Category Archives: Construction

By Paul Post

Nearly three dozen area contractors turn to Local 773 whenever they land a big job and need to bring on highly-qualified plumbers, steamfitters, pipefitters and HVAC technicians.

The 500-member, Queensbury-based union supplies skilled workers for a wide variety of projects from GlobalFoundries in Malta to recently-completed refrigeration upgrades at Lake Placid’s Olympic facilities.

A five-year apprenticeship includes hands-on work plus September to April classes, each year, at Local 773’s headquarters and training facility at 37 Luzerne Road.

“It’s an earn and learn program,” Business Manager Mike Jarvis said. “When an apprentice comes in they sign up with the union, work during the day for a contractor and go to school at night three times per week.”

Applications are accepted one day each month. When enough applications come in, the union sets up an aptitude test. Candidates are also interviewed by an eight-person Joint

By Christine Graf

Soleno, a Canadian company that specializes in manufacturing recycled high-density polyethylene pipes, has chosen Saratoga Springs as the location for it’s first U.S. plant. Construction is underway on the $22 million facility, located at 66 Duplainville Road in the W.J. Grande Industrial Park. Munter Enterprises Inc is the General Contractor.

Soleno manufactures storm water management products for the infrastructure, residential, natural resource, and agricultural development sectors. Products include pipes, drains, culverts, catch basins, treatment systems, fittings, and drainage accessories

According to J. Gregory Connors, CEO of Saratoga Economic Development Corporation (SEDC), his agency was “very much involved” in working to bring Soleno to Saratoga County. 

“We prepared an application on Soleno’s behalf for consideration by the county IDA based on a $22 million capital investment in the City of Saratoga Springs. There has been a promise to create 22 full-time jobs in its first year of operation. There will be an additional 35 jobs in the second year, and there will also be 20 +/- construction jobs to build the site.”

By Christine Graf

In the Capital Region real estate market and beyond, a shortage of inventory has made it difficult for buyers to find reasonably priced homes. The Center for American Progress, an independent policy institute, believes modular homes may be the answer to the American housing crisis. According to a report issued by the institute in February 2024, “Modular building, if brought to scale, has the potential to reduce construction costs and make building new homes more affordable, especially in areas experiencing severe affordable housing shortages.”

Modular homes are often confused with mobile homes, but the two are distinctly different. While modular home components are fabricated in factories, the homes themselves are assembled on-site and attached to permanent foundations. 

When it comes to the construction process, there is virtually no difference between a modular home and a site-built home. Both are built with the same materials and are subject to the same regulations. 

Saratoga Modular Homes is a leader in the local modular home market, offering opportunities for customers in the Capital Region, Adirondacks, and the Mohawk Valley to build energy efficient custom modular homes with upgraded finishes. Owner Cecil Provost is on the board of directors for the National Modular Home Builder’s Association, and he also owns Saratoga Construction, Saratoga Log Homes, and ProRealty New York Inc,  

“We’re slammed with business. I’ve never seen it so busy,” he said. “What has happened is that everyone refinanced their homes three or four years ago at 2.5 or 3 percent, so there’s no resale inventory on the market. So, demand for new construction is very strong.”

Harbor Freight Tools has announced that it will be opening a new store in Saratoga Springs. The new store will be located at 3064 Route 50 and is expected to open this spring. An official opening date will be announced closer to opening.

Construction has already begun at the location, using local workers and companies from the surrounding Saratoga Springs area.

“We’ve been looking to open a location in Saratoga Springs for a number of years so that we can provide the tools and equipment at tremendous values to the community,” said Trey Feiler, senior vice president, Real Estate and Construction for Harbor Freight Tools. “In addition to finding a great location, we were attracted by the availability of great Associates in the Saratoga Springs area, and we look forward to having them join the Harbor Freight team.”

The store is expected to bring between 25 and 30 new jobs to the community, including Sales and Logistic Supervisors, Senior Associates, Sales Associates, and seasonal opportunities as well. Harbor Freight Tools offers a competitive starting rate along with a best-in-class retail benefits package that includes robust health coverage, and Thanksgiving and Christmas off. Harbor Freight has over 28,000 Associates and more than 1,500 locations nationwide.

Interested applicants can apply online at www.harborfreightjobs.com/retail and search “Saratoga Springs, NY”.

Harbor Freight Tools, a family-owned company, started in Southern California in 1977. The first store opened in 1980, and the company has grown to over 1,500 stores nationwide. With two-three new locations opening every week, Harbor Freight is one of America’s fastest growing retailers.

By Paul Post

A Spa City builder hopes to break ground late this summer on the first of 31 custom homes, priced at $1 million and up, on the east side of Saratoga Lake.

Witt Construction owner John Witt says Phyllian’s Bluff, a 111-acre conservation subdivision with a unique agriculture component, will “be the nicest project in the county by keeping the rural character of the town of Saratoga’s farmland.”

He said more than 61 acres will be kept as green space in perpetuity, with no new buildings allowed. Nearby Old Tavern Farm will use most of this to expand its thoroughbred breeding operation in addition to planting a new vineyard to go along with its existing cut flower business.

“We have 2,000 vines on order that will be planted in May and will grow our winery operations to meet the capacity of the additional vines,” said Nicole Borisenok, Old Tavern Farm Winery owner. “This site is also home to our 24,000 cut flowers that we plant each season to supply local farmers markets and businesses in our community. By the time we are done, it will be a beautiful farm and agricultural site.”

