The Glens Falls Local Development Corp. has announced a Small Business Recovery Fund (SBRF), that provides forgivable loans of up to $7,500 to those experiencing hardship during the coronavirus pandemic.
Priority will be given to ground-floor storefront businesses open to the general public. The funds would be used to help them stay in business. Eligible businesses are those where the owner receives their primary source of income from the business.
Loans will carry a zero-interest rate, a 12-month term and be forgiven for businesses that remain open and in operation through July 1, 2021, that have complied with the program rules, according to the SBRF guidelines.
The goal of the fund is to provide emergency relief to help business owners retain their businesses and their employees as a bridge of support before additional state and federal resources become available and the mandated pause on business operations is relaxed.
Area Builders Continue Projects After ‘Pause’ Order; Next Year’s Season Is In Question
by Lisa Balschunat
Elated about New York state’s relaxing of COVID-19 restrictions as it proceeds with reopening the economy in phases, Tom Albrecht, president of Hilltop Construction Co., said “I’m digging holes again and playing in the dirt.”
His company ran a bare-bones crew on a few jobs deemed essential businesses by Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office during the state’s Pause. But Hilltop and other area builders are moving on with projects that came to a halt due to the pandemic.
“Hilltop had a few essential jobs, so we were able to continue working on some projects,” Albrecht said. “During the Pause we signed over $3 million worth of work. This year we are booked with contracts. Next year, I think the economic impact will be felt. I am an optimist, but also a realist. When the dust settles, our region will be affected. Some businesses won’t open long term or at all. The impact will be great.”
Garnet Hill Lodge In North River Purchased; New Owner Does Structural Upgrades
Courtesy Garnet Hill Lodge
By Susan E. Campbell
April and May are the quiet months when resorts normally prepare for the summer season and the influx of visitors who contribute to a $1.3 billion tourism industry in Warren County. But Adirondack restaurants, hotels and resort areas have been slowed by the coronavirus pandemic.
Jim Rucker, who owns and operates Garnet Hill Lodge in North River with his wife, Frances, sees cause for optimism, however.
The owners recently acquired an additional 110 acres in Warren County, securing control of much of the resort’s 30-plus miles of skiing, snowshoeing and hiking trails.
Their original purchase of Garnet Hill Lodge in 2016 came with less than 300 acres of land. This April, the Ruckers purchased another 110 acres. The resort is now able to provide many more miles of trails for hiking and mountain biking during the summer and fall.
Northway Exit 16 Self Storage Offers Climate Controlled Units, Around-The-Clock Access
©2020 Saratoga Photographer.com
By Rachel Phillips
The father and son team of Tom and Wayne Samascott recently built a new climate-controlled storage center on Ballard Road, near Northway Exit 16.
Northway Exit 16 Self Storage offers clients a convenient access as it is located just 1,000 feet down from the exit.
Tom and Wayne Samascott are president and vice president, respectively, of Malta Development Co. They opened the storage center in March.
“I have been interested in doing self-storage for the past several years and the opportunity to by this project came along,” Wayne Samascott said. “We liked the location. Ballard Road gets a lot of traffic.”
The center contains 48,400 square feet of rentable space, with units ranging from 5×5 feet, up to 13×20 feet. In addition to heated and air-conditioned units, clients will have 24/7 access.
Units are monitored by a security camera system that covers every part of the building. Renting units can be done online at northwayexit16selfstorage.com. Upon rental, clients receive a code to access the building without ever having to interact with anyone. The center even accepts package deliveries for clients, and will place the deliveries in their units for them.
JAG Group LLC Planning To Build Four Warehouse Buildings Near Northway Exit 18
By Jennifer Farnsworth
A steady need for warehousing has been a green light for JAG Group LLC of Glens Falls to continue with its plan to build four new warehouse buildings on 33 acres of land near Northway Exit 18 in Queensbury.
JAG Group President Tim Barber said he and his business partners are looking to have the warehouses ready for tenants by fall.
They are currently awaiting final approval from the town of Queensbury and expect no issues with the project going forward. Barber and his partners at Native Development Associates are seeking approval from planners to split the former Native Textiles knitting mill site into a total of six lots. Five of them will range from 2.01 acres to 11.32 acres. The sixth lot will be used for road expansion, aiding in site accessibility.
