Work wraps up on $3 million in recreation improvements at Massena Intake Park

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MASSENA, N.Y. — A project focusing on $3 million in improvements at Massena Intake Park in in St. Lawrence County is now complete. The Massena Intake Park is a local marina and picnic facility. It’s associated with the New York Power Authority’s (NYPA) St. Lawrence-FDR Power Project on the St. Lawrence River, the New York governor’s […]

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MASSENA, N.Y. — A project focusing on $3 million in improvements at Massena Intake Park in in St. Lawrence County is now complete.

The Massena Intake Park is a local marina and picnic facility. It’s associated with the New York Power Authority’s (NYPA) St. Lawrence-FDR Power Project on the St. Lawrence River, the New York governor’s office said.

The improvements include an expansion of existing boat launches from four to eight, a new dock and room for seasonal boat parking, the addition of two new picnic pavilions with restrooms, along with parking and handicap-accessibility features.

Eugene Nicandri, vice chair of the NYPA board of trustees; Gil Quiniones, president and CEO of NYPA; and NYPA leaders joined state and local elected officials in Massena at a July 23 ribbon cutting to formally open the renovated facility.

“I’ve been watching the progress on this park over the past several months and I am very pleased to celebrate the conclusion of this work and the official opening of these renovated facilities,” Nicandri, a resident of Massena, said. “I am very proud of the partnerships NYPA has built throughout the North Country. It is this recognition of community and partnership that makes important upgrade projects like this possible benefitting the entire area. This is great beginning of a new chapter in the post-pandemic life of this community.”

Located along a scenic portion of the St. Lawrence River and New York’s international border with Canada, the Massena Intake is a “popular stop” for boaters and serves as an inviting local attraction for visiting tourists.

It is also the site of several national fishing tournaments. The Massena Intake is one of several recreational facilities that fall within the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s project boundary for NYPA’s St. Lawrence-FDR hydropower plant in Massena.

Work on recreation facilities, which began in 2019, stemmed from the New York Power Authority’s 10-year review of the 2003 relicensing agreement for the St. Lawrence-FDR power project. NYPA owns and operates the park and funded the renovations.

Dulles State Office Building auditorium in Watertown reopens after renovations

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Regional News, Subscriber Only

WATERTOWN, N.Y. — The newly renovated auditorium at the Dulles State Office Building in Watertown has reopened. The New York State Office of General Services (OGS) spent more than $3.5 million on improvements in the recently completed auditorium rehabilitation and modernization project, per a July 21 announcement. The auditorium is used throughout the year by several

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WATERTOWN, N.Y. — The newly renovated auditorium at the Dulles State Office Building in Watertown has reopened.

The New York State Office of General Services (OGS) spent more than $3.5 million on improvements in the recently completed auditorium rehabilitation and modernization project, per a July 21 announcement.

The auditorium is used throughout the year by several local and regional organizations and touring groups.

OGS in March 2020 awarded contracts for the project to several local and regional firms. They included Bernier, Carr & Associates Engineers, Architects & Land Surveyors, PC of Watertown, which served as the design consultant. The companies also included heating and plumbing contractor Burns Bros Contractors, LLC of Syracuse and electrical contractor Dow Electric, Inc. of Malone. Bette & Cring, LLC of Latham, near Albany, was the construction general contractor.

Subconsultants on the project were Scheu Consulting Services, Inc. of Fayetteville and Jade Stone Engineering, PLLC of Watertown, a New York State-certified woman-owned business, OGS said.

Renovation improvements

Improvement to the auditorium included increased accessibility — with ADA-compliant theater seating in areas throughout the auditorium, handrails, bathrooms, dressing rooms, and ramp leading to the stage and dressing rooms. ADA is short for the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

In addition, the work included new hardwood stage floor and a modern curtain-raising system; improved and “modernized” sound and lighting systems that will allow added flexibility to accommodate lectures, training, local recitals, and regional and national entertainment.

The improvements also included LED (light-emitting diode) lighting in the auditorium and stage area; a new projector screen and ceiling-mounted projector; and newly refurbished bathrooms and dressing rooms that will benefit both audiences and performers.

In recent years, OGS says it has made considerable improvements to the Dulles State Office Building in Watertown, making it a more secure and environmentally friendly facility for the people who work there and members of the public who come to conduct business or attend an event.

