SBJ P.O. Box 766 Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL
VOL. 25 NO. 08
HH The Business Newspaper of Saratoga County HH
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GLENS FALLS, NY 12801 PERMIT #600
OCTOBER 2020
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Merger of Center For Economic Growth City Center Parking Garage To Open Soon With Capital Region Chamber Gets Approval And Event Scheduling Is Strong For 2021 BY R.J. DELUKE Investors in The Center for Economic Growth approved in October the idea pursuing an affiliation with the Capital Region Chamber. Under the affiliation, CEG would retain its identity and remain a legal entity whose sole member would be the Capital Region Chamber. CEG would have its own board of directors and representation on the Chamber board. The changer will take place starting Jan. 1. Chamber members approved the idea in September. The Capital Region Chamber and CEG informed their memberships in June that their boards had formed a Joint Task Force to consider potential affiliation. “After conducting a comprehensive due diligence review, we are pleased to report that both boards have concluded that it would be in the best interest of the shared missions of each organization for CEG and the Capital Region Chamber to align under one organizational structure with a unified vision and coordinated strategy,” a letter to membership, over the signature of Mark N. Eagan, CCE, president and CEO of the Capital Region Chamber, and Paul Milton, Chamber board chair, said. Eagan will continue to lead CEG as CEO and president. He plans to hire a senior economic development executive to oversee CEG’s portfolio of work. The change came after Andrew Kennedy, who was CEG’s CEO and president of CEG,left to join the lobbying firm Ostroff Associates. He worked with CEG on a limited basis until the affiliation was approved by investors,
officials said. The joint task force formed by the two boards of directors concluded that it would be in the best interests of both to align under one organizational structure with a unified vision and coordinated strategy, said a statement from the Chamber. “The organizational structure of the Capital Region Chamber was intentionally designed to be inclusive and welcoming of other aligned organizations that may wish to affiliate,” the Chamber letter said. “Under the affiliation model being recommended, CEG would retain its identity and remain a legal entity, whose sole member would be the Capital Region Chamber. CEG would have board of directors and also have representation on the regional Chamber board.” CEG will continue to provide regional economic development services such as advising businesses on sites and incentives, providing regional economic data and analysis, and supporting the Regional Economic Development Council and regional economic development strategies. CEG will remain the Federally designated Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Center and support the Chief Executives Network composed of area manufacturers. “The Capital Region Chamber is united to drive economic prosperity with one vision, one mission for one region,” officials said. The Capital Region Chamber was formed by the 2015 affiliation of the Albany-Colonie and Schenectady County chambers. The merged entity took on the Chamber of Southern Saratoga County as an affiliate in 2019.
Ryan McMahon, City Center executive director, poses in front of the parking garage off Maple Avenue, across the street from the center. A foot bridge takes pedestrians directly to the center. BY SUSAN ELISE CAMPBELL After a long wait, the Saratoga City Center’s 610-space downtown parking lot between Maple Avenue and High Rock is set to open. Ryan McMahon, City Center executive director, recently took a drive through the entire garage, top to bottom, the first non-construction person to do so. “It feels good to get this going,” he said. At one time the convention and events venue was going to build a 750-space garage on its own, but after some years of negotiations and design
©2020 Saratoga Photographer.com
changes, construction started in September 2019 in partnership with the City of Saratoga Springs. “We have great partners in the city,” McMahon said. “All five commissioners voted unanimously before the last election. We could not do this without a strong community partnership.” The grand opening was will take place at the end of October. A foot bridge connects the garage with the City Center above Maple Avenue. The updated design has a glass span making it “almost invisible” from some Continued On Page 6
Pavilion Grand In Saratoga Transitions From Putnam Market Marks 25 Years In Business Hotel To Yearly Rental, Extended Stay Units And Its Continued Evolution Over The Years BY CHRISTINE GRAF The Pavilion Grand Hotel at 30 Lake Ave. in Saratoga Springs plans to rebrand itself as Pavilion Grand Executive Apartments. In doing so, they will offer 32 yearly rental units in addition to 16 extended-stay units. The transition will take place on Nov. 1. According to general manager Susanne Simpson, 30 Lake Ave. was originally built by Cohoes-based Prime Companies to house luxury condominiums. The company decided to change course before the project was completed, and they opened the property as a luxury boutique hotel in 2014. “The hotel’s building was originally built as luxury condos, so the transition to an executive apartment concept has been an easy one for us,” she said. Because it was not designed as a hotel, the Pavilion Grand’s units are much larger than conventional hotel rooms. The smallest is 600 square feet, almost twice the size of a standard hotel room. The largest—a penthouse—is larger than many single-family homes. It measures 2,200 square feet and has two bedrooms and 2.5 baths. “All of our units are very large and are full apartments and condos, and we’ve always had guests that stay longer term with us. When COVID came, we had some of our summer guests wanting to have more of their own places versus a hotel. They asked if we would consider renting,” she said. “COVID offered us the opportunity to modify what we were doing. And what we’ve added to that is more of a furnished corporate housing unit so that we will be a mixture of yearly rentals and
The Pavilion Grand Hotel at 30 Lake Ave. in Saratoga Springs is changing to rental units. furnished corporate rentals.” Monthly rental rates for unfurnished apartments include utilities and will start at $1,750 for studios. Penthouses will rent for $3,900, and furnished apartments are available for an additional cost. Weekly rates for extended-stay units will vary based on the time of year, and a minimum stay of one week is required. They are Continued On Page 11
BY SUSAN ELISE CAMPBELL A retrospective of Putnam Market’s 25 years is a case study in how a business can evolve 180 degrees from the original concept and become a local brand. The market now occupies a storefront at 431 Broadway since its construction in 2000. But it started five years earlier on Putnam Street. Owners Cathy Hamilton and her sister Gloria Griskowitz had envisioned a place where customers could buy fresh meats and seafood, deli meats and cheeses sliced to order, assorted produce and baked goods. “We had sourced everything from a local bakery and caterer,” said Hamilton. Six months later, the partners started making sandwiches. During year three, they hired their first chef to do the baking and food production inhouse. A wine store with the store was opened in 1998. “We became the place to go for specialty groceries in the Capital District,” Hamilton said. “But when Roohan Realty built the building we are in now and we became the first tenant, we dropped produce to focus on food. Today we are known primarily for the stuff we make, which is totally opposite from where we started.” “All the baking, roasted turkey breast, and soups are original recipes made in-house from scratch,” Hamilton said. “So we turned from a straight retailer to a manufacturer of delicious sandwiches and baked goods.” She said when wine was introduced at the original location, there was about 150 square feet of dedicated space. Today it’s 1,800. “Our wines are distinctive,” she said. Hamilton’s
Gloria Griskowitz, left, and Cathy Hamilton, are the owners of Putnam Market. ©2020 Saratoga Photographer.com
husband William curates the selection. “The wine room is a destination for people who know wine,” she said. The partners again distinguished Putnam Market by adding a cheese room. Hamilton said they always had a cheese counter, but now feature a refrigerated “cheese theater” with a “charismatic and vivacious cheesemonger to engage customers.” Continued On Page 6