By Paul Post<\/p>\n
An 80-acre former dewatering site for General Electric Company\u2019s Hudson River dredging project is being readied for sale, with hopes of attracting an employer that would provide up to 100 jobs.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re taking a very good site and making it world class,\u201d said Chuck Barton, Warren-Washington Industrial Development Agency CEO. \u201cOur goal is to find one large, well-established company to develop it for commercial activity. I\u2019ll boldly predict that we\u2019re going to sell that site before the end of 2026. It\u2019s the type of site that will generate at least 50 jobs and more likely well over 100.\u201d<\/p>\n
Potential uses run the gamut from manufacturing devices for renewable energy components to distribution, storage and warehousing for a wood products firm.<\/p>\n
Now called Canalside Energy Park, the property is just off Route 196 on the Champlain Canal in Fort Edward. IDA took over ownership after GE\u2019s dredging was done.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s listed for sale with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Blake, Realtors for $8 million.<\/p>\n
A large electric substation and transportation by rail, barge or truck are valuable features. \u201cI would call it 75 percent shovel ready,\u201d Barton said. \u201cWe\u2019re in the process of expanding water capacity and adding sewer capacity.\u201d<\/p>\n
When completed, this could prompt firms previously hesitant about buying the site to make a firm commitment.<\/p>\n
\u201cSeveral companies are doing due diligence,\u201d Barton said. \u201cAs we market the property, different buyers come with different needs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Funding for infrastructure upgrades come from state and federal sources including a $4.7 million FAST NY grant under Empire State Development, and the Northern Border Regional Commission, a federal-state program to boost economic activity in the most distressed counties of New York, Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire.<\/p>\n
<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/b>Two options for sewer service are being explored. One is a possible connection to Washington County Sewer District, about 1,000 yards to the south.<\/p>\n But officials are also considering potential for an on-site treatment plant.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the buildings has all the power needed for an on-site facility,\u201d Barton said.<\/p>\n Two buildings on the property have 40,000 and 25,000 square feet.<\/p>\n For the past two years, the site has been used as a staging area for construction crews building the Champlain Hudson Power Express, a 339-mile buried high-voltage transmission line that will deliver 1,250 megawatts of hydropower from Canada to New York City. The project, developed by Transmission Developers Inc. and owned by Blackstone, is expected to become fully operational next spring.<\/p>\n The 10-member IDA, New York state\u2019s only bi-county IDA, negotiated a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement that will provide $269 million over 30 years to 16 school districts and municipalities in Washington County.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s going to be a huge win for Washington County when the line is activated,\u201d Barton said.<\/p>\n Of the 80 acres at Canalside Energy Park, 30 are within the village of Fort Edward and 50 are in the town. So any firm seeking to buy and develop the site will be fully vetted by the IDA, the town and village, Barton said.<\/p>\n Elsewhere, the IDA is actively marketing remaining property at Airport Industrial Park in Kingsbury, a short distance northeast of Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are eight lots that we have combined as one 26-acre site for sale,\u201d Barton said.<\/p>\n Because of wetlands restrictions, only 12 acres are developable, but the site already has a full complement of water, gas, sewer and electric.<\/p>\n \u201cSo it\u2019s very attractive,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have somebody actively doing due diligence right now. I\u2019m cautiously optimistic that we\u2019ll be selling it within the next year.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Paul Post An 80-acre former dewatering site for General Electric Company\u2019s Hudson River dredging project is being readied for sale, with hopes of attracting an employer that would provide up to 100 jobs. \u201cWe\u2019re taking a very good site and making it world class,\u201d said Chuck Barton, Warren-Washington Industrial Development Agency CEO. \u201cOur goal […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":89,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38566","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-business-news"],"yoast_head":"\r\n