{"id":12692,"date":"2013-07-14T20:30:33","date_gmt":"2013-07-15T00:30:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/waynesword2\/2013\/07\/what-the-visitors-will-notesummer-2013.html"},"modified":"2013-07-14T20:30:33","modified_gmt":"2013-07-15T00:30:33","slug":"what-the-visitors-will-notesummer-2013","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/waynesword2\/2013\/07\/what-the-visitors-will-notesummer-2013\/","title":{"rendered":"What The Visitors Will Note…(Summer 2013)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n I start this version of the blog on the week before the influx of racetrack fans and horse people…the time of year when Saratoga Springs, NY doubles, triples, then quadruples in population, culminating in Traver’s Week toward late August, when national attention is focused on our thriving little city. This year the hoopla is noted in ubiquitous red and tan banners signifying the 150th Anniversary of the Saratoga Racetrack itself– which means, oddly enough, that it began its jubilant tradition here during the height of the Civil War, in 1863. Hard to imagine things then being as festive and prosperous as they appear to be now… but that is for historians to conjure more than me.<\/strong><\/p>\n What I can tell you is how this town might be perceived to seasonal visitors, to whom the changes will seem stark and numerous. Let’s say a carload of tourists are approaching Saratoga Springs from the south, getting off at Exit 13N (as most do) and zipping north on Route 9 until they pass the State Park (note the brand new entrance sign on your left at The Avenue of The Pines) and from there the traffic usually grinds to a crawl on South Broadway, past the National Dance Museum and West Fenlon Street.<\/strong>..<\/p>\n The first sign of progress and change would also be on your left, where the Topper Pontiac & Buick dealership stood for years– now being transformed by owner Frank Parillo into a regional Mental Health services facility<\/b>, which will be rented long-term by the County<\/b>. Just beyond that, between the retail Tire outlet and the main branch of Saratoga National Bank, there is a swath of property I think is ripe for large-scale development that has not gotten underway yet– the site of the former Saratoga Diner and Greyhound Bus Station, still decrepit, and the land behind it. In my son’s high school business class a few years back, we worked on a theoretical project for a sports arena complex on this site– readily accessible, expansive, plenty of parking, and with loads of eateries and hotels within striking distance. We envisioned NCAA & maybe pro exhibition basketball there, perhaps NY State Tournaments in the future, indoor WTA tennis, college volleyball & lacrosse, plus the enticement of off-season concerts that could rival the popularity of SPAC, from September to April… our concept would be that this would take the place of the former Convention Center up near Congress Park which elderly Saratoga natives recall, but which was long gone by the time I arrived here in the mid-70s. Alas, not a reality yet.<\/b> Any takers?<\/b> Then again, summer traffic on the finite boulevard of South Broadway is intense enough as it is. Let the fallow ground sit a bit longer–there is not much left within city limits.<\/b><\/p>\n Continuing north, if they didn’t notice it last year, new visitors will note what might be one the most elegant McDonald’s in America, a relatively grandiose design that forgoes the gaudy “golden arches” in favor of a 2-story brick look more in line with the Adirondack Trust South Broadway branch, the Hilton Garden Inn, and even the columned pillar-look of the nearby Dunkin’ Donuts. The powers that be in this city want you to know right away that we even do fast food outlets differently here.<\/b><\/p>\n On the right corner of South Broadway<\/b> and Lincoln Ave, there used to be a <\/b>rooming house called the Kimberly Inn, which has been exquisitely transformed into The Thirsty Owl Outlet & Wine Garden. The parking lot has been expanded and large looming trees removed for that purpose. Visitors who turn the corner there toward Five Points and the Track will do a double-take no doubt as they do so– the renovation is beautiful.<\/b><\/p>\n Moving up Broadway, the major changes downtown center around the new Northshire Bookstore Building, nearing completion as I write this. The massive brick facade occupies the spot which was the former parking lot between Lillian’s Restaurant and The Cantina (formerly Professor Moriarty’s, as older visitors may recall). This independent bookstore (not a franchise nor national chain!) has been so successful in Manchester, Vermont that the owners bankrolled the new operation here in Saratoga Springs– much to the delight of locals still smarting over the loss of Border’s, across the street, a couple of years ago.<\/b><\/p>\n Speaking of which, a gorgeous adaptive re-use of the Border’s building has been completed by local businessman Ed Mitzen with the inception of an advertising firm called FINGERPAINT (mentioned in my blog about the Circus Cafe recently). Last year at this time there was a gaunt, vacant look to the place<\/b>—uncharacteristic of Saratoga’s main drag. But now…vitality has returned to the corner where the famous United States Hotel once stood.<\/b><\/p>\n Off to the left of the refurbished FINGERPAINT building, astute observers–and fresh beers lovers!–<\/b> may notice a relatively new addition to Broadway’s landscape, tucked in between the Adelphi Hotel and the former Shoe Depot building. This recessed gem of a brewery is simply called DRUTHERS, and offers not only<\/b> its own locally-brewed drafts and ales<\/b> but occasional live music in its outdoor patio setting.