Riverside property can be prime real estate for developers, but this past summer has shown proximity to water can also invite disaster.
That’s why developers of Schenectady’s 60-acre ALCO brown field site are taking precautions. Tropical Storms Irene and Lee gave Schenectady County officials and residents an idea of what worst-case flooding scenarios could entail, with flood levels from the Mohawk River nearing the 100-year flood level.
The ALCO brownfield directly borders the Mohawk. As the Galesi Group prepares 60,000 square feet for development, with construction planned to be completed in the summer of 2013, developers say the issue of flooding was examined early on.
“As far as we can tell … the ALCO site never really had any serious flooding issues at the site,” said Ray Gillen, commissioner of Economic Development and Planning for Schenectady County. “You do prepare for the worst case, you do prepare for the 100- and 500-year (flood) events … they use modern building practices.”
Gillen referenced the large mounds of dirt recently deposited that will help lift the entire site up 6 feet before any new building are constructed. He said the dirt is checked to by the state to make sure it’s clean. The site is also in an outer zone of the Great Flats Aquifer recharge area.
Gillen said flooding should not be “a cause of concern,” because development plans aim to have no impact if a similar or worse flood occurs.
“We anticipate and build into the site plan any ways to deal with a flood risk,” Gillen said.
David Buicko, chief operating officer of Galesi Group, said “a significant amount of fill” had already been brought to the site. In addition to raising the site, he said the company would also work with engineers to minimize any impacts from significant flooding.
“We want to make sure we get the property over the 100-year flood plain,” Buicko said.
The normal depth of the Mohawk River near the site is 8 to 10 feet below the riverbanks, said Buicko, so the 6-foot raise adds a large level of protection.
“From our standpoint we can use statistics … with what is a 100-year flood and take steps to minimize or mitigate any potential flooding,” Buicko said. “Any time you are dealing with areas that have a propensity to flood, which this is not … there is ways to minimize (effects), which is utilizing garages or basements and living areas.”
Gillen said modern building practices are being followed, such as placing utilities boxes higher up to prevent flood damage. Also, groundwater management efforts are focused on per the site planning process.
Buicko said the Galesi Group has reach out to a variety of stakeholders and community members through focus groups to gain insight. The next phase of the project will include a feasibility and sensibility study to determine how the site is to be built out.
A mixed commercial and residential development is planned for the site. Buicko said what type of tenants would be the target for apartments is still being considered, but the housing could range from student living to senior housing.
“We are looking at this as a regional project,” Buicko said. “It is a natural extension of the residential development in the stockade … just a couple hundred years or more and newer.”
The project was recently awarded $940,000 through Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Regional Economic Development Council initiative. Less than a week later on Wednesday, Dec. 14, the project received a larger boost in funding from the Empire State Development’s Board of Directors totaling $4 million. The redevelopment initiative is estimated to total $12 million.
