Schenectady, N.Y., March 26, 2007 — The Metroplex Board of Directors today declared itself lead agency in the first step toward conveying a 2.5 acre parcel on Broadway in downtown Schenectady to the Schenectady Museum. The Museum Board voted unanimously to select the Broadway site after considering numerous sites in the Capital Region. Museum officials believe that the visibility and accessibility of the site, located in the heart of downtown Schenectady yet easily accessible to I-890 makes it an extremely attractive location for the new facility that is necessary for the Museum to achieve its plan to become a regional science center.
Ray Gillen, Chair of Metroplex said, “The Broadway site, located close to Proctors, the new cinema/office building, the new Hampton Inn, Villa Italia, new offices at the Broadway Commerce Park and other attractions provides an excellent platform to build a new museum. Our Board unanimously approved this first step in the process to complete the environmental reviews necessary for Metroplex to make this site available to the Schenectady Museum so that they can complete plans to build a major regional science center at this location.”
With a firm location and site control, Museum officials hope to move forward with the design and construction of the new facility.
Schenectady Museum & Suits-Bueche Planetarium Executive Director Kerry Orlyk explained, “The Board of Trustees voted unanimously to keep the Museum in Schenectady, and obtaining an option from Metroplex for this property will allow us to honor our commitment and move forward with this exciting project.”
The Schenectady Museum & Suits-Bueche Planetarium celebrates the Capital Region’s involvement with science, invention and imagination by exploring the area’s rich technological heritage, and by presenting new, intriguing interactive displays that explore today’s science and technology. The Museum also features a Planetarium that has the new state-of-the-art GOTO star projector, which can display the sky as it looked 2,000 years ago, then immediately switch to a display of recently discovered deep-space objects. The Museum’s goal is to educate and entertain all visitors and encourage an interest in learning more about science, technology and society.