PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE
GBJ 9 Broad Street #7 Glens Falls, NY 12801
VOL. 34 NO. 08
PAID
GLENS FALLS, NY 12801 PERMIT #600
HH The Business Newspaper of Warren and Washington Counties HH
www.glensfallsbusinessjournal.com
OCTOBER 2022
Building To House Farmers’ Market Will Be Fort William Henry To Upgrade Its ‘Carriage Curved, With Plenty Of Room For Activities House,’ Making Room for Larger Events
This is a rendering of the building at South and Elm streets in Glens Falls that will be the new home for the Farmers’ market, and a hub for other activities. BY R.J. DELUKE Plans for the building at South and Elm streets in Glens Falls that will be home to the Farmers’ Market and other community events have changed over time. So have the costs that started a few years ago at about $2.8 million and are now upward of $4 million. But plans are moving forward toward a building that its designers say will be a unique, cherished downtown center. Devon Telberg of Envision Architects and Peter Loyola, principal of CLA Site Landscape Architecture, Engineering & Planning outlined the latest plan to the City Planning Board on Oct. 4. “We tried to listen to all the stakeholders,” said Telberg. “We want this to be something unique an special for your community.” The building is at the center of the downtown
Envision Architects
redevelopment plan that earned a $10 million state Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant in 2016 for the land on South Street, west of the intersection with Elm Street where the former OTB building stood at 51-57 South St. Jeff Flagg, Glens Falls director of economic development, said the design has gone through different iterations since the first blueprints were developed by JMZ Architects. He said there were three goals in getting the building designed. It had to be “as flexible as possible” to accommodate many other community events in addition to the Farmers’ Market; “as sustainable as possible” and be able to meet environmental standards that have become more strict even since the city was awarded state money for its development; and a careful eye has to be kept on the budget so it is responsible use Continued On Page 15
Towers Hall, also known as the Carriage House, is Fort William Henry Hotel’s oldest building and is slated for a major renovation to start later this year. BY PAUL POST A $3 million upgrade is slated for Fort William Henry Hotel’s oldest building, allowing the resort to host both more and larger weddings and events throughout the year. The hotel website says Towers Hall, also known as the Carriage House, was built for use as an early 20th century automobile garage on the property’s southwest corner overlooking Lake George. The structure is used for events such as Americade, Adirondack Nationals Car Show, Lake George Music Festival, theater productions and meetings for various groups. But increased demand for large weddings has prompted hotel officials to move forward with a project that has been under consideration for several years.
“We actually started working with (Albany-based) BBL Construction in 2015,” said Kathy Muncil, resort chief executive officer. “We had most of the plans done and then the pandemic hit. In a perfect world, we’ll start construction by the end of October and open by May 1. We’re working as hard as we can to accomplish that. At present, the hotel’s largest wedding venue is its White Lion Room, with a capacity for about 150 people. The renovated Towers Hall would hold about 400 guests, Muncil said. Fort William Henry has never hosted more than 50 weddings per year. It’s hoped that Towers Hall upgrades will allow more than 60 each year, she said. “Lots and lots of weddings would like to Continued On Page 14
StoredTech Wins Large Business Of Year Special Olympics New York Returns Award; Six Others Honored At ARCC Event To Glens Falls On October 21 and 22 Seven businesses took home awards at the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce 2022 Business of the Year awards breakfast on Oct. 6 at Dunham’s Bay Resort, Lake George. The annual event honors chamber members who are nominated by their peers and interviewed by the Business Awards Nomination Committee to determine the winners. Winners were awarded in seven categories. They were: Large Business, StoredTech; Steven M. Sutton Small Business, KIRSH Helmets; Large Nonprofit Organization, Community, Work & Independence, Inc. (CWI); Small Nonprofit Organization, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Southern Adirondacks. Professional Business, Mannix Marketing; Rookie Business, The Eden Center of Integrative Care; Community Champion, Amie & Juan Gonzales of Hunt Companies, Inc. “There was a true sense of community at the ARCC Business Awards this year,” said ARCC President and CEO Tricia Rogers. “Everyone was so excited to be there, and to celebrate each other. The energy was positive, and it was amazing to see so many people come out to show their support.” Over 36 businesses were nominated in seven categories. The winners, in their re-
The ARCC held its Business of the Year awards breakfast at Dunham’s Bay Resort. spective categories, were: In the Large Business category, other nominees in the category were Amsure Insurance, Continued On Page 15
Special Olympics New York will hold the 2022 State Fall Games in and around Glens Falls on Oct. 21 and 22. Organizers said the games will bring 1,300 athletes and coaches to the Capital Region— nearly three times as many participants as last year’s event. The games will kick off with a signature Special Olympics New York Opening Ceremony on Friday night, Oct. 21, in City Park. Competition will take place all day Saturday, Oct. 22, in seven sports: bocce, cross-country running, cycling, golf, equestrian, soccer and softball. Special Olympics New York President and CEO Stacey Hengsterman and Glens Fall Mayor Bill Collins last month put out a call for volunteers to support the games. The jobs include event setup and breakdown, registration, scorekeepers, timers, photographers, golf caddies, and more. No experience is necessary. Volunteer registration can be completed online at www.specialolympics-ny.org/competition/volunteeratfallgames. “State Games is the competition that our athletes prepare for all year,” said Hengsterman. “We are so grateful to the Glens Fall community for welcoming us back as we celebrate the achievements of our athletes and
Special Olympics New York will bring 1,300 athletes and coaches to the Capital Region. the unwavering support of people with intellectual disabilities that Glens Falls exemplifies so well.” Continued On Page 15