A Colonie-based engineering company will relocate to the fourth floor of Center City in downtown Schenectady, bringing 30 jobs to Schenectady County, local officials said. M/E Engineering is taking over 10,000 square feet of the floor, displacing the longtime offices of the Metroplex Development Authority. Metroplex will take over the remaining 3,000 square feet on the fourth floor, with M/E holding an option to take over the remaining space if needed, said Metroplex Chairman Ray Gillen.

“We leased up our own office space. Everything is for lease,” he said with a laugh.

Metroplex will provide a $100,000 grant to reimburse the company for a portion of its lease costs, Gillen said. Metroplex will recoup the grant by leasing the company parking spaces, he said.

M/E contacted Metroplex about leasing space when the engineering company decided to expand operations, Gillen said. “We know [M/E] from their work, which is excellent,” he said. M/E is expected to occupy the fourth-floor space by the end of the year.

Joe Straub, a founding partner of M/E Engineering and managing partner of the Capital Region office, said, “We are excited about moving our Capital Region office to Schenectady and the opportunity this relocation will bring to M/E Engineering. Schenectady is a business-friendly city with all of the amenities our employees deserve.”

Susan E. Savage, chairwoman of the Schenectady County Legislature, said the M/E announcement is “further proof that our community is leading the way in terms of new jobs and new investments.”

The Center City project is a $30 million, 200,000-square-foot office, retail and fitness facility being developed by the Galesi Group. It sits across from Proctors. Other Center City tenants include MVP, NBT Bank and the Schenectady YMCA branch.

M/E Engineering specializes in designing energy-efficient and cost-effective mechanical and electrical systems for large buildings and energy projects. The firm has a staff trained in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design as well as being an Energy Star provider and a member of the Green Building Council. It is based in Rochester with offices in Buffalo and Syracuse.

David M. Buicko, chief operating officer of the Galesi Group, said Center City offers Class A office space, including an in-house fitness center.

“We are very pleased that M/E has agreed to come onboard this exciting downtown project,” he said.