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Schenectady, N.Y., December 30, 2015 — The Schenectady County Metroplex Development Authority today provided an update on 61 Payment in Lieu of Tax (Pilot) agreements it administers as part of Schenectady County’s unified economic development team. The Pilot agreements generated a total of $15.69 million in payments to local governments in Schenectady County in 2015, up from $14.83 million in 2014 — an increase of $860,000 or 5.7%.
Fifty-four (54) of the sixty-one (61) pilots were for projects built at empty buildings, vacant land or formerly tax-exempt property or buildings. These sites generated either no taxes or minimal taxes prior to the economic development projects being built resulting in new tax base for the community.
Forty-nine (49) Pilots increased in value over the previous year while six stayed the same and six decreased. Of the six Pilots that decreased, four decreased due to declining tax rates in the City of Schenectady while two others decreased due to a scheduled change in Pilot payments.
Ray Gillen, Chair of the Schenectady County Metroplex Development Authority said, “We are pleased to provide this annual report which shows that our unified economic development team continues to build tax base as it helps to rebuild Schenectady County.”
16 Projects Were Built on Formerly Government–Owned Land/Buildings or Tax-Exempt Land/Buildings that Paid $0 in Taxes Now Paying $1,889,647 in Pilot Payments:
• MVP at 625 State Street in downtown Schenectady. Built on government-owned land that was returned to tax rolls. 175,000 square foot office building $361,353 up from $357,347 last year.
• Hampton Inn at 450 State Street in downtown Schenectady. Built on government-owned land that was returned to tax rolls. 62,000 square foot hotel $170,914 up from $167,787 last year.
• 400 State Street in downtown Schenectady. Built on government–owned land that was returned to tax rolls. 60,200 square foot building $92,688 up from $90,939 last year.
• Broadway Center in downtown Schenectady. Built on government–owned land that was returned to tax rolls. 140,000 square foot office building $319,076 down from $321,795 last year.
• 2135 Technology Drive in Schenectady. Built on government-owned land that was returned to the tax rolls. 22,000 square foot building $49,240 up from $47,960 last year.
• Utech at 135 Broadway in downtown Schenectady. Government-owned building that was returned to tax rolls $28,111 up from $26,790 last year.
• M&P Labs 2210 Technology Drive in Schenectady. Built on government-owned land that was returned to tax rolls. $104,747 down from $105,639 last year.
• Pace Analytical at 2190 Technology Drive in Schenectady. Built on government-owned land that was returned to tax rolls. $53,933 up from $53,087 last year.
• 2165 Technology Drive in Schenectady. Built on government-owned land that was returned to tax rolls. 27,000 square foot building $86,587 up from $59,456 last year.
• 426 State Street in downtown Schenectady. Built at government-owned building that was returned to tax rolls. 34,000 square feet $101,102 down from $101,190 last year.
• Former Scotia Navy Depot in Glenville. Tax-exempt land that was returned to tax rolls. $287,853 up from $287,352 last year.
• Columbia McClellan Group at 600 McClellan Street in Schenectady. 45,550 square feet built on formerly tax-exempt property $48,653 up from $30,140 last year.
• Fortitech at the Schenectady County Airport in Glenville. Built on government-owned land that was returned to the tax rolls. 95,000 square feet $104,193 up from $98,097 last year.
• Bombers at 447 State Street in downtown Schenectady. Built at formerly government-owned building $24,413 up from $22,951 last year.
• Schenectady Armory former State-owned facility in downtown Schenectady. $31,918 up from $14,778 last year.
• Civco Realty 440 State Street, built at formerly tax-exempt property, $24,866 up from $13,481 last year.
11 Projects Were Built at Formerly Vacant Buildings that Paid No Taxes or Lower Taxes as Buildings Were Vacant Now Paying $1,498,982 in Pilot Payments:
• BN Partners at 1510 Maxon Road in downtown Schenectady. 240,000 square foot office building $646,366 up from $610,281 last year.
• 433 State Street in downtown Schenectady (Center City). $303,697 up from $300,739 last year.
• Villa Italia at 226 Broadway in downtown Schenectady. $32,669 up from $31,213 last year.
• JMR Development at 600 Liberty Street in downtown Schenectady. $75,000 same as last year.
• 411 State Street in downtown Schenectady. $25,276 up from $24,849 last year.
• 409 State in downtown Schenectady. $33,364 up from $33,157 last year.
• World Star at 450 Duane Avenue in Schenectady. $179,058 up from $176,246 last year.
