Saratoga Business Journal

7th Annual Saratoga Balloon And BBQ Festival To Take Place Aug. 27-29 At Fairgrounds

August 12, 2021

The Saratoga Balloon and BBQ Festival, will occupy the Saratoga County Fairgrounds on Aug. 27- 29. The event was postponed due to COVID-19 saftey considerations.
Courtesy Saratoga Balloon and BBQ Festival

Back after a one-year hiatus, the Saratoga Balloon and BBQ Festival, will occupy the Saratoga County Fairgrounds on Aug. 27- 29.

Due to COVID-19 concerns, the festival organizers moved from the traditional Father’s Day weekend to the new dates in late August.

Friday, Aug. 27, features the DareDevil Trained Dog Show, balloon launching at about 6:30 p.m.

Saturday is the longest day with more dog shows, tethered balloon rides, helicopter rides, and the evening balloon launch. On Sunday there are two new additions, a car show with 100 vehicles from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and the New York Steak Cook Off with dozens of teams competing for prizes.

Thoughout the festival, the Kids Zone will be in full swing with bounce houses, pony rides, a petting farm, face painting, a magician, a balloon twister, and games.

There is live music daily in the music barn next to the beer garden serving craft beer, wines, and wine slushies. There is a wide choice of food including four BBQ rigs and an award-winning pit master from Ohio—the Smoke Shack—plus Jamaican jerk chicken, brick oven wood-fired pizza, turkey legs, burgers, and more.

There is also a marketplace with artists, artisans, specialty food makers, eclectic household items, wine and distilled spirits.

Plug Power, Apex Clean Energy To Work On Wind Power And Green Energy Projects

August 12, 2021

Apex Clean Energy, one of the nation’s largest independent clean energy companies, and Plug Power, a leading provider of turnkey hydrogen solutions for the global green hydrogen economy, which has an office in Clifton Park, announced a 345 MW wind power purchase agreement (PPA) and a development services agreement for a green hydrogen production facility.

The power purchased through the PPA will directly supply a new hydrogen production plant with 100 percent renewable power, officials said.

The hydrogen plant, which is being co-developed by Apex and Plug Power, will be the first and largest wind-supplied hydrogen project in the United States and the largest onshore wind-powered project across the globe, according to the companies.

Once operational, the plant is anticipated to produce over 30 metric tons per day of clean liquid hydrogen, enough to fuel the equivalent of over 2,000 light commercial vehicles or over 1,000 heavy duty class 8 trucks, officials said.

The partnership, which follows the September 2020 announcement of the companies’ collaboration agreement, marks Apex’s largest PPA to date and will help realize the potential of green hydrogen in North America to advance the decarbonization of the transportation and industrial sectors.

“Delivering carbon-free solutions at scale is how Apex accelerates the shift to clean energy,” said Mark Goodwin, president and CEO of Apex. “Innovative solutions and partnerships with pioneers like Plug Power help us expand the impact of our business, taking us into the next frontier of decarbonizing the American economy and amplifying the potential of our industry-leading renewable energy portfolio.”

Cool Insuring Arena Head Sees Big Hockey Season, Eyes More Events Post COVID-19

August 12, 2021

Jeff Mead is the director of Cool Insuring Arena in downtown Glens Falls.

By Christine Graf

After being shut down for more than a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 4,800-seat Cool Insuring Arena in downtown Glens Falls reopened at limited capacity in April. At that time, event attendees were required to wear masks and present negative COVID test results. Those restrictions are no longer in place.

“In the middle of June of this year we were able to reopen normally which was a breath of fresh air,” said arena manager Jeff Mead. “As long as we have under 5,000 people in the building, there are no restrictions.”

Seventy-five percent of the arena’s staff have returned to work, and the rest are expected to return by the end of August, he said. Mead and his operations manager were the only two employees who remained working throughout the shutdown.

The arena hosted four dance events and three graduations during the month of June. Some occurred while the mask and testing mandates were still in effect.

“There were unfortunately a few people who weren’t the happiest of customers,” said Mead. “They either didn’t want to wear masks or didn’t think they should have to show a negative test. It was unfortunate, but I would say that 97 percent of people understood.”

