Eight months after the groundbreaking ceremony took place to officially mark the start of construction at the Vista Technology Campus in Slingerlands, one building is nearly complete and work on four more structures has begun.
A mild winter was beneficial to the ambitious project, according to BBL Construction Vice President Jon DeForest. As of today, all utility lines have been installed and the sanitary sewer system, drainage and a pump station is finished. The construction of the road into the campus, Vista Boulevard, is in the final stages.
“We are proud of the work that has been done over the past several months,” said Deforest. “It’s coming along beautifully.”
A ShopRite grocery store in on schedule to open in late September, and with electricity and water available inside the building, the company has already begun to move in equipment and products. Work is also nearly complete on a SEFCU Bank branch, which will open in October.
Deforest said construction of other buildings to the front of the site will not get in the way of shoppers come opening weekend. Soon, landscaping efforts will begin and signage will be installed to help customers navigate the campus. The other construction sites will also be spruced up.
“You won’t believe how much different this place will look in a few weeks time,” he said.
A 15,000-square-foot building with two stories is the next space on schedule to open in December. The building would house Cornea Consultants, an eye care and vision corrections practice currently located in Slingerlands. A Berkshire Bank is set to open in the first quarter of 2013.
In June, Cornea Consultants received a tax abatement of $351,000 in incentives and a 10-year payment in lieu of taxes agreement worth $134,000 by the town’s Industrial Development Agency connected to the move to Vista. The PILOT cuts 50 percent off taxes in the first year, which eventually diminishes to 5 percent by the 10th year of the agreement.
ShopRite and the two banks approved for the campus received an “enhanced” agreement, according to IDA Chairman Frank Venezia, with a 100 percent abatement in the first two years of the agreement and a 10 percent annual decline over the next decade.
Work has also begun on another building whose lead business was offered tax abatements from the IDA. The 6,000-square-foot, single-floor structure that will house the medical practice of Dr. Lev Barats from Community Care Professionals is set to open in early 2013. The practice was granted a tax abatement of $130,000 in incentives and a 10-year payment in lieu of taxes agreement worth $120,000. The lease for the practice is for 15 years.
In all, eight structures have been included in the first stage of development in Vista. Two more mixed-use buildings including retail businesses are set to be built, along with a restaurant at the front of the property. Deforest said 100 workers are on the site at any given time and stage one of the project had created space for 300 full-time workers.
Stage two of development towards the back of the campus will be reserved for technology companies.
“People complain that all the project is is retail, but Vista is so much more than that,” said Deforest, who added a major announcement is set to be made in coming weeks about a firm’s interest into setting up shop at Vista. He declined to discuss specifics.
When fully built, the campus should include 1.4 million square feet of retail, business and residential space.
Town Director of Economic Development and Planning Mike Morelli said interest in the campus has grown now that potential investors can see how the site is developing.
“Now that it’s no longer just a bunch of woods and fields, tenants can see their plans taking shape,” he said. “This has been a remarkable project for the town that is taking place in such a soft economy.”
The back of the campus goes through the former LeGrange Farm and into New Scotland. There, pad sites are being cleared, but the LeGrange family cemetery has been left undisturbed. A fence was put around the gravesite and is showcased in the middle of a large roundabout. The historic LeGrange homestead can be viewed to the left of the campus.
“We worked with the state Historic Preservation Office on the project, and everything was done with the utmost care,” said Morelli.
A nature trail is in the works to be developed around the campus. Sidewalks and walking paths will be installed so workers can easily move to other businesses within Vista to eat lunch or shop. The roadways were also made extra wide so bike paths can be created, a goal of the town’s comprehensive plan.
“Our goal is to get in front of the town for site plan approval for future projects within the next month or two,” said Deforest.
