2nd phase of State Fair’s orange lot project wraps up

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GEDDES — Crews have completed construction on the second phase of the New York State Fair orange lot project. The effort was about “improving access to the State Fairgrounds and furthering the transformation of one of Central New York’s economic engines,” the office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a Sept. 15 news release. As […]

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GEDDES — Crews have completed construction on the second phase of the New York State Fair orange lot project.

The effort was about “improving access to the State Fairgrounds and furthering the transformation of one of Central New York’s economic engines,” the office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a Sept. 15 news release.

As part of the project, the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) constructed a new Interstate 690 (I-690) eastbound on-ramp bridge, ensuring that a temporary traffic signal on the highway will not be required during future events at the State Fairgrounds.

The new I-690 eastbound on-ramp bridge also accommodates pedestrians with a 10-foot wide pedestrian walkway that will help “ease the journey” to and from the orange lot, the state contends.

“The completion of the orange lot ramp solves a major challenge for us and our transportation partners and will help greatly with the flow of traffic out of our largest parking lot,” New York State Fair Director Troy Waffner said in a release.

About the project

Construction on the $27 million first phase of the State Fair’s 65-acre orange lot project began in October 2017 and the DOT completed the project in time for the 2018 New York State Fair.

The first phase created more than 7,000 parking spaces in the orange lot, up from the 4,000 to 5,000 that were available on the previous dirt surface. A new exit ramp to I-690 West from the western end of the orange lot also allowed fairgoers direct access to I-690 from the State Fair and the Onondaga County-owned amphitheater.

Prior to the opening of this ramp, vehicles could only exit the orange lot from the Exit 7 area of I-690 during events scheduled outside of the Fair.

The second phase of the $11.18 million State Fair access improvement project took the first phase “a step further.” In addition to the new eastbound ramp, the project negated the need for a temporary traffic signal that is in operation on I-690 for the New York State Fair every year.

$3 million awarded during GENIUS NY virtual Pitch Finals

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[On Sept. 17], together with New York state, we announced Geopipe as the winner of GENIUS NY’s $1 million grand prize during the program’s first-ever virtual Pitch Finals. BotsAndUs from the United Kingdom; Droneseed from Seattle, Washington; Eget Liber from Syracuse; and Skyy Network from Australia were also each awarded investments of $500,000 during the

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RAV buys, plans to improve Salina Industrial Powerpark

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Small Business, Subscriber Only

SALINA — In August, RACER Trust announced the sale of a multi-tenant industrial park, which was formerly a General Motors (GM) manufacturing plant, to Jamesville–based RAV Properties. The Salina Industrial Powerpark features an 805,860-square-footage main building with a separate 14-acre shovel-ready site; the property totals 78.5 acres. The park currently has 13 tenants that employ

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SALINA — In August, RACER Trust announced the sale of a multi-tenant industrial park, which was formerly a General Motors (GM) manufacturing plant, to Jamesville–based RAV Properties.

The Salina Industrial Powerpark features an 805,860-square-footage main building with a separate 14-acre shovel-ready site; the property totals 78.5 acres. The park currently has 13 tenants that employ 425 people. Robert Lieberman, founder and managing member of RAV Properties, says the park could house three to four more tenants.

Before its transformation into an industrial park, the property originally was a GM automotive plant that began operations 1952 but closed in 1993. In 2011, RACER Trust took title to the Salina property following the GM bankruptcy and continued to operate it as a multi-tenant industrial park. Despite the property being a revenue generator for RACER, the purpose of RACER is to sell properties not to hold them, the trust said in a news release.

RACER (Revitalizing Auto Communities Environmental Response) Trust was created to clean up and position for redevelopment properties and facilities owned by the former GM before its bankruptcy.

Lieberman, who owns a second industrial complex on Thompson Road in the town of DeWitt, founded RAV Properties in 2008. Before becoming an investor, Lieberman started as a property manager but found that he would rather have “ownership than be an employee.”

In 2010, RAV Properties purchased and improved a two-building complex, once known as Flickinger’s Warehouse, near Carrier Circle in DeWitt. The complex, which has been home to various businesses since 1998, totals 290,000 square feet.

CNYBJ recently chatted with Lieberman about his latest purchase.

“The time is right to make this acquisition,” he says. With 70 percent of the current space occupied, Lieberman believes the Salina Industrial Powerpark is in a great position for future growth.

“The fact that RAV Properties is locally based and understands the Central New York market so well gives us confidence that the property is in good hands and will continue to be a source of jobs and opportunity for the community,” Elliot P. Laws, of EDPLET, LLC, administrative trustee of RACER Trust, said in the release.

