, harvest, process, package and ship grains to in-state craft brewers and distillers in eastern New York state, providing greater access to state-produced grains for craft beverage producers and increased market opportunities for grain farmers.

The largest award, $1.7 million, went to Pike Companies, to acquire land and construct and equip a building to establish a Manufacturing Technology Education Center (MTEC), a public-private partnership between GlobalFoundries, SUNY and other institutions and businesses that will provide training for 21st century manufacturing careers.

The Regional Economic Development Council initiative doled out a total of $75 million statewide. The Regional Councils were established in 2011 to replace the state’s old top-down approach to economic development, with one that is community-based and performance-driven. The initiative empowers community, business, and academic leaders, as well as members of the public in each region of the state, to develop strategic plans specifically tailored to their region’s unique strengths and resources in order to create jobs, improve quality of life and grow the economy.

Mannix Marketing, a digital marketing agency and SEO company based in Glens Falls, was named the winner of the 2017 US Search Awards in the Best Use of Search/Retail  category.

“I can’t express how thrilled I am that Mannix Marketing won Best Use of Search – Retail in the US Search Awards, for our work on the Gettysburg Flag Works website,” said Sara Mannix, founder and CEO of Mannix Marketing.

“We partner with our clients to achieve success, so not only is this a tribute to the quality of work of the Mannix Marketing team on this project—led by Jessica Tracy and Amberly Rundell—but it’s also a tribute to our partner Maria Coffey, marketing director at Gettysburg Flag Works.”

Merodie A. Hancock, the president of SUNY Empire State College since July 2013, has accepted a new job as president of Thomas Edison State University of New Jersey.

She will take the position on March 5.

“While I am thrilled at the opportunity to join New Jersey’s flagship institution for adult education, leaving Empire State College will be difficult for me,” she said. “Working closely with the extraordinarily capable people who believe so deeply in the mission of providing access to a broad array of learners across the state has been a high point of my career.

“The work has been both challenging and rewarding, and would not have met with the success it has without the commitment and efforts of the good people across the college.”

The SUNY Board of Trustees is expected to appoint an interim president in January and a nationwide search will begin thereafter.

Renovations at the renowned Caffé Lena in Saratoga Springs have been given a boost by a $50,000 grant from the Charles R. Wood Foundation of Glens Falls.

As the campaign reaches its completion, the funds help with the costs associated with the structural and expansion work done at the 47 Phila St. location.

“We were very glad to be able to help with the Caffé’s project,” said Charlene Wood, chairperson and trustee of the foundation. ​“​As always, we had many worthy applications to review, but ultimately we decided the campaign project was an excellent community partnership for us this year. The C​affés mission of serving people of all ages from our region with music, song, and the spoken word struck a positive chord with us.”

In 2016 the ​venue​ beg​an​ a $2 million donor-funded renovation project on their 19th century building in Saratoga’s historic downtown. The transformation guarantees a home for their arts programming for years to come, creates handicap accessibility to the second floor performance space, and enhances the intimate listener and artist experience.

OneJet will offer non-stop flights between Buffalo and Albany beginning Feb.1—a direct link between the Capital Region and New York state’s largest upstate city.

It will operate two times per day at convenient times for business travelers.

“The return of Buffalo-to-Albany air service is a testament to our efforts to revitalize the western New York economy that will only add to the momentum of this region’s renaissance,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. “OneJet is a brand new airline to the Queen City, one that caters to people who want to get their business done quickly and go back home to their families. We welcome the expanded service this company will provide and look forward to building upon it even further.”

Flights between Buffalo Niagara International Airport and Albany International Airport will be as follows:

The number of craft beverage manufacturers has grown by 50 percent since the enactment of the Craft New York Act three years ago, according to state officials.

The Craft Act went into effect on Dec. 13, 2014, continuing the state’s support of the growing craft beverage industry. Since then, 340 new craft beverage businesses have opened their doors across the state, officials said.

“This administration has worked hard to cut red tape, lower costs and roll back burdensome regulations for New York’s craft beverage industry – efforts that are clearly paying off in every corner of this great state,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. “I’m proud of the continued growth of this sector, which has created jobs, spurred tourism, supported New York farms and led to the creation of top-notch world-renowned products.”

New York state has implemented a series of legislative and policy changes to capitalize on the soaring consumer demand for locally produced craft beverages and to make it easier to open and run a craft manufacturing business, officials said. These improvements include lowering taxes and fees, providing support for research, creating new licenses for farm breweries and cideries, rolling back restrictive regulations, cutting the time it takes to obtain a license in half and overhauling the state’s antiquated Alcoholic Beverage Control law.

The Holiday Inn Saratoga Springs recently completed its $3.5 million renovation project, what is calls a “refresh of accommodations and amenities”

The hotel at 232 Broadway now features a new look popular with business travelers, corporate groups and associations, as well as families and social groups celebrating weddings, milestones and holidays.

“We are proud to have been at the forefront of Saratoga Springs’ revival over 53 years ago, and to remain so today as the city has blossomed to a year-round destination,” said Cindy Hollowood, general manager, who has 36 years of service at the property.

“Our substantial reinvestment shows we are committed to remaining a leading destination in Saratoga Springs well into the 21st century. Beginning with our founding when area residents invested $100 per share to bring the first modern era flag hotel and convention center to Saratoga Springs, through today, we are proud of our legacy of community leadership.

“You could say the Holiday Inn Saratoga Springs was all about crowd funding before crowd-sourcing for startup businesses became cool. We can’t wait for our many returning and new guests to experience our brand new look along with our renowned personal service.”