SCHENECTADY, N.Y. — The Schenectady County Legislature passed a resolution through committee tonight to enter into an agreement for the option and purchase of 754 State Street in the City of Schenectady to facilitate the construction of a food market at that location. To take effect, the resolution must also pass during the regular meeting of the legislature on September 13, 2022.
Several neighborhoods within the City of Schenectady have been identified by the US Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service as low-income census tracts where a significant number or share of residents is more than ½ mile from the nearest supermarket in an urban setting.¹
“We’ve been looking for ways to bring a food market to this part of the city so families can more easily access healthy and affordable food,” said Schenectady County Legislator Gary Hughes, Chair of the Economic Development & Planning Committee. “Our goal is to use ARPA funds to invest in projects like this, that will have a lasting impact on our community. We think this is an ideal location due to its proximity to areas that have been identified as lacking access to healthy, fresh foods, and that our pledge to invest up to $3 million to construct the market will help us attract a developer that will make this project a reality.”
754 State Street
The property at 754 State Street in the City of Schenectady is 2.13 acres, includes a large building, and is accessible from both Albany Street and State Street.
Option Agreement and RFP
The Option Agreement gives the county the right to purchase the property for $950,000 for a period of 548 days (1.5 years) or allows the county to assign this option to the chosen developer. The price of the option is $10,000, which will be deducted from the purchase price if the option is exercised.
The Legislature has asked the County’s Director of Economic Development and Planning to develop an RFP (Request for Proposals), which would provide up to $3 million to construct a food market on the property.