Officials trumpet Glenville’s business growth assets

PHOTOGRAPHER: Michael Goot

Proximity to an airport, an industrial park and major industries are selling points as Glenville officials lobby for state economic development dollars.

Town Supervisor Chris Koetzle recently submitted a letter to the Capital Region Economic Development Council touting the potential opportunities for business growth in Glenville.

The council and other state councils have the job of coming up with economic development plans that will compete for a share of $200 million in state funds for economic development projects.

Koetzle said the Glenville Small Business and Economic Development Committee is proactively trying to bring business to Glenville and assisted in drafting the letter.

Koetzle said the Schenectady County Airport is a great resource for future growth. “It can accommodate fairly large aircraft. It’s perfectly located between GE Battery and GlobalFoundries.”

Committee Chairman Jim Martin also said he sees a huge opportunity for private traffic coming into the airport. “It’s a logical location for potential vendors, equipment suppliers,” he said.

Town officials are also touting that the Glenville Business and Technology Park off Route 5 has more than 300 acres with more than 1.3 million square feet of development space. The federal government is in the process of cleaning up a 65-acre site abutting the property that was formerly home to the Scotia Navy Depot. It will also demolish old dilapidated buildings, clearing the path for redevelopment.

Martin said there are other viable vacant properties in town that could be used to bring in a new business or expand an existing one, including in the Freemans Bridge Road corridor and the town center area near the intersection of Glenridge Road and Route 50. Target will build a new store near that corner at the site of a vacant Kmart.

The next step is for the council to evaluate all the proposals and make recommendations for what will be included in the governor’s master plan, according to Koetzle. Then, the discussion of specific projects will begin.

Martin said the first round of grant awards will be made sometime in mid-winter. If the region misses out the first time, he said, at least it has drawn attention to the area. “If you make yourself known, you’re going to get on the radar screen. And that was our intent,” he said.

Schenectady County is assisting with the application. Ray Gillen, county commissioner of economic development and planning, said he is pleased that town officials are highlighting the importance of the Schenectady County Airport, the county’s efforts to develop the Airport Business Park and the effort to keep the Stratton Air National Guard Base open.

“We are also pleased with their inclusion of the Glenville Business and Technology Park, where we recently reached an agreement with the [federal government] to address environmental issues so that more development can take place,” he said.