<\/b><\/p>\n Broadway north of Caroline Street is largely unchanged, other than some storefronts changing hands between seasons, until one gets to the City’s grand Convention Center, which features a classy new electronic sign, detailing the events and visitors gracing the place in coming weeks. (SPAC now has a similarly cool sign on the Route 50 side entrance, promoting upcoming events in a colorful, rotating, neon fashion).<\/b> Last year the extensive facade improvements were completed that enclosed the largely useless courtyard area, and glassed-in most of the south-facing wall on Grove Street.<\/b><\/p>\n Past the Prime Hotel, just north of the red light that distinguishes Broadway proper from North Broadway, a lot on the left side of the first residential block sold over the winter for $800,000, with a grand new structure underway. Up around the corner on Greenfield Avenue, a nondescript $250,000 raised ranch built in<\/b> 70’s was recently razed to make way for another 3-story single-family beauty, this one by Bella Builders. On that short street alone, at least 3 homes have been knocked down to accommodate more ambitious homes– the “Beverly Hills Syndrome” I call it. The area near Skidmore College just gets more upscale from year to year.<\/b><\/p>\n Back on Broadway, turn west onto Church Street between the new facade of Adirondack Trust and the staid edifice of the Post Office, and you will notice perhaps the most exciting addition to the west-side landscape in several generations– a tri-level structure as an adjunct to Sonny Bonacio’s Market Center\/Price Chopper project– the much anticipated BOWTIE CINEMA complex! This 11-screen movie theater positioned a block from Broadway, on the corner of Church and Railroad Place, completes the architectural revision of the block that once was the site of a massive railroad station, featured in many archival photos of the City– dating back to the early 1900’s, up to World War 2. There has NOT been a true downtown movie house in my time in this town (albeit the Saratoga Arts Center in the old Library does The other change that is readily visible, on Woodlawn Avenue down towards Division Street, is the new 4-story parking garage. As big as it is, and as long as it was discussed in advance, it still does not seem to suffice to relieve the parking crunch downtown. Anecdotal complaints from downtown merchants, I’ve heard, concern the fact that condo dwellers along Division Street and Franklin Square, are parking their extra vehicles in the garage for 48 hours at a time, rotating their spots so that incoming visitors still have a hard time finding free spaces in that much-touted “remedy” for the loss of Broadway parking lot spots. Most towns in upstate NY, or anywhere outside metropolitan areas in the Northeast, in fact, would love the problem of having more cars invading their downtown than can be fit into the prime zones. But such is life in Saratoga Springs, NY– for all its IN-FILL and UP-WARD building, and downtown expansion– people still complain about the lack of decent, easy parking. In my mind, people should get used to finding parking spots 3 or 4 blocks from Broadway and enjoy the pedestrian experience of strolling a few hundred yards to their destination, and quit kvetching!<\/b> Get some exercise and walk a bit… Head past Clinton Street, another block and a half past Railroad Place, going toward the Saratoga Hospital on Church Street, and you will note another great addition to the west-side, even though it did not involve any new construction. The statuary business called Hidden Treasures– which used to be squeezed into a brick building on Maple Ave behind the Police Station<\/b>— has relocated to the former Freeman & Shea Plumbing business locale on West Harrison, and the corner has become a lot more interesting than ever before! The asphalt parking lot is now adorned with a massive amount of ornamental fountains, cast iron fencing<\/b>, grecian statues, molded sculptures, metallic lions<\/b>, and a veritable wonderland of decorative creatures<\/b> for lawns and backyard gardens<\/b>. Even though the very cool Trifecta<\/b> Dance Studio was forced to move out of the existing building, I must admit the upgrade in occupants is more visually stimulating than ever.<\/b><\/p>\n Over on Division Street, in the block before Allerdice Hardware, the former site of the Ellsworth Ice Cream<\/b> plant, vacant for several years, has now been bulldozed clean of concrete and building debris and awaits its new incarnation as an in-fill townhouse development… another urban field lying fallow, deciding what crop should grow there next. And down on Congress Street, in what used to be dubbed the Grand Union Plaza when I first moved to town, the long-vacated Broadway Joe’s Dinner Theater building was being stripped of its roofing before the wrecking ball knocked down the remnant of the original 1970’s grocery store structure…in order to allow construction of yet another monolithic hotel– this one to be six-stories high– under the aegis of the DCG East of Broadway, down in the dip past The Saratogian building, and immediately adjacent to the famed tavern The Parting Glass, concrete block elevator shafts are rising amid I-beam framing. This is the execution of a long-contemplated development by the parent company of my real estate brokerage (Coldwell Banker Prime Properties), now well underway, across from the Hampton Inn. This will be called Pavillion Grand Suites– a topnotch extended-stay residential hotel– with retail on the ground level, fronting on both Pavillion Way and Lake Avenue, in an L-shaped fashion. For anyone who remembers the grimy functionality of Mohr’s Mobil Service Station that used to be at 30 Lake Avenue, the continuing upgrade of Saratoga’s downtown is obvious.