The state Department of Transportation is moving out of 50 Wolf Road in Colonie and moving in with the state Thruway Authority in Albany.
The two state agencies will be roommates at a new Transportation Resource Center that will be built at the current Thruway headquarters in Albany, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Thursday.
“In today’s economic climate, government must learn to find innovative ways to reduce costs to taxpayers,” Cuomo said in a statement. “Co-locating these two state agencies is a logical step that will achieve this goal while generating tax savings for hardworking New Yorkers.”
The new center will be completed in 2017 and be home to more than 1,400 DOT employees and 600 from the Thruway Authority. The building at 50 Wolf Road will be sold and go onto the town tax roll, and the existing Thruway headquarters will be demolished.
Initially, the state agencies were looking to move in together at 50 Wolf Road, but they found the building could not be configured to meet their operational needs. The new center will have open floor plans, shared spaces and alternative energy sources.
Putting the two state agencies in one location is also expected to streamline traffic management and emergency response statewide, according to a news release from the governor’s office.
“While the Thruway Authority will own and operate the Transportation Resource Center, no Thruway toll revenues will be used to support DOT costs relating to the project or ongoing operations, and both Thruway and DOT will see long-term cost savings,” said Tom Madison, executive director of the Thruway Authority. “The project will be completed without impacting costumer service or existing Thruway operations.”
A request for qualifications for the project was issued Thursday and bidders are expected to submit proposals later in the year. A design-build firm is set to be selected by the end of the year, with construction expected to begin in mid-2015.
“The Department of Transportation strongly supports Governor Cuomo’s efforts to operate our state government more efficiently and cost-effectively, and the Transportation Resource Center will do just that,” said DOT Commissioner Joan McDonald. “This project will enable us to provide better, more cost-effective services for New Yorkers and a more productive work environment for our employees.”
Categories: -News-, Schenectady County
