SBJ 9 Broad Street #7 Glens Falls, NY 12801
SARATOGA BUSINESS JOURNAL
VOL. 31 NO. 03
www.saratogabusinessjournal.com
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GLENS FALLS, NY 12801 PERMIT #600
MAY 2026
The Saratoga Regional Health Center Will Saratoga Springs Welcomes SLICFiber Provide A Full Range Of Medical Services Expansion And New Broadband Choice
The Saratoga Regional Health Center at 612 Maple Avenue in Wilton is nearing a July soft opening, with construction continuing on the two-story medical facility and surrounding parking areas. BY ROD BACON Saratoga County is poised to be the home of a full service medical facility. Plans call for the Saratoga Regional Health Center to have a soft opening in July. Spearheaded by Rich Paulsen, founder of Albany-based Paulsen Development, and his sons, Matthew and Ryan, the twophase project will consolidate a wide range of medical specialities in a single location. According to spokesman Dr. Lenny Goldstock, an orthopedic surgeon at OrthoNY, Phase I, located at 612 Maple Avenue in Wilton, will house a branch of his practice as well as those of EyesNY, Albany ENT & Allergy Services, Saratoga Schenectady Gastroenterology Associates, and St. Peter’s Hospital.
Courtesy of BBL Construction Services
“I’ve been partners with Rich for twenty years doing medical development,” said Dr. Goldstock. “He has a history of sharing in the success of his projects by offering tenants ownership to develop ancillary revenue to the physician groups, and that’s part of the appeal of this project.” He noted that Paulsen Development has been involved in nearly all of OrthoNY’s buildings in Albany, Schenectady, Wilton and hopefully Glens Falls. OrthoNY will occupy approximately 35,000 square feet of the building that will house a large clinic space and a four-room ambulatory surgery center where physicians will be able to do everything from carpal tunnel to spinal fusion procedures. There will also be magnetic resonance imContinued On Page 9
Local government and civic officials gather at Saratoga Springs City Hall to welcome SLICFiber, which now is expanding broadband service and competition in the city and Saratoga County area. BY PAUL POST Local government and civic officials took part in a recent event at Saratoga Springs City Hall to welcome upstate New York’s fastestgrowing internet provider to the city. St. Lawrence County-based SLICFiber already serves Geyser Crest and expects to have full coverage in the Spa City within a year. “We’re not a new company, we’re just new to your neighborhood,” SLICFiber CEO Kevin Lynch said. Fiber optics is considered vital to future growth because it has almost unlimited capacity and much greater speed. A key element of modern economic development strategy involves attracting highly talented, skilled people who can work wherever and whenever they want to, but need to be sure they are connected to the rest of the world.
Courtesy SLICFiber
“Fast and reliable electronic communication in the 21st century is essential to economic development,” said Greg Connors, Saratoga Economic Development Corporation president and CEO. “It is among the top questions asked by investors contemplating their next capital investment when considering Saratoga County. SLIC’s expansion in the City of Saratoga Springs with plans to expand into Saratoga County is considered a ‘next generation’ fiber. It will replace legacy technology, provide pricing stability for its users and create full-time job opportunities.” Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce President Todd Shimkus said, “The presence of broadband fiber is an important asset for this community. It strengthens our ability to retain and attract businesses, supports our existing Continued On Page 11
Siena Poll Shows Two-Thirds Of New Saratoga Showcase Of Homes Returns Yorkers Use AI Chatbots, Use Rising Yearly This Fall For 30th Anniversary Event Forty-three percent of New York state residents say the disadvantages of artificial intelligence are too great, while 37% say the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, according to a Siena Poll released April 14. 2026. Nearly 1 in 5 respondents, 19%, said they do not know whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Two-thirds of New Yorkers, 67%, said they use AI chatbots, while 32% said they have never used an AI chatbot. Forty-four percent said they use AI at least weekly, including 21% who said they use it daily. Compared with last year, 48% said they are using AI tools more, 39% said their use is about the same and 8% said their use has decreased. Among those who use AI chatbots, 41% said they use them mostly for personal reasons, 24% mostly for professional reasons and 32% equally for both. More than half of users, 56%, said they double-check AI results always or most of the time. Twenty percent said they pay for an AI chatbot subscription. Among New Yorkers who use AI chatbots at least weekly, 28% said they pay for a premium subscription, compared with 5% of those who use chatbots infrequently. Across users, ChatGPT was the tool used most often, followed by Gemini and Copilot.
Nearly 9 in 10 residents, 92%, said they have seen content in the last 30 days that appeared to be generated by AI. Thirty-five percent said they trust results from a traditional search engine more than information provided by an AI chatbot, while 8% said they trust AI results more. Twenty-eight percent said they trust both equally and 23% said they trust neither. “Four years after ChatGPT was released to the public, AI is creeping into everyday life, whether you use a dedicated chatbot app or website, or use AI features embedded in other spaces. Almost every New Yorker, regardless of background, encounters AIgenerated content,” Associate Director of Data Management Travis Brodbeck said. “Like various forms of emerging technology, we see gaps in behaviors and attitudes between the youngest and oldest New Yorkers. These age-related differences risk creating a new element to the ‘digital divide’ where the ability to discern AI content and use AI tools is a new skill required in the digital age.” The Siena University Poll was conducted March 3-14, 2026, among 810 New York state residents. It has an overall margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points. Survey cross-tabs are available at sri.siena.edu. Provided by Siena Research Institute (SRI); edited for style and length.
The 2026 Saratoga Showcase of Homes Committee has announced this year’s dates and list of builders as of this date. Celebrating 30 years of exceptional homes, the annual tradition will be presented over four fall days, Oct. 3-4 and Oct. 10-11. The lineup will include some of the region’s finest builders for the area’s premier new-home tour event. The award-winning builders committed to this year’s event so far are Amedore Homes, Barbera Homes, Belmonte Builders, Kodiak Construction, Kohler Homes, Malta Development, Spa City Builders, Trojanski Builders, Urvalek Builders and Witt Construction, with a few more to come. Last year, $66,000 was raised, and over the past 29 years, the community event has contributed nearly $1.7 million to two local charities. Proceeds from the Showcase of Homes benefit Rebuilding Together Saratoga County, www.rtsaratoga.org, and Habitat for Humanity of Northern Saratoga, Warren and Washington Counties, www.glensfallshabitat.org. For more details on the 2026 Saratoga Showcase of Homes event, visit www.saratogashowcaseofhomes.com. Follow the event on Facebook and Instagram for updates. Sponsorship Opportunities Now Available To help celebrate this year’s milestone event, sponsorship opportunities are available for the 2026 Saratoga Showcase of Homes. Sponsorship information can be downloaded and reviewed at www.saratogashowcaseofhomes.com/sponsor-
The Saratoga Builders Association’s Showcase of Homes returns for its 30th year this fall. Courtesy Saratoga Builders
ship/. About Saratoga Builders Association The Saratoga Builders Association Inc. is a specialized professional trade association representing an industry basic to the well-being and economy of the people of Saratoga County. Its membership includes residential and commercial builders, developers, remodelers, building material suppliers, subcontractors, financial institutions, architects, engineers, Realtors, attorneys and other industry professionals. SBA is committed to the continued growth, prosperity and quality of life in Saratoga County. For more information, visit www.saratogabuilders.org.