The property was previously home to a farm and been vacant for about 80 years, Witt said. There is an old farmhouse and historic barn on site, surrounded by fields of rye and flowers. So Witt and Old Tavern together are in effect bringing an old farm back to life.

The owner of Putnam Resources LLC is continuing to accept proposals from  private investors  to move the project along.

The group has partnered with Habitat for Humanity, Rebuilding Together Saratoga County, and the city of Saratoga Springs to take advantage of state and private funding sources and other initiatives geared toward increasing the amount of workforce and affordable housing available in the state. 

The project—Putnam Commons, at 53 Putnam St., Saratoga Springs—is a private-public endeavor that will transform a cleaned-up brownfield in the heart of downtown Saratoga Springs into residential condominiums offering homeownership opportunities for members of the local workforce. The property is across the street from the Saratoga Springs Public Library.

The developers have guaranteed that at a minimum 30 percent of the units in the building will be offered at a price affordable for buyers earning 80 percent of the average median income of the area. Driving the project is a collaboration of entities with common goals of ameliorating the prevailing shortage of workforce housing in the Spa City.

By Christine Graf

It was while working to construct the interior of a third Saratoga CoWorks Space at 92 Congress St. in Saratoga Springs that owners Dorothy Rogers-Bullis and Dan Bullis first discovered Falkbuilt, an interior digital component construction company. 

They were so impressed with the company that they now operate Falkbuilt’s Northern New York branch as part of their own commercial design and furniture company, drb Business Interiors.

“Falkbuilt was the solution that we were looking for,” said Rogers-Bullis. “We wanted better acoustics, better design, and faster lead times.”

Had they not used Falkbuilt for the interior buildout at 92 Congress St., she estimated that the work would have taken four times as long.

Founded in 2019, Calgary-based Falkbuilt has 450 employees and more than 90 branches in North America, the Middle East and India. The interior construction manufacturing company uses next-generation technology to manufacture components efficiently and precisely in their factory. Falkbuilt systems are being utilized in hospitals, offices, and even a research station in Antarctica.

Construction has started on the downtown portion of the Saratoga Greenbelt Trail (SGT), a project that will provide an important connection between downtown Saratoga Springs and Wilton.

City of Saratoga Springs officials say the project will help cement the city’s status as a premier recreation and tourism destination. 

Construction is expected to be completed by the fall. The portion of the trail in front of High Rock Park will be completed by the end of the May in an effort to cause the least disruption to the public’s use of the park, officials said.

“We are thrilled to announce the addition of more bike paths in our city,” said Mayor Ron Kim. “The city, and in particular Tina Carton, administrator of Parks, Open Lands, Historic Preservation, and Sustainability, has worked hard over the past few years to make this happen. It is a testament to this hard work that this project has the enthusiastic support of so many in our community, including Sustainable Saratoga, Bikeatoga, and the Saratoga Farmers’ Market. 

“Getting this trail done on an expedited schedule and with minimal disruption to the neighborhood, including our Farmers’ Market, has been a priority of my office.”

By Christine Graf

The history of Luther Forest Corp. dates back to the 1890s when Cailean Mackay’s Scottish ancestors began planting trees in Luther Forest. Sustainable timber harvesting was the company’s primary business until the 1980s, but forestry now generates just 50 percent of revenue.

Mackay, Luther Forest Corp.’s fifth-generation president, joined the family business in 2013. He is also general manager of Saratoga Lake Golf Club which was built by his father, Alec.

As part of the company’s diversification, Luther Forest Corp. has proposed the development of Luther Forest Business Park, a $60 million warehouse and business park in Stillwater. 

If approved, it will be built on approximately 62 acres of land owned by the company. Luther Forest Corp. has owned the land for more than 100 years and currently uses it for forestry. In total, the company owns more than 3,000 acres of land.

“It’s going to be a mix of warehouse and office space,” said Mackay. “We like to call them business suites. They are mini warehouses.”

He said the 1,500-sqaure-feet suites are ideal for local contractors or others who have outgrown their equipment storage spaces. A total of 30 suites will be contained within two separate buildings. The site’s six additional buildings will contain warehouse space.

By Paul Post

A smile crossed Bert Weber’s face when a Cape Cod barkeep urged him to check out a new beer made by Common Roots of South Glens Falls.

“It’s really good, you should try it,” the tavern worker said.

Little did he know that Weber and his son, Christian, own the business, which is one of Saratoga County’s fastest-growing craft breweries. “It never gets old when we go to a spot we’ve never been to, walk in and there’s a Common Roots beer on tap,” Christian said.

The Webers have  a $3.2 million expansion plan in the works.

Plans call for acquiring a two-acre parcel adjacent to the brewery, at 55 Saratoga Ave.,  and building a large facility for warehousing, storage, a separate farm-style brewery that will  produce wild-mix fermentation beers, and a large restaurant capable of hosting special events such as weddings.

The owners said the project will free up more space in the existing building for additional brewing capacity. The Webers expect to increase production from 8,000 to 12,000 barrels per year. Several new tanks will be added to the main brewery this summer, allowing Common Roots to introduce more new beers, in smaller batches if needed, adding to its already extensive list of 90 different brews.