Renovated Arnot Maple Research and Teaching lab reopens in Chemung County

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Health Care, Regional News, Subscriber Only, Technology

VAN ETTEN, N.Y. — The newly rebuilt Arnot Maple Research and Teaching laboratory in Van Etten houses the “first-of-its-kind” maple product-development lab. The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets and Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) on July 29 formally opened the 4,200-square-foot facility. The renovation work included a new

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VAN ETTEN, N.Y. — The newly rebuilt Arnot Maple Research and Teaching laboratory in Van Etten houses the “first-of-its-kind” maple product-development lab.

The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets and Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) on July 29 formally opened the 4,200-square-foot facility.

The renovation work included a new commercial kitchen and increased capacity for research and development of new maple products, the state Department of Agriculture and Markets said in a release.

The renovation work on the facility follows the 2018 Forestry and Wood Products Summit held in Binghamton. First announced in Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s 2018-19 State of the State address, the summit explored new developments and strategies to boost this economic sector.

After the summit, the state invested $500,000 in the laboratory to spur “further growth and innovation” in New York’s maple industry.

Located in the Arnot Research Forest, the Arnot Maple Research and Teaching facility plays a “pivotal role” in conducting research and extension activities in support of New York’s maple industry, the state says.

The new facility includes a fully equipped, commercial kitchen, which Cornell estimates will contribute to the creation of at least 20 new maple-based products annually. The products include maple soda, beer, wine, kombucha, chocolate, and sports drinks. That work will support dozens of new jobs in rural areas of New York State, like the Southern Tier, per the release.

The renovation work also involved the installation of a new vacuum system, which includes over 50 miles of tubing spread over four miles of forest; a new filtration unit; several new, 2,000-gallon stainless steel storage tanks; a reverse-osmosis system and evaporators; classroom space; and two identical production lines, so multiple research trials can operate at the same time, “bringing the facility’s research into the 21st century.”

“This state-of-the-art facility positions New York’s already thriving maple industry for new successes and that’s a win for maple researchers, producers and consumers alike,” Benjamin Houlton, dean of Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, said.

In recent years, research conducted at the laboratory has resulted in new technologies developed in reverse osmosis, taphole sanitation practices, and new gravity-flow check valves. These technologies have helped smaller maple producers reduce their energy footprint between 50 percent and 80 percent by utilizing newer technology.

New York home sales soar in June, CNY sales also climb

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Subscriber Only

ALBANY, N.Y. — The real-estate market in New York state stayed hot in June as realtors sold 13,111 previously-owned homes in the month, up 55.4 percent from the 8,436 homes they sold in June 2020. House prices also continued to jump as inventory remained tight. Pending sales in the state rose about 11 percent in

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Pending sales in the state rose about 11 percent in June, which indicates that increases in closed sales may moderate in the coming months.

The numbers come from the New York State Association of Realtors (NYSAR)’s June housing-market report issued July 22.

“Median sales prices continued to rise in the Empire State in June while the number of homes available remained at record lows,” NYSAR said to open its report.

Sales data

Pending sales totaled 16,481 in June, up 11.3 percent from 14,814 in the same month in 2020, according to the NYSAR data.

The statewide median sales price soared more than 28 percent to $385,000 in June, from the June 2020 median sales price of $300,000.

The months’ supply of homes for sale at the end of this June stood at 3 months, down 43 percent from 5.3 months a year ago, per NYSAR. A 6 month to 6.5 month supply is considered to be a balanced market.

The inventory of homes for sale totaled 42,598 in June, off 21 percent from 53,939 in June 2020.

Central New York data

Realtors in Onondaga County sold 451 previously owned homes in June, up about 35 percent from the 333 homes sold in the same month in 2020. The median sales price rose about 21 percent to nearly $200,000 from $165,000 a year ago, according to the NYSAR report.

The association also reports that realtors sold 167 homes in Oneida County in June, up nearly 37 percent from the 122 they sold during June 2020. The median sales price increased about 20 percent to more than $170,000 from over $142,000 a year ago.

Realtors in Broome County sold 167 existing homes in June, up almost 88 percent from 89 a year ago, according to the NYSAR report. The median sales price rose about 36 percent to more than $147,000 from in excess of $108,000 a year ago.

In Jefferson County, realtors closed on 165 homes in June, up about 68 percent from 98 a year prior, and the median sales price of $180,000 was up about 8 percent from more than $166,000 a year ago, according to the NYSAR data.

All home-sales data is compiled from multiple-listing services in New York state and it includes townhomes and condominiums in addition to existing single-family homes, according to NYSAR.