• Mohawk Honda in Glenville. $108,113 up from $105,033 last year.
• Columbia Altamont at 1925 Curry Road in Rotterdam. $41,439 up from $37,346 last year.
• 845 Broadway in Schenectady former vacant factory space redeveloped as housing. $30,000 same as last year.
• 301 Green Street former vacant window factory redeveloped as housing. $24,000 up from $12,240 last year.
19 Projects Were Built on Vacant Land that Formerly Generated Nominal Taxes Now Paying $2,745,164 in Pilot Payments:
• Railex at the Rotterdam Corporate Park. 220,000 square foot warehouse built on vacant land. $537,746 up from $325,135 last year.
• 376 Broadway in downtown Schenectady. 24,000 square office building built on vacant land $86,097 up from $82,152 last year.
• Marcella’s at 564 Broadway in downtown Schenectady. 16,750 square foot facility built on vacant land $72,722 up from $68,619 last year.
• Unilux at Niskayuna Commerce Park. 67,000 square foot manufacturing plant built on vacant land. $149,843 up from $147,589 last year.
• Opus Business Park in Rotterdam. Three buildings — 15,600 square foot building built on vacant land $25,577 up from $22,920 last year, 35,100 square foot building built on vacant land $74,286 up from $66,825 last year and 25,000 square foot building built on vacant land $50,016 up from $44,708 last year.
• Dimension Fabricators at 2000 Seventh Avenue in Glenville. 152,000 square foot building built on vacant land $234,135 up from $225,801 last year.
• Argo Turbo Serve at 588 Broadway in downtown Schenectady. 22,000 square foot building built on former vacant lot $45,123 up from $41,797 last year.
• Alco site in Schenectady. Vacant land brownfield remediation underway $40,000 same as last year.
• FG Rotterdam Holdings in Rotterdam. 31,800 square foot office building built on vacant land $36,230 up from $34,473 last year.
• EMI Properties in Rotterdam. 6,600 square foot facility built on vacant land $12,835 up from $11,560 last year.
• NE IP Holding (FedEx Freight) in Rotterdam Corporate Park. 50,000 square foot facility built on vacant land $155,533 up from $146,795 last year.
• FM Ventures in Rotterdam Corporate Park. 152,000 square foot building built on vacant land $372,826 down from $551,280 last year.
• Long Pond Village in Rotterdam. 192 unit apartment complex built on vacant land $251,348 up from $227,117 last year.
• Capital Living in Schenectady. New skilled nursing facility paying $378,628 up from $351,415 built on vacant land.
• New Target store in Glenville. Built at empty retail site $203,000 same as last year.
• 245 Broadway. New apartments with ground floor retail built on vacant land $18,119 up from $9,280 last year.
• Town Homes at Union Square. Built on formerly vacant land $4,000 same as last year.
7 Company Expansion/Retention Projects Paying $9,012,693 in Pilot Payments:
• Pilot at GE Global Research Center in Niskayuna for chemical engineering building expansion, new Pilot manufacturing facility and expansion of Energy Learning Center $413,641 up from $385,239 last year.
• Kingsway Arms Nursing Center in Schenectady. New construction/addition of 56,000 square feet $288,356 up from $270,747 last year.
• GE downtown Schenectady $2,623,763 down from $2,828,430 last year.
• GE Rotterdam. $4,800,000 same as last year.
• SI Group in Rotterdam Junction. 40,000 square foot expansion $677,250 down from $692,539 last year.
• Price Chopper Distribution Center projects $209,683 up from $189,834 last year.
8 New Pilots totaling $546,260 began in 2015, including:
• 111 Liberty in downtown Schenectady – the redevelopment of vacant former MVP building, first Pilot payment $22,116.
• The new office building at Socha Plaza in Glenville made an initial payment of $101,776 built on formerly vacant land that paid nominal taxes.
• Building 14 in the Rotterdam Industrial Park paid $30,634 formerly owned by NYS, property was tax exempt.
• The new Glenwyck senior housing facility in Glenville will make its first payment of $187,937. Property was vacant land paying nominal taxes.
• The new CTDI facility in Glenville made its first payment of $101,770. Formerly vacant land paying nominal taxes.
• The Schenectady DoubleTree Hotel project made its first payment of $79,519.
• 202 State Street, a long vacant building that was renovated as apartments and ground floor retail, made its first Pilot payment of $9,478.
• Lofts Phase II Union Street $5,266.
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