By Susan E. Campbell
Anyone who needs work or meeting area but doesn’t want the burden of their own office can rent shared space at The Worker’s Club for a day, a year, or anything in between.
This business is owned by Monika LaPlante, who has produced a modern, comfortable environment in Suite 4 of the historic building at 3 Franklin St. in Saratoga Springs, two blocks off Broadway.
“I am from Lake George, where many families owned businesses,“ she said. “I was surrounded my whole life so it was in my head to start my own.“

Hannaford Supermarkets opened its new Ballston Spa store in November at 3 Via Rossi Way.
The new 39,000 square-foot store features a full-service kitchen department, offering an expanded selection of hot foods and meal solutions, as well as hand-crafted sandwiches and salads made on-site daily. There is also an in-store café, which will also serve as a community gathering space.
The new store also offers Hannaford-To-Go, a service that allows customers to order groceries online and then pick them up at the store. Additionally, the store has a drive-thru pharmacy.
The store will employ approximately 125 full- and part-time associates.

The Saratoga Casino Hotel Foundation, Inc. recently awarded over $28,000 to 24 different nonprofit organizations. The ceremony took place in Fortunes Restaurant at Saratoga Casino Hotel.
The Foundation distributes these grants annually to recognize and support organizations that benefit residents of Saratoga County. Organizations whose initiatives that support youth, senior citizens, recreation, arts and community benefit are given priority.
Since its inception in 2004, the foundation has awarded over $425,000 to more than 175 nonprofit groups in Saratoga County.

Saratoga Casino Hotel opened a new sports bar on Nov. 1, featuring two tiers of 360-degree multimedia screens to view sporting events.
The new bar also has a large variety of craft beers and an a la carte menu offering high-end pub fare.
The new bar, named the Mane Bar, is located just inside the main entrance to the casino.
It features 20 taps highlighting several local craft beers and a gastropub menu with items such as lobster sliders, wagyu steak sandwiches and truffle parmesan Saratoga chips.
The bar is illuminated with a high-tech, dynamic lighting system which allows the casino to change the overall ambiance of the bar by adjusting the lighting options.

Construction is underway on a $9.5 million renovation project at Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Spa State Park.
Officials said the work will improve visitor services and add a four-season event space.
The project is supported by $8 million in private funding from Live Nation and Saratoga Performing Arts Center. New York state is providing up to $1.5 million in grants from Empire State Development and State Parks, awarded through the governor’s Regional Economic Development Council initiative.
As part of this project, SPAC will undergo a complete replacement and upgrade of the existing concessions and restroom facilities. Two new concessions buildings will replace the existing tent structures, which have lacked proper security, infrastructure and storage space, officials said.

Esperanto, a fast-casual restaurant that has been a Caroline Street institution for nearly 25 years, officially opened its new commercial bakery at 357 Milton Ave. in Ballston Spa in October. The 2,700-square-foot facility will enable Esperanto to increase production of its signature product, the Oboy. Originally known as the Doughboys, it is a handheld...

The area’s premiere new home tour, the 2019 Saratoga Showcase of Homes, announced the three “People’s Choice” award winners as voted on by the public who visited these homes over three weekends in September.
Winners were McPadden Builders in the Classic Home category; Kodiak Construction in the Executive Home category; and Bella Home Builders in the Luxury Home category.
The McPadden Builders home was at the Craw Farm development in Wilton. The Kodiak Construction’s entry was at 50 Warren St. in Saratoga Springs. The Bella Home Builders showcase house was at the Park Grove development in Saratoga Springs.