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NEWS RELEASE For Immediate Release
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Contact: Ray Gillen, Metroplex
(518) 377-1109
(518) 461-7137 (cell)
Metroplex Board Okays Funding to Help Schenectady County Compete for
Meetings and Conferences
Also Approves Land Transfer for New Train Station and Funding for Legere Armory
Schenectady, N.Y., May 20, 2015 – The Schenectady County Metroplex Authority approved funding today to help Schenectady compete for meetings and conferences. The Metroplex Board also approved funding for renovations to the Legere Armory and a land transfer needed for the new $15 million train station in downtown Schenectady.
Metroplex will provide a grant of $23,500 to the Schenectady County Visitors Agency (SCVA) to develop materials and retain sales consultants needed for Schenectady to compete for and win new convention and meeting business.
“We have three new hotels with almost 400 hotel rooms coming on line including a new Marriott Courtyard and a DoubleTree by Hilton. The new Rivers Casino will include a large meeting space that can handle conferences and large meetings up to 800 people. In addition, Mohawk Harbor and the Rivers Casino will be linked to downtown with shuttle service putting Schenectady in a strong position to compete for regional meetings hosted by State associations, trade groups, labor organizations and many others,” said Ray Gillen, Metroplex Chair.
The SCVA is sponsored by Proctors and is the tourism promotion agency for Schenectady County. SCVA will contract with Meeting Industry Experts based in Schenectady (www.meetingie.com) to assemble materials needed to market the County as a meeting destination and submit bids for upcoming meetings. SCVA will attend the June meeting of the Empire State Society of Association Executives to begin the conference and meeting recruitment effort.
Existing conference facilities downtown include Center City, GE Theater, Key Hall, Legere Armory as well as other amenities and meeting locations in a walkable downtown environment that is attractive to meeting planners. The conference recruitment effort will also work closely with the Hampton Inn, Parker Inn, Stockade Inn and Glen Sanders Mansion.
The Legere Armory is undergoing over $500,000 in upgrades including installation of a removable turf surface so that the facility can host soccer, lacrosse, baseball, field hockey, volleyball and basketball leagues, events and tournaments. The Armory main floor is 27,500 square feet with no columns making it one of the largest meeting venues in the Capital Region.
Metroplex is providing a $90,000 grant to help with renovation costs.
Finally, the Board approved the transfer of 2,400 square feet of property at a Metroplex owned parking lot that is located next to the existing Amtrak station that will be demolished to make way for the new downtown rail station. The new station has a slightly larger footprint so additional land was needed. Construction of a temporary station is scheduled to start this summer followed by demolition of the current structure and construction of the new station, the only Amtrak facility located in a downtown in the Capital Region.
“The new station is a high priority so we are pleased to make this land available helping to move forward another great development project in downtown Schenectady,” Gillen said.
For more information about Metroplex projects in Schenectady County, see www.schenectadymetroplex.org.
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