Lieberman also says that despite the presence of COVID-19, most tenants’ businesses at Salina Industrial Powerpark were deemed essential and business has not been impacted.

However, the 70-year-old industrial park is in need of some maintenance repair, says Lieberman. He says he wants to repair the roof, update fire safety and sprinkler system, and to increase curb appeal.

“As investments, these are both pretty solid,” Lieberman says of his two industrial parks. However, he says that this will be his last investment.

Lieberman declined to disclose the purchase price of the property and would not provide any financial information for his business.

CNY unemployment rates fall to single digits in August

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Most CNY regions lost thousands of jobs in last year Unemployment rates in the Syracuse, Utica–Rome, Watertown–Fort Drum, Binghamton, and Elmira regions dropped to single-digit figures in August but remained higher compared to a year ago amid the impact of layoffs during the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

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Most CNY regions lost thousands of jobs in last year

Unemployment rates in the Syracuse, Utica–Rome, Watertown–Fort Drum, Binghamton, and Elmira regions dropped to single-digit figures in August but remained higher compared to a year ago amid the impact of layoffs during the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

The figures are part of the latest New York State Department of Labor data released Sept. 22.

In addition, the Syracuse and Utica–Rome regions lost jobs in five-digit figures between August 2019 and this past August.

At the same time, the Binghamton, Watertown–Fort Drum, and Ithaca areas lost jobs in four-digit figures in the same timeframe. The Elmira region’s job losses in the last 12 months totaled in the triple digits.

That’s according to the latest monthly employment report that the New York State Department of Labor issued Sept. 17.

Regional unemployment rates

The unemployment rate in the Syracuse area was 9.8 percent in August, up from 4.2 percent in August 2019.

The Utica–Rome region rose to 9.3 percent from 4.3 percent; the Watertown–Fort Drum area’s rate hit 9.2 percent, up from 5.1 percent; the Binghamton region’s number climbed to 9.4 percent from 4.6 percent; the Ithaca area’s jobless rate reached 7.2 percent, up from 4.0 percent; and the Elmira region’s number jumped to 9.6 percent from 4.3 percent a year ago.

The local unemployment data isn’t seasonally adjusted, meaning the figures don’t reflect seasonal influences such as holiday hires.

The unemployment rates are calculated following procedures prescribed by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the state Labor Department said.

State unemployment rate

New York state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate hit 12.5 percent in August, down from 15.9 percent in July, but up sharply from 3.9 percent in August 2019.

The state’s August jobless rate was also much higher than the U.S. unemployment rate of 8.4 percent in August. New York has been among the slowest states to recover from the economic problems caused by the restrictions made to combat the coronavirus pandemic, according to WalletHub. New York has the third highest jobless rate in the nation.

In August, the number of unemployed New York State residents decreased by 339,000, while labor-force levels decreased by 86,700.

The federal government calculates New York’s unemployment rate partly based upon the results of a monthly telephone survey of 3,100 state households that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics conducts.

August jobs data

The Syracuse region lost more than 38,000 jobs in the past year, a drop of 11.8 percent.

The Utica–Rome metro area lost more than 13,000 jobs, down 10.4 percent; the Watertown–Fort Drum region shed 6,000 positions, a decrease of 14 percent; the Binghamton area lost 7,400 jobs, off 7 percent; the Ithaca region dropped 2,300 jobs, a decrease of about 3.8 percent; and the Elmira area shed 300 jobs, off 0.8 percent.

New York state as a whole lost nearly 1.2 million jobs, a decrease of 12.2 percent, in that 12-month period. The state economy gained more than 153,000 jobs, a 1.8 percent increase, in the last month, the labor department said.

Clarkson aircraft structure class to analyze WWII aircraft from museums

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POTSDAM — Students in Clarkson University’s Analysis of Aircraft Structures class will analyze World War II aircraft that museums in both the U.S. and Canada will provide. Craig Merrett, assistant professor of mechanical & aeronautical engineering, had to redesign the course, since he’s teaching it this semester in an online format, Clarkson said. For the

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POTSDAM — Students in Clarkson University’s Analysis of Aircraft Structures class will analyze World War II aircraft that museums in both the U.S. and Canada will provide.

Craig Merrett, assistant professor of mechanical & aeronautical engineering, had to redesign the course, since he’s teaching it this semester in an online format, Clarkson said.

For the past four years, students in the course have applied structural analyses to an aircraft in a semester-long group project with teams of students each studying a different aircraft.

This year, Merrett has “enhanced” this aspect of the class’s online version in commemoration of the 75th anniversary of World War II’s end and the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. Ten aircraft museums across the U.S. and Canada have agreed to participate in the group projects by offering one aircraft from their WWII collection for a group to analyze.