Because of the pandemic, the arena was forced to cancel the 2020-2021 season for its East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) team, the Adirondack Thunder. An affiliate of the NHL’s New Jersey Devils, the team will play its home opener for the 2021-2022 season at the arena on Oct. 23.

Senior Citizens Continue To Return To Programs And Social Life At Senior Centers

August 12, 2021August 12, 2021

Women participate in crafts at the Saratoga Senior Center.

By Jill Nagy

Area senior centers are open and busy as COVID-19 safety guidelines eased up . Members are returning for exercise classes, meals, games, trips, and, most of all, the chance to socialize after over a year of isolation, officials say.

At the Clifton Park Senior Community Center, dances are back but live music will have to wait until September, officials said. At the Saratoga Senior Center, art classes art full and demand is great for exercise classes and anything including food, especially Friday barbecues in the tents behind the building.

At the Queensbury Senior Center, there is a waiting list for some classes and others are full. Seniors at the Glens Falls Senior Center had their first trip of the season, to a youth theater performance at Lake George, at the beginning of August, but as a precaution, only six passengers were allowed in a 12-passenger van.

On the whole, center directors report a slow but steady return of their members and attendance at about half the volume they were used to before the pandemic. Saratoga, for example, hosts about 70 seniors a day, compared to 130-150 a day before the height of the pandemic. But, according to director Lois Celeste, “each month, we keep adding.”

The centers never completely closed during the pandemic. They provided take-out meals and delivered groceries and medications; conducted online and outdoor programs; and made an effort to keep in touch with members. On the whole, staff worked from home and no one had to be laid off.

Business Report: Prepare For Health Care Costs In Retirement

August 12, 2021

Robert Snell, financial adviser with Edward Jones Financial in Saratoga Springs.

By Robert Snell

It’s unfortunate but true: As we age, we encounter more health-related issues and they carry a price tag that can get pretty high in retirement.

Will you be ready for these costs?

Perhaps your first step in preparing yourself is knowing what you may be facing. Consider this: 80 percent of Americans 65 and older have a chronic condition and 42 percent live with a disability, according to the National Coalition on Aging and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as reported in a recent Edward Jones/Age Wave survey titled “Four Pillars of the New Retirement: What a Difference a Year Makes.” The study also found that retirees’ greatest financial worry is the cost of health care and long-term care—concerns that have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.

And health care is likely going to be one of the largest expenses in retirement. The average couple might spend $10,000 to $12,000 per year on health care costs. Nonetheless, you can boost your confidence about meeting these costs by making the right moves.

Stewart’s Shops Adding High-Powered Electric Car Charging Stations At Stores

August 12, 2021

Stewart’s Shops is adding electric car battery charging stations across many of its stores.

The company broke ground on its first NYPA EVolve Electric Vehicle Fast Charging Station on July 1 in Schodack.

Officials said the chargers are powerful enough to provide a full charge to a electric vehicle in just 15 to 30 minutes.

The DC fast chargers have three kinds of plugs to make sure an electric vehicle of choice can stop in and get a charge on the go. EVolve New York’s chargers are available to all non-Tesla electric vehicles.

Officials said some charging stations will have a Tesla adapter.

Stewart’s Shops currently has three Tesla supercharging stations throughout New York with plans to expand the program by installing two more by the end of 2021.

The Stewart’s Shops charging station in Schodack will be fully operational by September and is just one of five EV charging stations that Stewart’s Shops plans to open by the end of the year.

Van Patten Golf Course Sold; New Owners Plan To Make The Course And Grounds Elite

August 12, 2021

The porch of The Vista at Van Patten Golf Course overlooks the premises.
Courtesy Van Patten Golf Course`

By Christine Graf

Van Patten Golf Club in Clifton Park was recently purchased by business partners Lance Orcutt and Roland Mann, owners of Executive Group in Amsterdam.

The pair took over operations of the golf club on July 7.

Longtime owners Robert Van Patten Jr. and his wife, Kathy, decided to sell the course in order to spend more time with their children and grandchildren. The club was built in 1968 by Van Patten’s father, local builder Robert Van Patten. In 2002, the public course was reconfigured, and a 15,000-square-foot banquet hall, The Vista, was added to the property.

