By Susan E. Campbell
Downtown Saratoga will soon have a new restaurant owned and managed by husband-and-wife team Mike and Michelle Spain, two chefs who have been part of the Broadway culinary scene for years.
Named Seneca, the restaurant is taking over 17 Division St., a one-story brick structure that offers the warmth and intimacy that the Spains wanted for their open grill concept, according to Michelle Spain.
Saratoga Hospital has bought land on Morgan Street from D.A. Collins Companies to ensure that the last undeveloped parcel bordering hospital-owned property can be used to expand healthcare services.
The under-market purchase price of $3.15 million reflects the Collins family’s support of the hospital.
“Ever since we decided to sell the property, we hoped it would go to Saratoga Hospital,” David Collins said. “We believe in the work of the hospital and its essential, unique role in ensuring the health of Saratoga. Given the location of the property, healthcare is clearly the best use, and for a variety of business reasons, now is the right time to close the deal.”
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and the Saratoga Performing Arts Center celebrated in May the completion of a $1.75 million project to modernize the facility’s amphitheater.
The project, funded by NY Parks 2020 initiative to rejuvenate the state park system, renovated the amphitheater’s aging balcony ramps and lighting with an elegant and safe entryway.
The projects were completed in time for the summer concert season, which began Memorial Day weekend.
Saratoga Casino Hotel is investing $8 million in upgrades into the casino, expected to be completed by the end of 2019
Officials said the project will add significant new amenities to the casino floor, most notably an all-new sports bar on the gaming floor, a new VIP lounge, an upgraded high-limit slot are and self-service beverage stations.
There will also be new carpet, finishes, lighting fixtures, an upgraded sound system, and 50 multimedia screens throughout the casino.
Officials said work will be completed in segments to allow for minimal disruption.
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The Capital Region again was state’s second-fastest growing region in 2018. Four Capital Region counties experienced population gains, with Saratoga County leading them at 0.5 percent, or 1,061, according to a Center for Economic Growth analysis of new U.S. Census Bureau data.
CEG said the eight-county region last year had a population of 1,084,941, up 248 from the previous year. The only region with stronger year-over-year growth was the Mid-Hudson Region at 0.1 percent.
SUNY Empire State College’s School for Graduate Studies is offering this fall an online Master of Science in Information Technology (MSIT) degree.
“Today, cyber security is our country’s first line of defense and we must meet the increasing demand for skilled professionals from our nation’s Armed Forces, the private sector, as well as from federal, state and even local government,” said Officer in Charge Mitchell S. Nesler. “At the same time, web technology represents an ever-larger component of our economy, another critical need SUNY Empire can meet through our online master’s programs.”
Students can choo
The Adirondack Trust Co. has promoted Eric Navarra to assistant vice president/retail banking development officer.
Navarra joined Adirondack Trust in 2016 as assistant treasurer/branch manager of the Ballston Spa branch, and was promoted to assistant treasurer/small business development officer, a role that required collaboration with other branch managers to develop, retain and expand relationships with new and existing business customers.
By Jill Nagy
Staci Snider has returned to Saratoga Springs and opened a women’s clothing shop at 18 Congress St., featuring her clothing designs.
In back of the shop is an atelier, or design studio, with a seamstress on duty.
The store, called Snider Fashion, stocks several dozen variations on the little black dress, most of them with an easy fit and a somewhat edgy look—a lot of crooked hemlines, but not much decolletage. She also sells jackets, skirts, pants, tops and jumpsuits, and some color, mainly bright primary colors, and some white, even an occasional print fabric.
by Christine Graf
Sky Zone Trampoline Park, currently under construction at Clifton Park Center, is scheduled to open in August. It will occupy 23,000 square feet of mall space, situated between Regal Cinemas and Boscov’s.
Owner Rusty Saunders is investing $1.5 million in the new facility.
Saunders owns several other businesses including R.S. Masonry in Fort Edward, Action Equipment and Supply in Glens Falls and Sky Zone Trampoline Park in Queensbury.
The Center for Economic Growth (CEG) is merging with the Upstate Alliance for Creative Economy (ACE) in an effort to expand on the economic development endeavors of both organizations.
ACE was founded in 2016 to advocate and help grow the “creative industries,” which have now become the fourth largest employment sector in the Capital Region, generating over $1.4 billion in earnings in 2017, according to development officials.