Wiltsie Construction honored by Operation Oswego County

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

OSWEGO, N.Y. — Operation Oswego County (OOC) said it recently presented its Business Excellence Award for 2021 to Wiltsie Construction Company, Inc. of Oswego. OOC gave out the award at its July 14 annual meeting, in recognition and appreciation for Wiltsie Construction “demonstrating outstanding leadership, adaptation and commitment in operating and expanding” the business in

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Orgill opens $70 million distribution center in Rome, creates 225 new jobs

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Regional News, Subscriber Only

ROME, N.Y. — Orgill Inc., the world’s largest independent hardlines distributor, has opened a $70 million distribution center in Rome that will serve the company’s customers throughout the Northeast. The facility was built at the Griffiss Business and Technology Park and will create 225 jobs, the office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced July 29. The

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The facility was built at the Griffiss Business and Technology Park and will create 225 jobs, the office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced July 29.

The project represents the company’s first distribution hub in the Northeast. The Collierville, Tennessee–based Orgill first announced the project in June 2019.

Empire State Development has offered Orgill up to $3.9 million in performance-based Excelsior jobs program tax credits, which are tied directly to the creation of 225 jobs. The distribution center will serve Orgill’s customers throughout the Northeast and has the potential to expand to 1 million square feet.

Those interested in job opportunities should visit www.orgill.com/careers for more information as it becomes available, Cuomo’s office said.

Orgill serves more than 11,000 retail hardware stores, home centers, professional lumber dealers, and farm stores throughout the U.S. and Canada, and more than 50 countries around the world.

“The opening of this new, state-of-the-art distribution facility marks a significant milestone in Orgill’s corporate growth, as well as the growth of the customers we serve — hard working, independent business owners,” Boyden Moore, president & CEO of Orgill, said in a statement. “From the beginning of this project, we have been overwhelmed by the support we received from New York State, Oneida County and the citizens of Rome, all of whom helped make this opening possible. We are honored to be a part of the Mohawk Valley community and we are looking forward to working together to fulfill our mission of helping our customers be successful.”

Steven DiMeo, president of Mohawk Valley EDGE, said the organization is “proud to welcome” Orgill to Griffiss Business and Technology Park.

“For over 25-years we have worked to develop Griffiss Business and Technology Park into what it is today — a vibrant mixed use business park, employing over 6,000 people. We also thank our partners and staff for helping to put the Orgill project together. Large scale projects like this truly take a team of dedicated individuals who are committed to seeing the project through to fruition,” DiMeo said.

State plans fifth round of Downtown Revitalization Initiative

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

ALBANY, N.Y. — New York will offer a fifth round of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) with $200 million available for communities across the 10 Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) regions. The funding seeks to “bring new life to their downtowns through a comprehensive strategic planning process,” followed by the implementation of key projects,” the

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The funding seeks to “bring new life to their downtowns through a comprehensive strategic planning process,” followed by the implementation of key projects,” the New York governor’s office announced.

As part of DRI’s fifth round, the state will announce up to two funding awards — for a total of $20 million — per REDC region.

REDCs will decide whether to nominate two $10 million awardees or one $20 million awardee for downtown-redevelopment projects upon review of the submitted applications.

As is the case with past DRI rounds, each selected community will develop a plan that “articulates a vision for the revitalization” of its downtown and identifies a list of projects. The state will then award DRI funds for selected projects that have the “greatest potential to jumpstart revitalization and realize the community’s vision for the downtown,” per the governor’s office.

Applying

Applications for DRI’s fifth round — which are available on the DRI website — should be submitted to the appropriate Regional Economic Development Council by Sept. 15. All applications should be submitted with a $10 million award in mind but may indicate that they would also like to be considered for a $20 million award. Applicants that indicate interest in being considered for a $20 million award must respond to supplemental application questions in which they describe and confirm “specific transformative or catalytic” DRI projects and “demonstrate the readiness of those projects and local capacity to manage” the full $20 million in DRI funds.

New York Secretary of State Rossana Rosado is leading the initiative. Communities receive support from private-sector experts and a team of state-agency staff led by the New York State Department of State in partnership with Empire State Development and New York State Homes and Community Renewal.

About DRI, past regional winners

Launched in 2016, the Downtown Revitalization Initiative seeks to “accelerate and expand the revitalization of downtowns and neighborhoods to serve as centers of activity and catalysts for investment in all 10 regions of the state,” the state says.