“Connecting with the museums was driven by COVID because I wanted to find a way to make an online course more engaging,” Merrett said in a statement. “Having access to Zoom provided the infrastructure needed to make the project a reality.”

The students will interact with the museum’s curators and restoration experts on a regular basis to learn the history of each aircraft and collect technical data to complete their analyses.

Participating museums

The 10 participating museums are: Alaska Aviation Museum in Anchorage, Alaska; Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in Mount Hope, Ontario; Combat Air Museum in Topeka, Kansas; Cradle of Aviation Museum, Garden City on Long Island; Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum in San Diego, California; National Air Force Museum of Canada in Astra, Ontario; National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida; New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, Connecticut; National Warplane Museum in Geneseo; and Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino, California.

Several other museums, like the National Museum of the United States Air Force and the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force will connect with the class during their project presentations in October, Clarkson said.

Merrett noted that the project will help the students develop their structural analysis skills for a real aircraft, and their communication skills for both technical and non-technical audiences.

“It will also help our students to feel more connected at a time when many may be restricted to a few rooms,” he adds.

Merrett says that the museums are “excited” by the opportunity since they had to cancel or reduce their planned WWII commemoration activities due to COVID. “Working with our students will enable the museums to recognize the anniversary through a different medium.”

Most of the museums usually interact with K-12 classes and have not interacted with a university engineering program before, so they are eager to explore the new educational opportunity.

North Country Center for Businesses in Transition sets fall workshops

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SARANAC LAKE — The North Country Center for Businesses in Transition (CBIT) has announced a series of virtual events to assist transitioning businesses. The North Country CBIT is also using new resources that include a new website, which focuses on attracting would-be entrepreneurs to the region, a guidebook for transitioning business owners, and the fall

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SARANAC LAKE — The North Country Center for Businesses in Transition (CBIT) has announced a series of virtual events to assist transitioning businesses.

The North Country CBIT is also using new resources that include a new website, which focuses on attracting would-be entrepreneurs to the region, a guidebook for transitioning business owners, and the fall workshop series that covers topics relevant for transitioning businesses.

Despite concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic, CBIT says it had an “uptick in interest” during the summer months and many aging business owners have “renewed their commitment” to developing a succession plan.

The North Country CBIT is a collaboration of regional organizations and leaders “whose shared goal is to support existing business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs in developing successful business-transition strategies,” according to the Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA).

The six morning workshops will be hosted by partner organizations throughout the region and take place virtually via Zoom during the month of October. The Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce will host the first session, “Utilizing all of Your Transition Resources: Overcoming Common Obstacles,” which is set for Oct. 1 from 8-9:15 a.m.

Danielle Delaini, coordinator of ANCA’s business-transition program, said that business owners have been reaching out throughout the summer to renew conversations about their transition plans, many having new leads for potential successors.

As a result, 10 businesses are currently in the partnership’s pipeline that qualify as “actively pending transitions,” she noted.

“We were relieved and excited to see so much engagement from area businesses and entrepreneurs during the COVID-19 crisis,” Delaini said. “This has reinforced our commitment to providing the tools and resources folks need to transition their businesses and support a diverse and resilient economy throughout the region.”

Workshop series

Retiring business owners and entrepreneurs interested in taking over existing businesses are encouraged to register at www.adirondack.org/CBITWorkshopSeries for some or all of the six workshops, which are free and open to the public.

The sessions will also be recorded so interested business owners can view them at their convenience and as needed in the future.

• Oct. 1, 8-9:15 a.m.: “Utilizing all of Your Transition Resources: Overcoming Common Obstacles,” hosted by Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce

• Oct. 8, 8-9:15 a.m.: “Your Best Possible Successor is Already Working for You,” hosted by Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce”

• Oct. 14, 8-9:15 a.m.: “Business Transitions Overview: Where Do You Start?,” hosted by Lewis County Economic Development/IDA

• Oct 15, 8-9:15 a.m.: “Marketing Your Available Business,” hosted by The Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce and the County of Franklin Economic Development/IDA

• Oct. 21, 8-9:15 a.m.: “Determining Value: Perspectives from Buyers and Sellers,” hosted by Hamilton County IDA

• Oct. 27, 8-9:15 a.m.: “Not Just a Sale: The Role of Realtors in a Business Transition,” hosted by the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce

The first session, “Utilizing all of Your Transition Resources: Overcoming Common Obstacles,” will feature a panel of area resource providers including Carol Calabrese, co-director of the Essex County Industrial Development Agency (IDA), Angela Smith, certified business advisor for the SUNY Canton Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Clinton Community College, ANCA’s Delaini, and Stephanie Donaldson, business counselor at the Adirondack Economic Development Corporation (AEDC).

