By Jill NAgy
Curtis Lumber is building a new store in Schodack and recently purchased two stores formerly operated by Bellevue Builders Supply, one near Binghamton and the other in the Cobleskill area.
The new Schodack store will be close to an existing store, but nearer Columbia Turnpike and more visible from Route 20, according Rich Keating, vice president for sales and marketing.
The existing store was built in 1971. The new one will contain 25,550 square feet of sales space, some 7,500 square feet larger than the present outlet, said Keating. It will include more showroom space for kitchens, lighting equipment, and windows. The former store will be re-purposed for warehouse use.
Munter Enterprises in Middle Grove is the general contractor. Cotler Architects of Latham designed the new building. If all goes well, the new store will be open for business in early 2021.
Area Builders Continue Projects After ‘Pause’ Order; Next Year’s Season Is In Question
by Lisa Balschunat
Elated about New York state’s relaxing of COVID-19 restrictions as it proceeds with reopening the economy in phases, Tom Albrecht, president of Hilltop Construction Co., said “I’m digging holes again and playing in the dirt.”
His company ran a bare-bones crew on a few jobs deemed essential businesses by Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office during the state’s Pause. But Hilltop and other area builders are moving on with projects that came to a halt due to the pandemic.
“Hilltop had a few essential jobs, so we were able to continue working on some projects,” Albrecht said. “During the Pause we signed over $3 million worth of work. This year we are booked with contracts. Next year, I think the economic impact will be felt. I am an optimist, but also a realist. When the dust settles, our region will be affected. Some businesses won’t open long term or at all. The impact will be great.”
Garnet Hill Lodge In North River Purchased; New Owner Does Structural Upgrades
Courtesy Garnet Hill Lodge
By Susan E. Campbell
April and May are the quiet months when resorts normally prepare for the summer season and the influx of visitors who contribute to a $1.3 billion tourism industry in Warren County. But Adirondack restaurants, hotels and resort areas have been slowed by the coronavirus pandemic.
Jim Rucker, who owns and operates Garnet Hill Lodge in North River with his wife, Frances, sees cause for optimism, however.
The owners recently acquired an additional 110 acres in Warren County, securing control of much of the resort’s 30-plus miles of skiing, snowshoeing and hiking trails.
Their original purchase of Garnet Hill Lodge in 2016 came with less than 300 acres of land. This April, the Ruckers purchased another 110 acres. The resort is now able to provide many more miles of trails for hiking and mountain biking during the summer and fall.
Northway Exit 16 Self Storage Offers Climate Controlled Units, Around-The-Clock Access
©2020 Saratoga Photographer.com
By Rachel Phillips
The father and son team of Tom and Wayne Samascott recently built a new climate-controlled storage center on Ballard Road, near Northway Exit 16.
Northway Exit 16 Self Storage offers clients a convenient access as it is located just 1,000 feet down from the exit.
Tom and Wayne Samascott are president and vice president, respectively, of Malta Development Co. They opened the storage center in March.
“I have been interested in doing self-storage for the past several years and the opportunity to by this project came along,” Wayne Samascott said. “We liked the location. Ballard Road gets a lot of traffic.”
The center contains 48,400 square feet of rentable space, with units ranging from 5×5 feet, up to 13×20 feet. In addition to heated and air-conditioned units, clients will have 24/7 access.
Units are monitored by a security camera system that covers every part of the building. Renting units can be done online at northwayexit16selfstorage.com. Upon rental, clients receive a code to access the building without ever having to interact with anyone. The center even accepts package deliveries for clients, and will place the deliveries in their units for them.
JAG Group LLC Planning To Build Four Warehouse Buildings Near Northway Exit 18
By Jennifer Farnsworth
A steady need for warehousing has been a green light for JAG Group LLC of Glens Falls to continue with its plan to build four new warehouse buildings on 33 acres of land near Northway Exit 18 in Queensbury.
JAG Group President Tim Barber said he and his business partners are looking to have the warehouses ready for tenants by fall.
