SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – The Schenectady County Metroplex Development Authority today announced that it will provide $200,000 to fund the clean-up and demolition of multiple properties on Van Vranken Avenue in the City’s Northside neighborhood.

The properties include the former Ritz Terrace at 1725 Van Vranken Avenue as well as the building located at 1733 Van Vranken Avenue, also a long-vacant restaurant. Metroplex will provide funding to abate asbestos in both buildings, demolish the structures, remove underground fuel tanks and grade the site making it shovel ready for development.  Metroplex is working with a local developer who hopes to build at the site.

The Northside is seeing a number of new investments at Steinmetz Park, more than $100 million investment at Northside Village (formerly Yates Village), removal of blighted homes by the Capital Region Land Bank and new home construction by Habitat for Humanity of Schenectady.  A new Stewart’s opened recently, La Gioia’s Italian Deli is planning to reopen and the new $15 million residential development called the Reserve at Towpath Trails is almost complete.

“This project continues the transformation taking place on the Northside over the last few years,” said Schenectady County Legislator Richard Patierne. “We would like to thank Metroplex for their continued commitment to our neighborhoods and look forward to bringing new development to these two sites on Van Vranken.”

“These buildings have long been vacant and underperforming on one of the Northside’s busiest business corridors,” said Schenectady County Legislator Richard Ruzzo, Chair of the Neighborhood Revitalization Committee. “Making the parcels shovel ready for development will make it easier to bring new investment to the area and complements several other projects that have contributed to the ongoing revitalization of the Northside.”

Mayor Gary McCarthy said, “Our unified economic development team at Metroplex continues to make incredible progress along our major neighborhood corridors. These ongoing revitalization efforts along Van Vranken Avenue create new opportunities for vibrant economic growth and will improve quality of life throughout the Northside neighborhood.”

Ray Gillen, Metroplex Chair said, “It is time for both of these blighted buildings to come down and we hope this opens the door to more investment and more upgrades on the Van Vranken corridor.”