A developer has $3 million in renovations planned for the old Latham Bowlers Club on Troy Schenectady Road that has been vacant for more than a decade.
Richard Rosetti, president of Rosetti Development Cos., brought his sketch plan to the Colonie Planning Board for the first time Tuesday, June 3.
Rosetti’s company headquarters is next door to the bowling alley, and he said purchasing the property is something he’s wanted to do for quite some time.
“I own the adjacent property. I’m a real safe developer, so you kind of look at the next piece and I think it enhances the piece that I have. Putting those two pieces together makes a great project. I’ve been looking at that property for 15 years,” said Rosetti.
Rosetti has started making renovations to the bowling alley already by fixing the rear concrete block wall of the bowling alley that suffered from water damage. Last year, Rosetti added new facades to the Berkshire Bank Plaza. He also said the improvements have made the empty bowling alley look even worse.
“It’s kind of an eyesore. It’s been vacant for a long time, and I felt that it would be a great site for redevelopment,” said Rosetti.
The plans include taking down 12,000 square feet and adding two new buildings. One will be 12,000 square feet, and the other will be 3,000 square feet. While there aren’t any retail stores or restaurants lined up to move in yet, Rosetti said he hasn’t shopped the space around much yet because he wanted to make some progress on the project.
“We haven’t gone full out yet, I guess I would say. Once we get a little further along in the approval process … I don’t want to go out and sell something not knowing if the town’s going to like it. I felt like they were going to like it; it’s a good project. We’re going to start meeting with potential customers for the plaza,” said Rosetti.
The new design will include a lot of brick and stucco with curved roofs and a glass, backlit roof near the main entrance. Since this a redevelopment and they have acquired permits to make some renovations. it is easier to get approvals for redevelopments because some of the work has already been done.
“A redevelopment takes less time than if it was a vacant piece of property and we’re starting over again. I used to say that when I got something approved, I didn’t think I would live long enough to see this day. I was a young man then. We expect to get this approved within the year,” said Rosetti.