Schenectady, N.Y., February 11, 2026 — The Metroplex Board met this evening and approved four new projects in Schenectady County.
“Revitalizing underused properties and investing in infrastructure are critical to Schenectady County’s future,” said Gary Hughes, Chair of the Schenectady County Legislature. “Metroplex continues to move important projects forward that strengthen our neighborhoods and position our county for long-term success.”
In the Village of Scotia, Metroplex will assist with plans to renovate the former Scotia Mansion Nursing Home located at 39 Wallace Street. The nursing facility closed in August of 2025. The building is approximately 10,200 square feet and sits on a prominent corner lot in the Village of Scotia. The project will revitalize the vacant property, creating 16 apartments.
The renovation project is being undertaken by Bogdon Development LLC., a partnership between Dylan and Dante Bogdon, owners of Fratelli Fabricating, a metal roof and trim fabrication business in Schenectady. Bogdon Development, founded in 2019, has renovated 19 properties in Scotia since 2019.
The project features exterior improvements including new siding, roofing, windows, and improved landscaping. Interior renovations will include full replacement of electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems, as well as the reconfiguration of interior spaces into apartment units. The project is anticipated to take approximately 12-18 months to complete.
The total project budget is close to $1.5 million. Metroplex’s participation includes a $60,000 facade matching grant and an exemption on sales taxes for purchases of materials, supplies, and FF&E associated with the project.
In Rotterdam, Metroplex is helping to fill a vacant Office Max retail store with a new ACE Hardware store and distribution facility. Hatchet Hardware is a rapidly expanding, family-owned and operated authorized ACE Hardware dealer.
The company started with one store and has expanded to nine locations. The Rotterdam project involves the acquisition and fit-up of the approximately 23,500-square-foot vacant former Office Max building to create a new ACE/Hatchet Hardware location. In addition, the project will include a logistics hub that will serve the other Hatchet Hardware stores as well as future sites.
The total project budget is approximately $5 million. The project will bring approximately 15-20 new full-time jobs to Rotterdam.
Metroplex’s participation involves a $95,000 grant and an exemption on sales taxes for purchases of materials, supplies, and FF&E associated with the project.
The Board also approved a project that will demolish the long vacant Glenhaven Elementary School in Glenville. The building has been vacant since 2008. The approximately 58,000-square-foot building is located on a 38-acre site adjacent to a residential neighborhood. The former school is in very poor condition.
A development partnership consisting of Michael Roman of C2 Design Group and Ryan Lucey of LSI Development Group has acquired the property and plans to redevelop the site. The project will be completed in two phases. Phase One includes demolition and environmental abatement of the former school building, along with construction of necessary infrastructure improvements to prepare the site for redevelopment. Phase Two consists of the construction of up to 27 single-family residential homes.
Schenectady County submitted a successful application to Empire State Development’s County Infrastructure Grant Program and was awarded a $1 million grant for the project in 2025. The grant will support phase one of the project including demolition and new site infrastructure. The total project budget is estimated at $14.6 million, with the phase one infrastructure budget of approximately $2.43 million. Metroplex’s participation involves an exemption on sales taxes for purchases of materials, supplies, and FF&E associated with phase one of the project.
Finally, the board approved a study that will explore a cross-county connection for the Empire State Trail, between Schenectady and Saratoga Counties. The Empire State Trail is a statewide, multi-use trail network spanning roughly 750 miles, making it the longest multi-use trail system in the United States. It connects New York City to Canada and Albany to Buffalo, linking urban centers, small towns, rural communities, and major tourism destinations across the state.
In January, Metroplex issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to seek proposals to conduct a feasibility study to create a multi-use trail connecting the Empire State Trail in Schenectady County with the Zim Smith Trail in Saratoga County. There was one response to the RFQ from Verity Engineering based in Troy. Verity Engineering has worked on a number of other trail projects around New York including the Hudson Valley, Albany, and the Southern Tier.
The project will be a collaboration between Schenectady County, Metroplex, and Saratoga County, Metroplex will oversee the consultant contract and serve as project manager. Metroplex is contributing $15,000 toward the cost of the study with the Town of Ballston and Clifton Park each contributing $7,500.
Metroplex is the lead economic development agency in Schenectady County. The Authority invests a small share of the county’s sales tax in capital projects that create sales tax, property tax, and new jobs.
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