New website, guide book

The center’s new website is designed for aspiring entrepreneurs, who are looking to take over an existing business. It will highlight available ventures, local small-business resources, as well as the region’s unique character and assets.

The website (www.ownanorthcountrybusiness.com) is a project of the student WEB program, an e-commerce development support program that was spearheaded by ANCA, the Shipley Center for Innovation at Clarkson University, and the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce in response to small-business needs during the COVID-19 pandemic and economic shutdown.

The center has also published a guidebook for transitioning business owners, described as a “localized how-to guide for navigating the multifaceted succession-planning process.” The document also highlights local free and low-cost resources to help business owners get started. The guidebook will be launched during the fall workshop series and is also available on the CBIT website at bit.ly/CBITguide.

Northern N.Y. association to use grant for new history center

Nonprofits, Regional News, Sports, Entertainment & Tourism, Subscriber Only

WANAKENA — The Wanakena Historical Association in St. Lawrence County will use two grants from the Northern New York Community Foundation, Inc. (NNYCF) for its new history center, which it plans to open later this year. The foundation’s board of directors recently approved $16,000 in funding for the Wanakena Historical Association. The NNYCF is located

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The foundation’s board of directors recently approved $16,000 in funding for the Wanakena Historical Association. The NNYCF is located in Watertown.

Wanakena is a hamlet in the town of Fine. It is home to the Ranger School of the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse.

The association will use a $6,000 grant to pay for equipment and supplies at the center and a $10,000 matching commitment will help build an endowment at the Community Foundation for the center, the NNYCF said.

Several years in planning, the project gained momentum after a group of partners stepped forward to purchase and restore the house at 21 Second St. in Wanakena to its original design. Construction began last year with renovations continuing through early summer.

The center will include a collection of exhibits, modern presentations, and “meaningful” artifact displays tied to the region’s past while also promoting historical and genealogical research and local tourism.

“We are excited to deepen the long-term relationship of our two organizations as we continue to work with donors to build upon our investments in the people and places of Wanakena,” Rande Richardson, executive director of the Northern New York Community Foundation, said in a statement. “The community’s history and heritage will have a stronger level of enduring stewardship because of these initiatives.”

Community volunteers came together 20 years ago to create the historical association and highlight the “unique past” of Wanakena and surrounding Adirondack communities.

The organization developed a walking tour with interpretive kiosks and spearheaded restoration of the Wanakena Footbridge after it was damaged in 2014 — a project the Community Foundation supported.

Despite ongoing public-health concerns, the Wanakena Historical Association hopes the center can soon open for a preview and remain on track for a grand-opening celebration in 2021.

Jefferson County hotel occupancy hits nearly 53 percent in August

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WATERTOWN — Hotels in Jefferson County saw another rebound in occupancy in August compared to the prior month amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to a new report. The hotel occupancy rate (rooms sold as a percentage of rooms available) in the county reached 52.8 percent in August, up from 46.8 percent in July, 33.8

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Samaritan Health lays off 51, extends furloughs

Health Care, Regional News, Subscriber Only

WATERTOWN, N.Y. — Samaritan Health in Watertown announced the layoff of 51 employees, effective Sept. 10, citing “continued disruption of patient volumes and revenue due to [the] COVID-19 crisis.” In addition, 44 open positions will not be filled for a total of 95 impacted positions, the organization said in a news release. Several Samaritan health

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In addition, 44 open positions will not be filled for a total of 95 impacted positions, the organization said in a news release. Several Samaritan health services will also be “restructured to increase operational efficiencies and respond to lower patient volumes.”

At the same time, 21 employees originally placed on furlough in April will have their furlough extended. Samaritan leadership plans to call those furloughed employees back to work when patient volume and operations “stabilize.”

The staffing changes will result in a $5 million cost reduction from salaries for the health-care system, which faces an anticipated $10 million revenue shortfall for the year. While cost savings are part of the plan, Samaritan will also pursue pending, revenue-generating opportunities to help the overall budget shortfall.

Samaritan Health says the hospital is still hiring for a number of positions and many of the laid-off employees will get the chance to apply for these 200 open positions, the organization noted.

Samaritan’s human-resources department will be working with those employees to help fill those roles. The department will coordinate with the New York State Department of Labor to provide outplacement assistance if a different position within the health-care system isn’t available.

Staff members impacted who do not find another position within the organization will be offered a severance package based on years of service. The positions affected span several departments, from nursing to senior leadership.

