Sports grill expected to revitalize Capitol Plaza
Columbia Development and BBL Hospitality are investing more than $4.5 million to give Capitol Plaza in Rotterdam a facelift and bring their chain restaurant Recovery Sports Grill to the prime retail location.
Columbia and BBL Construction will demolish the existing structure built in the 1950s at the Capitol Plaza and build the sports-themed restaurant featuring 50 large-screen televisions and a large collection of sports memorabilia, including items connected to Rotterdam and Schenectady’s sports history. Also, a second building is planned to be constructed and hold a bank, but due to ongoing negotiations the particular bank couldn’t be revealed.
`Today we are here to announce a new beginning for this important site in the gateway to Rotterdam and a key building in a key corridor,` said Susan Savage, D-Niskayuna, chairwoman of the Schenectady County Legislature. `This is a great retail location and the Recovery Sports Grill will make this key corner a destination within our county, and it will help to attract other retailers to Altamont Avenue and to Rotterdam.`
Metroplex Development Authority is providing a $65,000 grant toward demolition costs, and the Rotterdam Industrial Development Agency is providing a $60,000 grant toward demolition and site work costs.
`We pride ourselves having an economic development almost every week in Schenectady,` said Metroplex Chairman Ray Gillen. `It shows the momentum and the leadership position our economic development program has in upstate New York.`
This is the seventh Recovery Sports Grill to be opened, and there is one located in Albany. There will be an immediate need for 30 employees with the possibility for more. The Capitol Plaza has been empty for almost four years.
`This project is important, because it creates jobs, it creates sales tax, it will create momentum in an exciting new venue in part of Rotterdam,` said Savage. `It will clean up this site and make it a corner that Rotterdam and all of Schenectady County can be proud of once again.`
In less than six months the town of Rotterdam should be able to experience Recovery’s atmosphere and offerings.
`The Recovery Sports Grill is really a celebration of sports,` said Stephen Obermayer, executive vice president of BBL. `It’s about coming to a place for good food, good times and cheering on your favorite team. We’ve seen the passion that Rotterdam has towards its sports, and we know it is going to work very, very well here.`
Marc Goldstein, director of real estate for Columbia Development Companies, said developing in the suburbs is not as easy as some think, so his organization focuses on cities and towns like Rotterdam.
`We are concentrating on the cities of Albany, Schenectady, Troy and the town Rotterdam, because we’re welcomed into the cities and the neighborhoods, and we’re able to design, plan and implement new projects within a reasonable period of time and at reasonable costs utilizing existing infrastructure,` said Goldstein. `This site is certainly one of the most visible in the town of Rotterdam. It provides exposure and traffic ` two key ingredients for restaurants and retailers.`
The restaurant will be 62,000 square feet and face Curry Road, while the planned bank is 25,000 square feet and will face Altamont Avenue. Demolition is expected to start in three to four weeks.
`Today is just the beginning and not the end,` said Francis Del Gallo, Rotterdam Town Board supervisor. `Let’s continue to move forward and build more buildings, get more tax base. Let’s make it easier for the builders to build.`
Del Gallo also joked, `You know I like to drink beer. You can see it just by looking at me.“
