In an update on the Vista Technology Park, the developers presented plans for condominiums, as well as plans to reroute road access and decrease the amount of retail space in the park. Two major tenants were also announced.
A BBL Development Group representative brought the updated proposal before the Bethlehem Town Board during the Wednesday, March 25, meeting.
The $200 million, 400-acre technology park proposal calls for 1.4 million square feet of office space, and developers say it could lure up to 5,000 employees to the area.
Developers want to build more of a tech park then a mixed-use community, according to town Supervisor Jack Cunningham.
They reaffirmed their commitment to building a tech park, he said of the new plans.
William Herbert of BBL told town board members that a large medical manufacturing company and an electrical union would be two of the occupants of the park.
The town’s economic development director, George Leveille, said the plans are still preliminary, and the actual companies have yet to be named because of contract reasons.
`They are basically in the site project review stage,` Leveille said of when construction would begin. `It’s premature at this time but they are starting to get specific tenants for specific buildings.`
The new plans also included moving some roads around due to wetlands.
Herbert told residents and the town board that developers have also opted to build condominiums instead of a hotel that was in an earlier proposal.
Leveille praised the new plans saying that it avoids disturbing wetlands and moves the process forward.
Once BBL submits its site plan application, it would take between 60 and 180 days before they could break ground.
`Generally speaking, you’re looking at about two to four months for approval,` Leveille said. `I think it’s important to start construction this year.`
Cunningham said he also approves of the new changes.
`Vista came in, and they basically realigned the road,` Cunningham said of the presentation. `They also reduced the amount of retail and condo space from 20 percent to 18 percent. We look at it as a real positive, and so do they.`
Cunningham said BBL has worked very well with the town, agents and the project itself. He described the company as `a really good contractor.`
The new road alignment means that the town will be responsible for fewer roadways, which will take some of the financial burden off of the town, according to Leveille.
The project is looking to combine commercial business in the technology sector with some retail and residential space incorporated into the campus.
The supervisor said the board would now look at the implications that condominiums will have on infrastructure and water and wastewater capabilities as opposed to the hotel. The tech park will connect to an extension to Route 85, essentially linking it with Interstate 90 and the Northway.
Leveille said the hotel was not totally eliminated from the plans, but was excluded from the first phase of construction because it would not be economically feasible until the park and surrounding area was built up.
`We like the idea of condos he substituted which helps feed the hamlet concept,` Leveille said, adding that in a later construction phase, a Glen Sanders type hotel may be added down the road on the `old Dr. Jones site.`
The hotel could then have conference rooms to accommodate the technology sector’s interest.
Assemblyman Tim Gordon, I-Bethlehem, said that fellow lawmakers in the state Assembly have included $3 million for the Vista Tech Park in their preliminary budget, which he called `the first step.`
The Assembly and the Senate vote on their own budgets in addition to the governor’s proposed budget each year before a finalized state budget is proposed by April 1.
`Our Assembly budget that we voted on included $3 million for infrastructure for the Vista Technology Park to move forward,` Gordon said. `Coming from the Bethlehem Town Board when it was first proposed, I certainly recognize the importance of the Vista project to this area.`
Gordon said Vista would greatly increase the town’s commercial tax base and added that things were looking favorable for an on-time budget.
`It’s wonderful to see some concrete steps to having the plans continue,` he said of BBL’s presentation at Town Hall. `It seems to be consistent with the town’s comprehensive plan that we initiated.`
Phase-one construction will include `seven or eight buildings,` according to Leveille, which would include smaller `bank-sized buildings,` to larger constructions of 50,000-to-80,000-square-foot office buildings.“