Photo by Jesse Winters
By Liz Witbeck
The City of Glens Falls is in the process of purchasing the building that formerly housed Off Track Betting, at 51-57 South St.
Funds for the sale will come from the $10 million grant the city received as part of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative. The city plans to use part of the money to turn the building into a community center that will host the Saturday Farmers Market, as well as other events.
The project is called “The Market on South Street.”
“Once we received the award, we had to take on a plan for what we were going to do. We sent out surveys and what we found was there was a great deal of enthusiasm and support for this community building in the downtown,” said EDC Warren County President Ed Bartholomew.
The Farmers Market currently held on South Street is a popular event in the city. Local producers come from all over Warren, Washington and Saratoga counties to sell their items. Bartholomew said each week anywhere from 1,200 to 1,600 people may be in attendance at the market.
The Market on South Street will allow the Farmer Market to take place all year long. With the Farmers Market only open on Saturdays, there are plans to hold other events in the building.
Part of the concept is to bring the SUNY Adirondack culinary arts program to downtown Glens Falls. A satellite office would be created inside of the building for the program, Bartholomew said.
The building will be used for community events such as blood drives, holiday festivals, and city events.
The large outdoor plaza area will be made available for other events, including music and arts and crafts.
“This is not just a farmer’s market” said Bartholomew. “This is truly a community building that we are planning.”
The building has been vacant since 2013 when Off Track Betting moved to 60 South St.
The city reportedly will spend $415,000 on the purchase of the property. The closing could occur as early as March.
If the schedule goes according to plan, renovations will start this year, and The Market on South Street would be completed in 2019.