After the city of Schenectady, Rotterdam has benefited the most from the work of the Metroplex Development Authority and, according to chairman Ray Gillen, more projects are still to come.
Through Metroplex’s efforts, Rotterdam has seen $119 million in new investment from projects like Railex, Fedex and Price Chopper’s new freezer warehouse.
Gillen presented the state of economic development in each of Schenectady County’s five towns at the county Legislature’s committee meeting Monday, Oct. 1.
Each month, Gillen presents an update to the Legislature about the state of economic development efforts in the area. After residents spoke about their displeasure with Metroplex at the last county Legislature meeting, Gillen decided to dispel the myth that it only works in the city and presented the projects that Metroplex is working on and has completed in the towns.
A small portion of county taxes, one half of one percent, goes to the Metroplex Development Authority each year. In turn Metroplex uses those revenues to generate commercial growth in order to expand the county’s property tax base, sales tax revenues and create jobs.
Rotterdam Supervisor Steven Tommasone said he is committed to using a portion of the $1 million the town received this year from Metroplex for economic development, including building infrastructure.
Our administration, in my view, has been the first to carry through on utilizing those funds for planning and economic development, he said.
Gillen said some town residents don’t notice Metroplex’s presence because its work isn’t as obvious as the city’s revitalization efforts.
`People think we aren’t working in the towns because we are focused on smart growth,` Gillen said. `We work in commercial areas and try not to affect the residential areas.`
In addition to generating local growth and expanding the local tax base, Metroplex gives a portion of its revenues directly to the towns each year.
Metroplex gives 30 percent of the money it collects from sales taxes directly to the towns. Since its inception Metroplex has given 24.17 million to the towns. This year alone it gave a record $3 million.
Metroplex is currently working on a variety of projects that will expand the tax base in Schenectady County’s towns.
Gillen said most of Rotterdam’s growth is happening in the Rotterdam Commerce Park, formerly the Industrial Park. Metroplex is working to renovate some of the old warehouses, fill them with tenants and put state-owned buildings back on the tax rolls.
Gillen said his team is also actively looking to fill the space left when VStream left the Opus Technology Park.
`In my opinion this is the nicest manufacturing space in the entire Capital Region,` he said.
Gillen said Metroplex is hoping to get a developer interested in the former farm at the intersection of Interstates 88 and 90. He said a truck stop would not be the ideal development for that area and is instead hoping for a mixed-use development.
Metroplex is also planning on sharing costs with the town to upgrade the sewer treatment facility to allow for a private developer to build a sewer line down Route 7 and is helping the Hamburg Street Merchants Association. “