What was recently a barren plot of land between Erie Boulevard and the Mohawk River is now occupied by concrete, glass, pavement and workers in hard hats.
As summer gets underway, much of the construction on the Mohawk Harbor site is nearing completion. The former industrial plot has transformed in the last few years from a contaminated industrial site to a development of office, retail and living space. The Galesi Group, a Rotterdam-based developer, is responsible for the 60-acre, $450 million project.
Here’s a closer look at where each property on the harbor stands, and when residents and visitors can expect to see each one open.
The Landing Hotel
1 Rush St., located next to Rivers Casino
The 165-room hotel, which makes up the “resort” portion of Rivers Casino & Resort, is on track for a mid-July debut, officials said, though a specific opening date has yet to be announced.
The property, dubbed The Landing Hotel, was the focus of a job fair last weekend, where management accepted resumes for those interested in housekeeping, reception and other positions. In addition to unveiling the hotel’s logo, Ryan Cimei would was named the hotel’s general manager. Cimei most recently worked in the same position at the Hyatt Place in Washington D.C.
Patrons can start making reservations later this month, officials said.
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The Riverhouse
221 Harborside Drive, behind the Courtyard by Marriott
The Riverhouse apartment complex, which will include dining options on the ground floor, will open to residents on Aug. 1.
The building will contain 206 apartment units, including a mix of studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom offerings. Prices range from $1,000 to $3,300, depending on the floor plan and its location in the building. Some offer views of the Mohawk River, while others look out onto Erie Boulevard.
“I think when people see it, it will be one of the nicest apartment complexes in the Capital Region,” said Dave Buicko, CEO of the Galesi Group.
The main floor will house six or seven retail tenants. The first to be announced is Druthers Brewing, which will occupy 8,000-square-feet. Its operation will include a restaurant, on-site brewing and an outdoor beer garden.
Druthers is scheduled to open in the fall, Buicko said. They will need to move equipment onto the property, but the main focus is ensuring residents can move in for Aug. 1, he said.
Galesi is working to finalize leases with other tenants, Buicko said. Much of the space in The Riverhouse will be occupied by eateries, he said, to offer visitors and residents waterfront dining. Buicko also suggested in the winter that Galesi might look to fill one space with a boutique grocery store.
Harbor Center
220 Harborside Drive, adjacent to Erie Boulevard
The Harbor Center, a $27 million, two-building complex to house retail and office space, will be finished in two phases, with the first structure completed by mid-July.
Two Harbor Center, the larger of the buildings, will provide 66,000-square-feet for businesses, and will be finished in about a month, Buicko said. One Harbor Center will be 39,000-square-feet, and is scheduled to be finished in the fall.
In both buildings, the ground floor will be used for retail, and the upper floors will be office space. Galesi is working with a variety of tenants, Buicko said, with some having signed leases, and others in the negotiation phase.
Townhouses
Located along the river, next to the Marriott and The Riverhouse
Crews have laid the foundations and framework in recent weeks for 15 townhouse units along the river, with the expectation that they will be completed this fall.
The $9 million project offers tenants two covered parking spaces and a balcony facing the river. The original proposal called for 24 units, but was downsized at the request of the city Planning Commission.
Dunkin’ Donuts and Capital Bank
304 Rush St., at the corner of Erie Boulevard and Rush Street
A building is quickly being assembled at the edge of the Erie Boulevard roundabout.
It will house a Capital Bank branch and a Dunkin’ Donuts, with the businesses opening by the fall. The full structure will be 4,240-square-feet, and include a drive-up teller and a full-service branch for the bank.
The Dunkin’ will employ 20-25 people, and will be operated the Teixeira Network, which runs several area shops.
There won’t be an entrance along Erie Boulevard. Instead, patrons will need to turn into the property at Harborside Drive, or take the roundabout exit onto Rush Street, and then turn right in front of STS Steel, Buicko said.
Amphitheater, boat slips and bike path
Located behind The Riverhouse, with the bike plath looping thorugh the property
Amid all the concrete and glass assembled on the property, there are a few other amenities in the works still.
Among those are an amphitheater staged along the water, 50 boat slips to allow for docking and the completion of a bike path that will connect the existing trails on Maxon Road Extension and the Stockade.
The amphitheater is under construction behind The Riverhouse Buicko said, and will likely be available by the early fall. He said developers will work with local agencies to determine what kind of acts and entertainment might be scheduled for the space moving forward.
“We’ll work with Proctors and the casino and the visitors bureau on all that,” he said. “We don’t want to compete with what’s already there, we want to complement it.”
Boat slips for the harbor, a football shaped cut out of water behind The Riverhouse, are in manufacturing and will be installed in August, Buicko said.
A 1.5-mile bike trail will loop through the full Mohawk Harbor development, ultimately linking up to the path near the Western Gateway Bridge and at Freemans Bridge. Some initial paving has already been done, Buicko said. A fresh path has been laid in recent weeks along Maxon Road Extension, up to Freemans Bridge.
RPI Nuclear Reactor
Along the river, near the Marriott
Among the new, modern buildings popping up across the development, there stands one small, but noticeable exception.
The white, boxy structure sitting along the water is a small nuclear reactor owned by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The reactor has been on the site since the 1950s, used by students in the college’s nuclear engineering program for research and training. The facility is only capable of producing 10 watts of electricity.
Buicko previously suggested developers might paint it as a lighthouse, and he said Monday the plan is still to dress it up in some way. Galesi is still working to get permission from RPI and other necessary agencies to do so, he said.
RPI did not respond to an email and phone call seeking comment Monday.
Categories: -News-, Business, Schenectady County
