BY STEPHEN WILLIAMS, The Daily Gazette

ROTTERDAM — Longtime Rotterdam residents may remember shopping at the Grant’s or K-Mart on Curry Road.

But the Curry Road Shopping Plaza stopped making new memories for shoppers more than 25 years ago and became one of the most prominent eyesores in Rotterdam, even though it sat in the heart of town. It was a blighted spot that state, county and town officials worked for more than a decade to redevelop.

“It’s been a very high priority of the county’s for a very long time,” said Ray Gillen, chairman of the Schenectady County Metroplex Development Authority.

The long-vacant 85,000-square-foot plaza was demolished in September 2016, and on Thursday the developer and community leaders came together to mark the halfway point in the 10-acre site’s renaissance as a $28 million luxury apartment complex.

“For a town like Rotterdam, I don’t want to say it’s a big deal — it’s awesome,” said Town Supervisor Steven A. Tommasone.

The first four buildings of the Residences at Vista Square — three-story “great house” buildings with 26 apartments each — have opened, and work on the next four buildings is starting. In all, 208 apartments are approved for the site. A clubhouse and outdoor pool are also part of the complex.

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