(Schenectady, N.Y.) Schenectady County officials today announced that Columbia Development and BBL Hospitality will invest more than $4.5 million to bring its successful Recovery Sports Grill to the former Capitol Plaza in Rotterdam.
“Jobs and economic growth continue to be our focus in Schenectady County,” said Susan E. Savage, Chairwoman of the Schenectady County Legislature. “The redevelopment of Capitol Plaza will fix an area of Rotterdam that is now vacant and in poor condition and replace it with a terrific new venue.”
At the former Capitol Plaza site, Columbia and BBL Construction Services will demolish the existing structure, grade the site, build the Recovery Sports Grill — a sports-themed restaurant with more than 50 large screen televisions and a large assortment of sports memorabilia including items that connect with Rotterdam and Schenectady’s sports history. Columbia also plans to construct a second building on the site for another tenant once it completes lease negotiations, which are currently underway.
Mr. Kenneth Waldie, Director of Food and Beverage for BBL Hospitality said, “Rotterdam and Schenectady County were selected for our next Recovery Sports Grill because the community reflects the attributes we look for in our sites — namely, a close knit community with a tremendous pride and passion for their local and regional sports. The Recovery Sports Grill is a casual dining experience heavily themed with a celebration of local sports. Rotterdam possesses a rich history of sports success and iconic sports personalities that we are sure is going to make this restaurant a great place to come to eat, meet friends, and of course cheer on all your favorite teams. Our motto is “every game, every day”. We would like to thank the leadership and vision of Metroplex, the Rotterdam IDA, the Town of Rotterdam, and Schenectady County in guiding us through a challenging set of redevelopment efforts to make this all possible.”
Rotterdam Town Supervisor Fran Del Gallo, said, “This project will help dramatically improve one of the key entry ways to the Town of Rotterdam. Attracting the Recovery Sports Grill will certainly lead other retailers to take a close look at Rotterdam.”
BBL Hospitality has constructed 40 hotels with over 2 million square feet of space. The firm owns and operates 14 hotels and 7 Recovery Grills. Other Recovery Grill locations include: Albany; Troy; Amsterdam; Verona and Colonie, NY as well as Westhampton, New Jersey and Norfolk, Virginia.
BBL Construction Services is one of the largest construction companies in the United States while its development arm Columbia Development is one of the largest owners and developers of commercial properties in Upstate New York.
Robert Mallozzi, Chairman of the Rotterdam IDA said, “Since taking over the Rotterdam IDA this year, we decided to focus on a few specific goals and get these important projects done for the Town of Rotterdam. Capitol Plaza was number one on that list. We are so excited to have an organization like Columbia Development and BBL with its fantastic track record of success work with us to transform this site.”
Ray Gillen, Commissioner of Economic Development for Schenectady County and Chair of Metroplex said, “Replacing the current Capitol Plaza with an exciting new use is a fantastic opportunity for the County’s economic development team working closely with the Town of Rotterdam. We are very grateful to BBL for their commitment to our community.”
Metroplex will provide a $65,000 grant toward the cost of demolition. The Rotterdam IDA will provide a grant of $60,000 toward the cost of site work and demolition.
Construction will begin after Town approvals are granted. The Town Planning Board will hold a special meeting tonight to get the project review started.
For more information, see www.bblhospitality.com or www.recoverysportsgrill.com.