Budget shortfall

The budget shortfall is a “direct result” of the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in patient volumes dropping by as much as 40 percent at certain points throughout the year and higher costs for personal protective equipment (PPE) and testing, “among other unanticipated expenses.” The pandemic has caused patients to fear coming to the hospital for services and “many have delayed care as a result,” Samaritan Health contends.

The organization has also been preparing for a possible second wave of COVID-19 cases as it enters autumn.

In addition, federal CARES Act relief provided to Samaritan was “much less than expected,” as the organization missed out on the initial round of rural funding, and “proportionately far less than others in the region.” Samaritan also noted it did not receive Paycheck Protection Program funds — another pocket of CARES dollars — “due to being designated an urban area and employing more than 500 people.”

“Prior to 2020, Samaritan experienced a decade of uninterrupted growth in revenue and services. However, the drastic negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patient volumes and revenue has necessitated the difficult measures we’re taking to ensure the continued financial viability of our health-care system,” Tom Carman, president and CEO, said in the release. “Health-care systems everywhere are facing the same financial constraints driven primarily by fewer patients. We recognize the important role Samaritan plays as the largest private employer in the community, with more than 2,300 full-time employees, and it’s our intention to place the interests of our patients and our broad employee base first as we continue to weather this challenge.”

Other measures

Samaritan also implemented the several measures to help “stabilize” the financial burden it faces, reach “operational efficiency,” and adhere to COVID-19 restrictions.

The cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program and adult day health care remain temporarily suspended until spacing regulations and other COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.

Samaritan Health is eliminating its transportation department. The organization will instead work with local, third-party vendors to transport long-term care residents for medical care off-site.

The consolidation of the Sackets, Lacona, and Cape Vincent clinics into other existing larger clinics will remain intact until the end of the year, when that measure will be “reassessed.” LeRay Family Health Center has re-opened and providers are seeing patients in their existing space, though radiology services at this location will no longer be available.

LeRay Urgent Care permanently closed on Sept. 13. All providers and staff will be relocated to other primary-care locations, where Samaritan will offer more same-day appointments and will accept more new patients, including at the LeRay Family Health Center located in the same building.

Lab Service Centers at Orthopaedics and Neurology will remain closed. Patients can get these services at other community-based locations, Samaritan Health said.

Many of the cost-saving measures initiated in April will also continue, the organization said.

They include the 15-percent pay cut for all senior-management positions and deferment of all merit increases for management staff.

They also include the suspension of new capital construction projects that are not revenue-generating and limiting capital purchases to emergency projects or supplies

CNY companies certified as service-disabled, veteran-owned businesses

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Several area companies in recent weeks have been certified by the New York State Office of General Services’ (OGS) Division of Service-Disabled Veterans’ Business Development (DSDVBD). They include SJ’s Residential Plumbing, Heating, and AC LLC in Endicott, which specializes in HVAC services, per a Sept. 14 OGS announcement. On Aug. 31, OGS reported that RSC

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Several area companies in recent weeks have been certified by the New York State Office of General Services’ (OGS) Division of Service-Disabled Veterans’ Business Development (DSDVBD).

They include SJ’s Residential Plumbing, Heating, and AC LLC in Endicott, which specializes in HVAC services, per a Sept. 14 OGS announcement.

On Aug. 31, OGS reported that RSC Contractors LLC of Syracuse; BMD Armed Security Inc. of Syracuse; and Ground Force Property Services LLC of Liverpool had also secured the service-disabled veteran-owned business (SDVOB) certification.

RSC Contractors of Syracuse is a general contractor specializing in site work and electrical disciplines. BMD Armed Security provides security guard and patrol services. Ground Force Property Services offers landscaping and snow-removal services.

On July 13, OGS had announced that Strategic Fish LLC of Fayetteville and Pro Custom Construction LLC of Norwood in St. Lawrence County had also been approved for the SDVOB certification.

Strategic Fish provides business management and consulting services. Pro Custom Construction specializes in general construction.

The DSDVBD was created by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2014 through enactment of the Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Act. As of Sept. 14, a total of 843 businesses have been certified in the Empire State.

The law promotes and encourages participation of SDVOBs in New York State public procurements of public works, commodities, services, and technology to “foster and advance economic development” in the state.

For a business to receive certification, one or more service-disabled veterans — with a service-connected disability rating of 10 percent or more from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (or from the New York State Division of Veterans’ Affairs for National Guard veterans) — must own at least 51 percent of the business. Other criteria include: the business must be independently owned and operated and have a significant business presence in New York, it must have conducted business for at least one year prior to the application date, and it must qualify as a small business under the New York State program. Several more requirements also need to be met.

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