<\/b><\/p>\n One more significant, artistic addition to the core-of-the-town’s landscape is down on High Rock Avenue, where the lively Farmer’s Market holds sway on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Between the covered pavilions serving the vendors there, and adjacent to the original High Rock Spring itself, now resides a striking large sculpture of twisted I-beams created from actual 9\/11 debris, in commemoration of that awful day in American history when the twin towers of the World Trade Center were brought down by terrorists. There was much local debate for years in advance over where to place this memorial– Congress Park, the Visitor’s Center, South Broadway, and other possible sites were discussed, but I feel they finally found the right place<\/b>. To the aboriginal Mohawks, the High Rock Spring was a sacred and highly revered enclave; and now there is a different reason why this is so. Longtime Saratoga-area resident Noah Savett– who has been working on large scale metal sculpture projects for as long as I’ve lived here– should be honored by and for what he created as a testimonial to those who lost their lives in NYC and elsewhere on that fateful day.<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n To get back to the more mundane subject of local commerce, the thriving money-making enterprise officially known as Saratoga Gaming & Raceway, known to locals as simply The Racino– a small kingdom between outer Nelson Avenue and Jefferson Street– is in the process of approvals for a $30 million dollar hotel of its very own. Apparently there is no end to the amount of visitors our city is gearing up to handle, even without yet being designated as a Legalized Gambling destination, as Governor Cuomo may someday announce.<\/b> Local builder Peter Belmonte is underway with about 18 high-end home-sites in that general vicinity as well, on the “Southside”, which ironically used to be considered the poorer side of town, not that long ago.<\/b><\/p>\n I know I have not covered everything going on within the City limits– e.g. The Adelphi Hotel continuing with its six million dollar make-over<\/b>; the renovation of the long-ago gutted brick building behind the Post Office on Long Alley’s corner with Church Street; architect John Muse’s impressive columned renovation on Myrtle Street between Saratoga Golf & Polo and the Hospital, etc.– but you get the idea. This town is going gangbusters with upscale development: commercial, residential, and hospitality-based. Previously mentioned self-made real estate magnate Frank Parillo wants to put in a new Turf Hotel down on South Broadway, on the site of the old Weathervane Restaurant ( before that, it was The Country Gentleman…rest in peace, Nate Goldsmith), and might well get his way<\/b>. It would be an interesting gateway project to the city, and the “old contemporary restaurant on that site is clearly past its prime for the current era. Among<\/b> the power players like Parillo & Peter Hoffman (of the Hampton Inn complex)<\/b>, Don Greene (of DCG Development), Ken Raymond & Dean DeVito of Prime Companies, and of course the ubiquitous Sonny Bonacio and affiliates like The Galesi Group (on The BowTie Project especially), there seems to be no end to the possibilities for Saratoga’s monumental building boom of this decade. Show me any other comparable-sized town in America that is accelerating to this extent…<\/b><\/p>\n That’s my synopsis of mid-2013’s historical upswing… stay tuned for more soon.<\/b><\/p>\n Peace &, hopefully, Prosperity to all<\/b>—<\/p>\n Wayne Perras,<\/b> <\/p>\n (Associate Broker at CB Prime Properties<\/b>, Saratoga Office)<\/b><\/p>\n for WaynesWord2, Copyright 2013<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n All opinions and observations herein are subjective on the part of this blogger, and not the responsibility of <\/i>www.saratoga.com or any other sponsors, individuals, businesses or entities– I’m a solo operator, and not a shill, but genuinely impressed with what goes on in this town that I chose to live in and near, three and a half decades ago<\/i> And the next episode of this blog will be back to music, anyway.<\/i><\/p>\n <\/b><\/p>\n <\/b><\/p>\n <\/b><\/p>\n <\/b><\/p>\n I start this version of the blog on the week before the influx of racetrack fans and horse people…the time of year when Saratoga Springs, NY doubles, triples, then quadruples in population, culminating in Traver’s Week toward late August,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":103,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[34,84,86,115,152,158,199,209],"class_list":["post-12692","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-broadway-saratoga","tag-frank-parillo","tag-galesi-group","tag-ken-raymond","tag-northshire-bookstore","tag-pavillion-grand","tag-saratogas-downtown","tag-sonny-bonacio"],"yoast_head":"\r\n
a Film Forum on a smaller scale)… and for a while now even the Wilton Mall has been without a cineplex (though BowTie is taking the place of Hoyt’s out there as well, coming soon).<\/b><\/p>\n
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Companies. This will further invigorate another strip mall plaza that had been forlorn for a few years now– Purdy’s Wine & Liquor Store and the other tenants in the rear will apparently remain, as will the CVS Pharmacy that fronts on Congress, off to the left of the construction site.<\/b><\/p>\n
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