Schenectady, N.Y. — Schenectady County officials today joined with the Village of Scotia to announce that McDonald’s Corporation has agreed to sell to Metroplex for $1 a site that the company owns on Mohawk Avenue, the main business corridor in Scotia. Metroplex will clean-up environmental contamination at the site. Once clean-up is complete, Metroplex will sell the site to Mazzone Management Group adding to redevelopment efforts in the Village of Scotia.
“We thank McDonald’s for working with the County’s Unified Economic Development team and donating to Metroplex this 1.1 acre site at the entryway to the Village of Scotia,” said Marty Finn, Chair of the Schenectady County Legislature’s Committee on Economic Development. “We also thank Angelo Mazzone for his plans to buy and redevelop the site. This site, along with the new $8 million Scotia Manor Project, will be a catalyst for additional development along Mohawk Avenue that will benefit the Village and the entire Schenectady County community.”
Scotia Mayor Kris Kastberg said, “This site has been a priority in the Village for many years. Metroplex and the County did a great job in securing the site and with the reputation for quality associated with Mazzone Management Group, this project will be another step forward in energizing Scotia’s business district.”
The County’s economic development team led by Metroplex negotiated an agreement with McDonald’s to move forward with redevelopment of the site which is at the gateway to the Village of Scotia.
Metroplex has conducted extensive testing on the site and has developed a plan to remediate the property. Remediation work involves a small portion at the front of the site facing Mohawk Avenue which has soil impacted by petroleum product at a depth of 8 to 10 feet. The soil will be removed and replaced with clean fill. Metroplex will work closely with NYS DEC to remediate the site. Once the clean-up is complete, Metroplex will sell the site to Mazzone Management Group who will reimburse Metroplex for clean-up costs up to $250,000.
Ray Gillen, Chair of Metroplex and Commissioner of Economic Development and Planning for Schenectady County said, “McDonald’s listened to the County’s concerns and responded in a big way by agreeing to donate this property so that we can redevelop it. We thank McDonald’s and we thank Angelo Mazzone for stepping forward to redevelop the site.”
Once clean-up work is complete and title to the property is transferred to Mazzone Management Group later this year, the company plans to improve the lot and use it initially for overflow parking at the Glen Sanders Mansion which is located very close by.
Mazzone will consider use of the site for future retail and business uses to support the growth of his company including potentially using the site to house a wholesale and retail baking operation and other retail stores.
Angelo Mazzone said, “I am very excited about the future of this lot. We will begin the initial beautification process immediately after the soil cleanup is completed by Metroplex. The Village of Scotia is a vibrant community and where my company really got its start. I am glad that we are able now to grow more within the Village.”
Metroplex worked with Pat Mullowney Real Estate, Inc. of Wellesley, Massachusetts on the sale of the property. Mr. Mullowney represented McDonald’s in negotiations for the sale and redevelopment of the property.
Metroplex has a successful track record in remediating brownfield sites in Schenectady County including redevelopment of the former Big N Plaza, the Alco site, several major lots downtown, the former Capitol Plaza in Rotterdam, a former gas station where the new SCCC housing is located, sites on Technology Drive and others.