CDPHP Is Facilitator In A New Medical Complex To Be Open Sometime In 2021
By Andrea Harwood Palmer
CDPHP is acting as partner facilitator for a new multi-practice medical specialty complex located at 1785 Route 9 in Clifton Park.
“CDPHP, in partnership with a number of independent physical practices, is building what we consider to be the medical park of the future,” said Ali Skinner, CDPHP vice president of strategic communications. “The goal is to provide the ultimate patient experience in a state-of-the-art complex.”
Though April groundbreaking plans were delayed due to the COVID-19 crisis, the plan remains for the facility to open in late 2021.
Some ancillary services being considered are valet parking, a meditation room, an in-house pharmacy, a café and a centralized check-in area regardless of which practice someone is coming to see.
“We’re focusing on enhancing the patient experience with all the bells and whistles you get when you go into a non-medical facility. What are all those things a consumer wants and needs, and what does that look like when they go into a doctor’s office?” said Skinner.
Hudson Headwaters Renovated Women’s Center Has More Comprehensive Services
Courtesy Hudson Headwaters Health Network
By Susan E. Campbell
Women’s Health, part of the Hudson Headwaters Health Network, reopened its doors following months of interior renovation.
The changes make the center at 90 South St. in Glens Falls “an optimal experience” with more comprehensive services for women and their families, according to practice leader Sally Howard.
“We expanded up and down,” said Howard, who has been with the practice for three years. “The physical expansion of the facility creates an environment where patients and providers feel they will get the best care.”
Hudson Headwaters Health Network has centers from Champlain down to Moreau and west to North Creek. The recently re-named Women’s Health became a part of the network in 2013, said Dr. Ted Denious, who co-leads it with Dr. Danielle Goertzen.
Saratoga And Glens Falls Hospitals Get Aid As Part Of the Federal CARES ACT
The federal government in May distributed more than $100.7 million to health care providers in the Capital Region as part of aid prompted by the pandemic.
Hospitals lead the regional list of recipients, with Albany Med’s $20.3 million at the top. But funds also went to providers such as physician groups and nursing homes. The non-hospital group that received the largest payment was New York Oncology Hematology, which received $3.5 million.
Glens Falls Hospital received $4.9 million. Saratoga Hospital received $7 million.
Inpatient and outpatient skilled nursing groups received some of the largest payments, including Wesley Health Care Center with $733,715.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is allocating $50 billion to providers as part of the CARES Act. Congress approved the funds to help health care providers offset lost revenue and increased expenses because of the COVID-19 crisis.
Health systems and physician groups have said
New Owner Of Alpine Lodge In North Creek Has All 36 Rooms Set Up For Health Safety
By Jennifer Farnsworth
The North Country expect the Alpine Lodge’s transformation into what new owner Keir Weimer describes as both a smart hotel and a property set up to keep people safe from COVID-19.
The real estate entrepreneur purchased the property at 264 Main St., North Creek, in late May for about $1.2 million.
Weimer, president of Adirondack Hospitality Ventures LLC, said she has worked to transform the 19-room property with top-level voice, streaming and energy-efficient technology as a way to provide guests with a modern, yet still rustic, experience. Weimer said the company is excited to show patrons the changes in technology.
But the top priority is safety. He said they have been working diligently to ensure the safety of their employees and guests in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
Thermal Camera Screening System Can Detect Elevated Body Temperatures
By Susan E. Campbell
Shepherd Communication & Security, an electronic security and structured wiring integrator, is helping client companies stop coronavirus “at the front door” by offering thermal cameras it says that screen people for elevated body temperature before they step into a business.
“Thermal imaging is a fairly mature technology that came out of the military 45 years ago,” said Richard Ruzzo, managing partner, who founded the company with Robert Guillerault in 2007. “Infrared thermal imaging today has a broad variety of medical applications for screening and diagnosing a patient in real time.”
Ruzzo said elevated body temperature levels (EBT ) are being captured extensively with cameras and scanners by first responders during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“EBT is highly correlated with sickness,” he said. “Identifying individuals with EBT as an early warning can dramatically slow the spread of viruses and infections,” he said.