The armory becomes a busy place again
Schenectady landmark hosts chamber meeting
By Paul Nelson
Published 10:11 pm, Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Work Zone Schenectady The Chamber of Schenectady County’s annual meeting held at the Legere Armory on Tuesday April 14, 2015 in Schenectady, N.Y. (Michael P. Farrell/Times Union)
Schenectady
Some people at the armory donned hard hats and reflective vests during a lively theme celebration for the Schenectady County Chamber of Commerce‘s 2015 annual meeting at the cavernous facility.
Dubbed ‘Work Zone Schenectady,’ the event Tuesday brought together hundreds of business and community leaders to network and was a chance for Legere Properties to showcase the new look of the armory on Washington Avenue barely three years after the company purchased it for $260,000 at a public auction. The armory, built in 1936, originally served as a military installation.
At one point, the crowd of about 200 people posed for a group photo snapped from a scissor lift, an event prop.
Awards, including the Chamber’s Ambassador of the Year, were handed out. Ambassador of the Year went to Margie Miller of Curtis Lumber.
Earlier, Ray Legere talked in an interview about the transformation of the five-story armory.
Legere has spent between $300,000 and $400,000 so far to renovate the armory with high-tech removable turf for mostly baseball, lacrosse, soccer and cricket games.
“It’s a long-term investment toward our overarching goal to bring new dollars into Schenectady County,” he said, noting the company he runs with his cousin Jeff Legere is in the black when it comes to finances. He credited the “impetus and energy” of Niskayuna resident and sports coach John Hand with pulling together the sports component of the business.
Legere also rents out storage space and uses some of it for the company. The site can accommodate about 2,000 people for dinners and more than double that for stage performances. It can host trade shows, conferences, regional sporting events and possibly a semipro sports team.
Ray Legere said they have big plans for the future, which could include the addition of bathrooms and a full-service kitchen.
pnelson@timesunion.com • 518-454-5347 • @apaulnelson