According to Orcutt, he became interested in purchasing the golf club after Neil Cherkosly of Upstate Appraisal Services made him aware that the property was for sale.

“He sent me all of the information and it looked really great on paper. That prompted me to ask for a meeting with the Van Pattens, Robert and Kathy. We had a great conversation and walked the property. Seeing what they did with the property in the years that they owned it was impressive.”

As a result of that one meeting, Orcutt and Mann offered the full asking price for the property. Their offer was accepted by the Van Pattens, who received four other offers for the club.

“It was a straight up business transaction. I saw a terrific value in the property itself. It’s a profitable business that in my opinion has the ability to be much more profitable,” he said. “It wasn’t being sold because of an inability to be profitable or because it fell into disrepair.”

Construction Of Integrated Science Center At Skidmore Is Proceeding On Schedule

August 12, 2021

Construction progresses on the East Wing of the Center for Integrated Sciences at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs. MLB Construction is managing the project.
Courtesy Skidmore College

As the second phase of construction for Skidmore’s Center for Integrated Sciences advances on schedule this summer, President Marc Conner helped commemorate an important milestone in the raising of the project’s East Wing.

Skidmore officially celebrated the completion of the North Wing in late March during an outdoor, socially distanced ceremony.

The Capital Region’s own MLB Construction is managing the project, currently overseeing about 20 different contractors on site.

“This is a great day as we continue to see incredible progress in this game-changing project for Skidmore’s students, faculty and staff,” said Conner. “These beautiful, well-equipped new facilities are expanding learning and research opportunities not only in the sciences, but between and among so many areas of study at the college.”

The East Wing and the renovation of the newer portion of Dana Science Center comprise Phase II of construction and are slated to open in time for the fall 2022 semester.

The East Wing will be home to the IdeaLab makerspace, a core component of the CIS project that represents the spirit of integrative learning at the heart of this largest academic initiative in the College’s history, officials said. As a hub of collaboration and interdepartmental synergy, students and faculty will work collaboratively and across disciplines in the new space to explore creative solutions to some of today’s pressing issues.

Developers’ Plans For Rip Van Dam Include Combining It With Adelphi Into One Facility

August 12, 2021August 12, 2021

The exterior facade renovation of the Rip Van Dam hotel in Saratoga Springs was done earlier this year. The interior of the existing on-site restaurant, Salt & Char, was renovated and is now open.
©2021 SaratogaPhotographer.com

By Christine Graf

Long Island developer, thoroughbred owner, and NYRA board member Michael Dubb has partnered with The Adelphi Hotel owner Larry Roth to return the 128,000-square-foot Rip Van Dam Hotel in the heart of downtown to its original grandeur.

Built in 1840, the Rip Van Dam, is located at 365 Broadway next to The Adelphi Hotel at 353 Broadway in Saratoga Springs. The $50 million renovation and expansion project has received site plan and design review approval and is awaiting an architectural review.

“I never really had intended to get involved in real estate development in Saratoga, but two projects found me. I didn’t find them,” said Dubb.

In addition to the Rip Van Dam project, Dubb is also in the process of developing 53 lots in Oak Ridge, a luxury housing development located just five minutes from the track.

“I thought the land was so beautiful that I just couldn’t pass it up,” he said.

SEFCU And Cap Com Credit Unions Make Plans To Merge; Finalizing Set For 2022

August 12, 2021

The boards of directors of the CAP COM and SEFCU credit unions approved on July 28 a “merger of equals,” creating “a Capital Region-headquartered financial and community powerhouse” that will become fully integrated next year.

The newly combined entity will be renamed to reflect the respective histories and common values of both organizations, which are rooted in the credit union philosophy of “People helping People” for all stakeholders, officials said.

According to the companies, merging SEFCU and CAP COM is supported on three critical criteria: dedication to employees and their careers; value to our members and their communities; and the ability to succeed in a marketplace that is expected to see significant change and the consolidation of like-minded credit unions.

SEFCU also recently bought the office building along Route 9 in Malta near Ellsworth Commons where a SEFCU branch is located, as well as Ellis Medicine offices.

SEFCU paid $3.8 million for the building at 2537 Route 9 in Malta, according to a deed filed in the Saratoga County clerk’s office.