They are currently awaiting final approval from the town of Queensbury and expect no issues with the project going forward. Barber and his partners at Native Development Associates are seeking approval from planners to split the former Native Textiles knitting mill site into a total of six lots. Five of them will range from 2.01 acres to 11.32 acres. The sixth lot will be used for road expansion, aiding in site accessibility.
NYS Builders Association Asks Gov. Cuomo To Start Now, Not Take Phased-In Approach
The New York State Builders Association has gone on record to ask the state to allow construction to resume right away—statewide—rather than wait for the proposed phased approach by region that the governor has outlined.
Lewis Dubuque, association executive vice president, said in a May 4 statement that homebuilders “have a limited time-frame based on the weather to undertake construction of residential housing. It is critical for the building industry to get back to work to capture as much of the remaining construction season as possible,” according to the statement.
“Residential construction companies that reside in areas that border other states further risk losing valuable subcontractors who may search for employment in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Jersey and Ohio where construction is currently ramping up,” he said.
In late April, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo outlined a phased plan to re-open New York and re-imagine a new normal for the state starting with construction and manufacturing. He said the plan will be based on regional analysis and determinations. Based on CDC recommendations, once a region experiences a 14-day decline in the hospitalization rate they may begin a phased reopening.
Stewart’s Shops Plans To Build Shops Are On Hold, But Company Will Open New Ones
By Jennifer Farnsworth
With New York state’s businesses “on pause,” many construction projects came to a complete halt. Stewart’s Shops are feeling the effects and have had to freeze several projects in the works.
While the company reports they are still able to open new stores, they have had to scale back on their construction budget, according to Erica Komoroske, public relations specialist for the company.
“We have had to delay nearly 12 projects and we’ve cut our 2020 construction budget by 40 percent. At this point, we are four to six weeks behind schedule,” said Komoroske.
Komoroske said they have not been able to get the approvals needed in a timely manner, with many municipality offices being closed. This has not only set them back on their time line for beginning projects, but it has also stopped projects already in process.
The state may soon be relaxing its call for stopping construction projects, but municipal approvals are another matter.
AJA Architecture Works With Good Mix Of Local, Regional And National Projects
Courtesy AJA Architecture and Design
By Jennifer Farnsworth
This is a corrected version from 5/15/2019
Michael Murray can be found at AJA Architecture in Glens Falls. He is responsible for the business development at the architectural firm.
Murray has an architecture degree from New York Institute of Technology and has worked on the technology-side of the business for several architecture firms for most of his career. At some point, he said he realized he was more of a “computer geek” than an architectural designer. He started as a CAD (computer-aided design) manager for an architecture firm in Colorado, and that lead him to the field of technology consulting.
“I led a team of talented technical people and helped those architecture firms become more effective with their use of technology, allowing them to be much more efficient, and more productive,” he said. “It was very rewarding work, but I was also working way too much. Lots of long hours eventually had me burned out on the technology.”
Murray eventually found himself working as marketing consultant where he assisted architecture firms with their marketing needs.
“The pace of consulting worked much better for me, still very rewarding work, but not nearly as many long hour days,” said Murray.
Developer Erects One Building, Plans Another; Both Will Sell Food When Finished
Courtesy Baldwin Masonry
By Jill Nagy
A new building just completed at Route 149 and Ridge Road in Queensbury will be a fruit and vegetable market called Farm to Market, but not until next year.
Meanwhile the owner/builder, Dale Baldwin of Baldwin Masonry in Fort Ann, already has plans to put up another building with a rustic look next door on the an adjacent lot.
While the outside work on the first was completed about a month ago, the inside work will wait for winter, according to Baldwin.
The design resembles an
As Queensbury Hotel Renovations Draw To Close, Fenimore’s Pub Will Undergo Work
Courtesy Queensbury Hotel
The Fenimore’s Pub at the Queensbury Hotel, a gastro-pub style restaurant, will undergo renovations this summer with work beginning in July.
Phinney Design Group of Saratoga Springs, who has been involved in many of the property’s renovation projects since 2016, will lead the re-design. Ownership anticipates the project will take about six weeks, during which the pub will be closed.