Category Archives: Construction

Peter Loyola, left, poses with his staff in the new offices of his company, CLA SITE Landscape Architecture, Engineering & Planning PC. The firm moved to Church Street in Saratoga Springs.

Courtesy CLA SITE

By Maureen Werther

CLA SITE Landscape Architecture, Engineering & Planning PC has moved its offices.

CLA SITE recently relocated its offices from 157 Lake Ave. to 58 Church St. in Saratoga Springs.

CLA SITE has been in business for 19 years, starting as a site landscape architectural and planning firm and adding the civil engineering component in 2004.

Peter Loyola, RLA, principal landscape architect, said that the timing was right and the company needed more space to accommodate a growing staff. The firm has grown from two employees to seven.

The team performs work throughout the state and recent projects include upgrading the infrastructure and construction of a main lodge and amphitheater at Camp Walden in Diamond Point. The company also completed a waterfront improvement project there.

The move also coincides with its recent designation as a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) in August 2015.

“There is a huge need for MBE firms in engineering and planning,” said Loyola. “One of the main questions we were asked during the final interview phase of the certification application was, ‘Why have you waited so long to do it?'”

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), state Department of Public Service (DPS), EnterSolar and Clean Energy Collective (CEC) began a collaborative project in April involving construction of the first Shared Renewables community solar project in New York state.

The project is taking place in Halfmoon.

State officials said the project advances the goals of the state’s Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) strategy to build a clean, resilient and affordable energy system by helping to make clean energy a possible choice for more residents.

The success of REV depends on communities taking charge of their own energy as New York increases the growth of electricity generation at customer sites to supplement power generated at central power plants, NYSERDA officials said.

The announcement was made at the groundbreaking for the project April 27 in Halfmoon.

The Halfmoon Community Solar Project will feed solar energy to the grid operated by New York State Electric & Gas Corp. (NYSEG) and will allow more than 100 residential customers in NYSEG’s Capital Region territory (parts of Columbia, Essex, Rensselaer, Saratoga and Washington counties), including low-income residents, to participate in local clean power generation and save money on their electricity bills.

This bridge from Rexford in Saratoga County to Niskayuna is being replaced.

Courtesy NYS Department of Transportation

Construction of a new Rexford Bridge carrying Route 146 over the Mohawk River between Rexford in Clifton Park to the town of Niskayuna began in April.

The project is expected to cost $33 million, state officials said.

“The Rexford Bridge is a vital link between these communities that thousands of Capital Region residents depend on every day,” said Gov. Andrew Cuomo. “This project will ensure this bridge remains viable for years to come and is yet another example of our commitment to improving the safety and strength of our transportation infrastructure across this state.”

Work will begin first on constructing a new roundabout at the intersection of Aqueduct Road and Route 146 in Niskayuna and intersection improvements at Riverview Road in Rexford, the governor said. Motorists should allow additional time in their travels, particularly during commuting times, during construction of the intersections.

This rendering shows a new design concept used by the La Quinta hotel chain, called Del Sol. It is the style of the new hotel being built on Route 9 in Clifton Park that is near completion.

Courtesy Anthony Casale

By R.J. DeLuke

Construction of a new La Quinta hotel is nearing completion on Route 9 in Clifton Park and should be open some time in June, its owner said.

Anthony Casale, who owns Casale Rent-All in Clifton Park, is the sole principal for the four-story, 104-room hotel. It is located at 1749 Route 9, near Northway Exit 9. It sits on a 4.5-acre lot.

Bette & Cring in Latham is the general contractor for the project. The company has done projects in the area including the Hampton Inn in downtown Saratoga Springs, Saratoga National Golf Club and Hyatt Place in Malta.

Casale said construction crews are working on the stucco exterior and also doing some interior sheetrock work. But it could be open as early as June 20.

Construction began in November.

Moore Hall, a former Skidmore College dormitory, would be razed and become the site of new condos, according to a project seeking city Planning Board approval.

By Maureen Werther

Bonacio Construction is planning a condominium project on Union Avenue in Saratoga Springs at the site of a former Skidmore College dormitory.

The plan is for 26 units to be built after the demolition of Moore Hall at 28 Union Ave.

The project must first be approved by the city Planning Board.

“These things take time, and this is just the beginning of what is typically a lengthy process,” said Larry Novik, director of business development for Bonacio Construction.

Bonacio is teaming up on the project with Norstar Development of Buffalo, pending approval. Norstar is the owner of the former Skidmore dormitory, which they purchased from Skidmore in 2009 for $1.12 million.

The Inn at Saratoga recently completed a restoration project creating the Side Room, a gathering space that was the original lobby of the building dating back to 1843.

©2016 Saratoga Photographer.com

By Liz Witbeck

The Inn at Saratoga recently completed a restoration project, opening up a space called the Side Room, a gathering point for guests and the public alike.

The room was the original lobby of the hotel when the building was erected in 1843. It eventually was used as a formal dining room.

“The room was under utilized,” said Liz Israel, general manager of the hotel. Her family has been involved with historic preservation in Saratoga Springs for several decades.

Israel and her team envisioned the room as a space where guests could come, relax and talk.

The carpeting in the room was taken out, revealing a thick cement foundation. Beneath that, there was hardwood flooring, which was restored. One of the stark elements in the room are the windows, which are pocket doors that can be opened up in the summer.

Clifton Park contractor Karl Schnitzer displayed this ‘tiny house’ recently at SUNY Adirondack and Skidmore College. The cottage has a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen area and storage space.

Courtesy Kurt Schnitzer

By Jennifer Farnsworth

The trend of tiny houses–cottages of small square footage that give owners bare living essential–is being seen in home and garden magazines and on home improvement television shows, particularly over the past year. Now, it is making its way to the local region thanks to Clifton Park contractor Karl Schnitzer.

Building a tiny home model was not something Schnitzer created overnight. In fact, he said he spent over eight years researching them, looking for a blueprint that met all the amenities of a home, and all within a tidy 130-square-foot space.

In New York City, he met designer Jay Shafer, who is somewhat of an expert on building tiny houses. He bought Shafer’s blueprints and from those created a house that was fit for upstate New York residents.

Schnitzer recently showcased his tiny house model at an Earth Day celebration in April at the SUNY Adirondack in Queensbury. He also displayed the house at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs.