Schenectady, N.Y. — The Schenectady County Metroplex Development Authority today provided an update on 51 Payment in Lieu of Tax (Pilot) agreements it administers as part of Schenectady County’s unified economic development team.

In 2012, the 51 Pilot agreements generated $9,230,318 million in tax payments to local governments, school districts and County government in 2012. This number will continue to grow as Pilots are structured to increase payments each year.  Pilot revenues have doubled since the last Metroplex Pilot update was published in 2011.

Forty-two (42) of the 51 Pilot projects were built on sites that housed empty buildings, vacant land or formerly tax-exempt property that was returned to the tax rolls.  These sites generated minimal or no taxes prior to the economic development projects being built. The other nine projects were company expansions that created new Pilot revenues.

Ray Gillen, Chair of the Schenectady County Metroplex Development Authority and Commissioner of Economic Development and Planning for Schenectady County said, “We are taking property that paid little or no taxes before and we are building projects at these sites that create new jobs and new revenues for local governments.”

In addition to the Pilot payments generated by the 51 projects, each project also pays ad valorem taxes which cover special district taxes that are not covered by Pilots. This provides additional payments to local governments in terms of fire district taxes and other fees. Many of the projects also generate sales tax revenues.

In 2013, Pilot revenues to local governments in Schenectady County will continue to increase as new projects come on line including the new Pilot agreement reached with GE in Rotterdam that will generate $4.8 million in revenues. In addition, the new Target store in Glenville, Building 14 in Rotterdam which is being added to the tax rolls for the first time ending government ownership, the doubling of the Center City Pilot in Schenectady and the return of the Curry Road Plaza in Rotterdam to the tax rolls will continue to boost Pilot revenues. In addition, the former Planned Parenthood Building at 414 Union Street and the former Girl Scouts Building at 131 State Street will be added to the tax rolls after major renovation work funded in part by Metroplex. The new Transfinder Building at 440 State Street will also be completed on a site that was previously tax-exempt. In addition, Mexican Radio will be renovating the formerly tax-exempt OTB Building at 325 State Street while Capital Living completes a $30 million project off of Hamburg Street in Schenectady that will result in new revenues on formerly vacant land. Finally, the former Schenectady Armory will also be added to the tax rolls for the first time.

17 Projects Were Built on Vacant Land that Formerly Generated Approximately $50,000 in Taxes.  Now Paying $1,875,286 in Pilot Payments:

• Railex at the Rotterdam Corporate Park $394,648. 220,000 square foot warehouse built on vacant land.
• 376 Broadway in downtown Schenectady. 24,000 square office building built on vacant land $71,866.

• Marcella’s at 564 Broadway in downtown Schenectady.  16,750 square foot facility built on vacant land $56,593.
• Unilux at Niskayuna Tech Park $102,839. 67,000 square foot manufacturing plant built on vacant land.

• Belvedere Hotel at 1930 Curry Road in Rotterdam.  28,725 square foot building built on vacant land $49,064.

• Opus Business Park (now Burdeck Street Business Park) in Rotterdam. Three buildings — 15,600 square feet building built on vacant land $18,979, 35,100 square foot building built on vacant land  $55,844 and 25,000 square foot building built on vacant land $36,798.

• Time Warner Cable at 1021 Highbridge Road in Rotterdam. 80,000 square foot office building built on vacant land $251,170.

• Dimension Fabricators at 2000 Seventh Avenue in Glenville. 152,000 square foot building built on vacant land $212,066.

• Argo Turbo Serve at 588 Broadway in downtown Schenectady.  22,000 square foot building built on former vacant lot $2,890.

• Alco site.  Vacant land brownfield remediation underway $40,000.

• FG Rotterdam Holdings in Rotterdam. 31,800 square foot office building built on vacant land $32,154.

• EMI Properties in Rotterdam.  6,600 square foot facility built on vacant land $9,690.

• NE IP Holding in Rotterdam Corporate Park.  50,000 square foot facility built on vacant land $71,773.

• FM Ventures in Rotterdam Corporate Park.  152,000 square foot building built on vacant land $275,504.

• Long Pond Village in Rotterdam.  192 unit apartment complex built on vacant land $193,408.

15 Projects Were Built on Formerly Government –Owned Land/Buildings or Tax-Exempt Land that Paid $0 in Taxes. Now Paying $1,731,976 in Pilot Payments:

• MVP at 625 State Street in downtown Schenectady. Built on government-owned land that was returned to tax rolls. 175,000 square foot office building $256,569.
• Hampton Inn at 450 State Street in downtown Schenectady. Built on government-owned land that was returned to tax rolls.  62,000 square foot hotel $144,506.

• 400 State Street in downtown Schenectady. Built on government–owned land that was returned to tax rolls. 60,200 square foot building $31,182.

• Fortitech at 2105 Technology Drive in Schenectady. Built on government-owned land that was returned to tax rolls. 130,000 square foot facility $186,994.

• Broadway Center in downtown Schenectady. Built on government–owned land that was returned to tax rolls. 140,000 square foot office building $307,455.

• 2135 Technology Drive in Schenectady. Built on government-owned land that was returned to the tax rolls. 22,000 square foot building $61,711.

• Utech at 135 Broadway in downtown Schenectady. Government-owned building that was returned to tax rolls $22,340.
• M&P Labs 2210 Technology Drive in Schenectady. Built on government-owned land that was returned to tax rolls.  18,000 square foot building $93,452.

• Pace Analytical at 2190 Technology Drive in Schenectady. Built on government-owned land that was returned to tax rolls.  15,520 square foot facility $45,519.

• 2165 Technology Drive in Schenectady. Built on government-owned land that was returned to tax rolls. 27,000 square foot building $50,982.

• 426 State Street in downtown Schenectady.  Built at government-owned building that was returned to tax rolls.  34,000 square feet $100,000.

• Former Scotia Navy Depot in Glenville $271,869.  Formerly government-owned land.

• Columbia McClellan Group at 600 McClellan Street in Schenectady. 45,550 square feet built on formerly tax-exempt property $54,789.

• Fortitech at the Schenectady County Airport in Glenville. Built on government-owned land that was returned to the tax rolls. 95,000 square feet $85,853.

• Bombers at 447 State Street in downtown Schenectady. Built at formerly government-owned building $18,755.

10 Projects Were Built at Formerly Vacant Buildings that Paid No Taxes or Nominal Taxes. Now Paying $783,002 in Pilot Payments:

• BN Partners at 1510 Maxon Road in downtown Schenectady. 240,000 square foot office building $140,150.   Former vacant retail plaza.
• 433 State Street in downtown Schenectady $150,000.  Formerly vacant four building complex on State Street.

• Villa Italia at 226 Broadway in downtown Schenectady $26,567.  Former vacant garage.

• JMR Development at 600 Liberty Street in downtown Schenectady $75,000.   Vacant retail space.

• 411 State St in downtown Schenectady $25,000.  Former vacant dollar store.

• 401 State in downtown Schenectady $63,250.  Former vacant retail store.

• 409 State in downtown Schenectady $33,000.   Former vacant dollar space.

• World Star at 450 Duane Avenue in Schenectady $179,229.    Former empty building.

• Mohawk Honda in Glenville $59,941.   Vacant auto dealership.

• Columbia Altamont at 1925 Curry Road in Rotterdam $30,865.  Vacant retail plaza.

9 Company Expansions Paying $4,840,054.  These are Company Expansions that Generated New Tax Revenue

• Three Pilots at GE Global Research Center in Niskayuna for chemical engineering building expansion, new Pilot manufacturing facility and expansion of Energy Learning Center $599,308.
• Environment One at 2773 Balltown Road in Niskayuna.  42,000 square foot facility added 34,000 square feet $93,397.

• SI Group at 2750 Balltown Road in Niskayuna.  83,640 square foot expansion $570,000.

• Kingsway Arms Nursing Center in Schenectady.  New construction addition of 56,000 square feet $237,853.
• GE battery plant and Global Renewable Energy Headquarters with a total of 470,000 square feet of renovated space in Buildings 53 and 66 at downtown Schenectady energy campus $2,661,357.

• SI Group in Rotterdam Junction. 40,000 square foot expansion $626,703.
• Price Chopper Distribution Center expansion $51,436 in increased taxes for expansion area.