Four new buildings have been proposed for the Vista Technology Park in Slingerlands.
On Thursday, June 14, the town’s Industrial Development Agency held a public meeting to hear comments from residents about the projects. The developers for each of the buildings have applied for tax abatements with the IDA under a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) agreement.
Columbia Development has plans to build three of the proposed structures. Thomas Keaney, the company’s project executive, presented them to members of the IDA. Keaney was a former employee of BBL Construction, the company hired to build the Vista Technology Park.
The plans call for one single-floor, 6,000-square-foot building containing a restaurant called The Garden Bistro, a retail store and a telecommunications user. That building would create 25 new jobs, said Keaney. The next building would also be 6,000 square feet on a single floor and would be a Community Care Professionals medical building.
“Dr. (Lev) Barats with CCP is relocating his practice to Vista Development to go ahead with his group and offer their medical services for internal medicine to their client base here in the Town of Bethlehem,” said Keaney.
The third building proposed by Columbia Development is a 7,500-square-foot, two-story, multi-use building. It would have retail users on the first floor and office space on the second floor. Expected tenants include a hair salon, a medical center and another telecommunications user.
Albany Enterprises is proposing one 15,000-square-foot building with two stories. It would house Cornea Consultants, an eye care and vision corrections practice. The presentation was given by Stephen Reilly, a partner with Whiteman, Osterman & Hanna, on behalf of Albany Enterprises. The building would create nine jobs, he said.
“The practice has a facility today in the town, however the lease is not being renewed and an existing tenant in the building is moving into that space,” said Reilly. “The doctor would love to stay in the town, wants to stay in the town, but he has looked at facilities outside the town and financial assistance from the IDA is very much an important factor for keeping the practice in Bethlehem.”
Two people spoke out against the project not because of uses, but because of the tax abatements being sought.
Developers are seeking sales tax and mortgage abatements on all the new buildings. They also are asking for a tier II PILOT agreement from the IDA, which is considered the standard for the Vista project. It provides tenants with 50 percent off their taxes in the first year, which diminishes to 5 percent by the 10th year of the agreement.
A tier I PILOT, which is what ShopRite and the two banks now being built within Vista were provided, is considered an enhanced agreement, with the tenants paying no taxes for the first two years of the 12 year agreement.
Bethlehem IDA Chairman Frank Venezia gave a presentation on the PILOT systems to the Town Board on Wednesday, June 13, to help residents and board members better understand the process. He said the reason for giving the first businesses Tier I status was to get more businesses interested in the Vista Tech Campus, and he thinks it worked. “There are more applications in the pipeline that will fit the intended use of the park, which are tech-type businesses,” he said.
Chris Kidera, co-chairwoman of the town’s Budget Advisory Committee, spoke out at the public hearing against the abatements. She said none of the projects really diversified the types of businesses already in the town to attract employment.
“Now I know you’re trying to get Visa off the ground … but take a look around,” she said. “They’re firing teachers and the town is struggling, so I’m not sure these are the best of times to create 10-year abatements.”
The IDA will discuss the applications at its next meeting on Friday, June 22 at 8 a.m. Venezia said if the applications are denied the developers can resubmit their proposals, but speculated they would most likely look to promote their projects in a municipality that would give them a better deal.
