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BALLSTON SPA — Between the news of a new Hannaford and a groundbreaking for a public safety building in the works, Ballston Spa has a lot going on.
As previously reported, a public safety facility will be located adjacent to the Sheriff’s Department/County Correctional Facility at 6010 County Farm Road in Ballston Spa. Groundbreaking is expected within the next two to three weeks according to County Administrator Spencer Helwig. Completion will be sometime in 2020. The new public safety building that will house the 911 dispatcher, public health, emergency services, probation department, public health, and the sheriff’s administrative staff, will be approximately 62,000 square-feet.
The original projected cost of the building was initially $32 million but according to Helwig based on the bids, the contracts the town will be awarded next month and the money that’s already been spent the total project is now at $28,850,000. On Sept. 18 a $24 million bond was approved by the board of supervisors. It is a 15-year bond. The remainder, which is roughly $4 million, will be paid in cash according to Helwig.
The idea to build a new public safety building was conceived 10 years ago and the project progressed through preliminary engineering but was eventually shelved due to growing financial obligations. At that time it was to maintain the County’s nursing home, Maplewood Manor, which has since been sold.
“They’re going to start doing site work this week as soon as contractors start getting the equipment in and try to get as much of, the initial preparation for the building construction in place... They’ll be doing some work depending on how far they get before it gets too cold with the snow. That will dictate the other work that can be done through the winter,” Helwig added.
As for the Hannaford, it is expected to be 38,000-square- feet, and bring between 100 and 110 full- and part-time jobs. Sophia Morruso, Senior Planner for the Town of Ballston said “We have them returning in September so this is the third meeting that we’ll have with regards to the Hannaford site plan review. I think that the planning board has conducted the majority of the basic site plan, layout and design elements review. Where they’re really at, at this point, is navigating the engineering of the project and coordinating other agency approvals.” The next planning board meeting will take place on Sept. 26.
“They’re definitely kind of headed toward the later part of their review process but they’re returning next week, and we anticipate continuing to review some of the details of the plan and also to start working through the engineering comments as well,” Morruso added.
Those traveling on Route 50 in Ballston Spa may notice some roadwork near the planned Hannaford. However according to Morruso, the Hannaford site plan application was for retail use, but it is part of an entire PUDD (planned unit development district), owned by Frank Rossi Sr., that establishes zoning for a larger contiguous area. Part of the plan and part of the PUDD requires the construction of a loop road so that it will immediately be serving Hannaford if and when they get approved.
“They’ve recently done paving to it and are in the process of trying to dedicate the road to the town. We would certainly need the road to be functional in order for the site plan to be developed but in a way it’s a bit independent of that particular tenant; its really more part of that development plan for that whole area,” Marruso said.
