Albany commercial changing to residential
The top 11 floors of an office building at 90 State St. in downtown Albany will be converted to apartments, the Albany Business Journal is reporting. The project expects to have 162 residential units with parking leased at an off-site garage. The lower four floors will remain commercial. Uri Kaufman, CEO of the The Harmony Group told the paper that his company has struggled to fill office space for the decade since then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo moved state offices into state building to save money.
Airosmith expands across the road
Airosmith Development has added 60 people, and to fit them all is expanding onto two acres across the street from the corporate HQ on West Avenue in Saratoga Springs, the Albany Business Journal is reporting. A small building is already on the property and will likely be used until Airosmith can move a new plan through the city’s various boards. The company works with cell phone companies to buy the land for cell towers and build them, the story says.
Adirondack Welcome Circle to bring Afghan refugee family to Glens Falls
At least 55,000 Afghan refugees are living on military bases throughout the U.S., and a new group, Adirondack Welcome Circles part of the larger Sponsor Circles organization, hopes to bring one family to Glens Falls as permanent residents, the Post-Star is reporting this morning. Sponsor Circles requires the local chapter to raise $2,275 per family member. That is $9,100 for the family of four. That money will cover some living expenses and expenses to orient them to living in the U.S. The family will have green cards allowing the parents to work.
Race Course to renno first-floor grandstand, add saddling structure
Saratoga Race Course will renovate its first-floor grandstand and build a permanent saddling stall structure, a story in the Daily Gazette says. The historic “Wilson Chute” at the race course will be reconstructed for one-mile races on the main track. The start of a second phase of construction on the grandstand, which has 27 concession stands, already has an architectural design firm for the multiyear project. Construction should begin this spring, the story says.