New York has awarded DRI funding to communities across upstate New York. By region, the recipients have included in Central New York (Oswego, Cortland, Auburn, and Fulton); in the Mohawk Valley (Oneonta, Rome, Amsterdam, and Utica); in the Southern Tier (Elmira, Watkins Glen, Owego, and Hornell); in the North Country (Plattsburgh, Watertown, Saranac Lake, and Potsdam) and in the Finger Lakes (Geneva, Batavia, Penn Yan, and Seneca Falls).

Würth Baer Supply renews lease for industrial space in DeWitt

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

DeWITT, N.Y. — Würth Baer Supply Company recently renewed its lease of 30,000 square feet of industrial space at 5928 Court Street Road in DeWitt. Mark Rupprecht of CBRE/Syracuse and Jessica Sutter of CBRE, Inc. handled this lease transaction. No lease terms were disclosed. Orange Properties Owner, LLC owns the property at 5928 Court Street

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VIEWPOINT: How to Motivate and Coach Employees for Success

Business Mentors, Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Subscriber Only

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I talk to lots of people each day and that I hear is a lack of love, support, motivation, and recognition from their direct manager or supervisor. Too many people in management positions think the only reason someone works is for money. Many managers believe that the paycheck is why people work and there is no reason to tell anyone thanks for doing a great job. We nitpick things they are doing wrong and fail to recognize and celebrate what they are doing right.

These people I am talking to are ready to leave, want to leave, or are waiting for the job they really want. When you lose an employee today it is much harder to find a replacement. Especially someone good.

Each day you can motivate your staff or turn them off. When you put employees down, they get depressed, and their effectiveness disappears. A manager’s job is to coach up your workforce and bring out the best in everyone you manage to help foster their success and your success.

When organizations treat their employees well, coach them effectively, and continually work to motivate empowered performance — everyone wins.

The typical supervisor and manager have had virtually no training on leadership, management, and coaching skills. It is critical that you spend time and money each year developing these skills.

Coaching focuses on proper motivation, teamwork, expectations, and collaboration rather than a command-and-control approach. The modern manager as coach works as a team leader as well as a team member.

Employees think of managers as paper pushers, number crunchers, or administrators, while coaches are teachers and mentors who have their interests in mind in addition to the organization’s business goals. Managers are standoffish and reticent. In the eyes of employees, coaches are approachable. They are open-minded and accessible. Employees want to work with someone who is willing to see them as the people they are. They want to impress them and do their part to help the entire team succeed.

Employees want to feel wanted

We’re human: we want to feel wanted — by everyone in our workplace. This is especially true of you, the employees’ coach. When you or a co-worker doesn’t want an employee around, it is obvious to everyone. They will process that standoffishness consciously or subconsciously to the detriment of the team’s performance.

Employees want to feel needed

Employees want to know that their skills and talents are being used by their team and by the organization. Many of your staff members toil for years honing their skills and improving their experience. They want to feel like they are using what they have learned and that those skills are being utilized appropriately.

Employees want to feel like they belong

Employees want to feel like there is a place for them not only within the organization, but also within the team. Workers will spend more time at their job than any other single place during their lives except at their home. As humans, we thrive on creating and subsisting within our interpersonal relationships.

Employees want to feel valued

Employees desire recognition for the effort and performance from you, your organization, and from their co-workers. Not only do employees want to feel like they are using their skills, but they also want to feel like the organization appreciates their talents and values them when they meet and exceed expectations. Providing recognition is a way you can show employees that they are valued.

An employee who feels wanted, needed, and valued feels secure and supported in her job. This can lead to positive outcomes, including:

• Employees make more empowered decisions

• Employees work better with their customers and their co-workers

• Employees are unafraid to take risks

Keeping employees and motivating them for greater success is critical. Employees are 10 times more fragile than you think they are. Your success is in their hands.

John Tschohl is a professional speaker, trainer, and consultant. He is president and founder of Service Quality Institute, a global customer-service strategy and training firm with operations in more than 40 countries.

VIEWPOINT: Executive Order has Little Immediate Impact on Non-Compete Clauses

Business Mentors, Law, Accounting & Taxes, Subscriber Only

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On Friday, July 9, President Joe Biden signed an executive order on “Promoting Competition in the American Economy” aimed at limiting certain anti-competitive practices across multiple sectors, including agriculture, telecommunications, technology, and pharmaceuticals. The order highlights a multitude of anti-competitive practices in these sectors, including the increasing pervasiveness of non-competition and related agreements throughout the American economy. While the executive order itself does not prohibit non-competition agreements — and is not expected to have any immediate effect on their enforceability — employers should view the order as a possible precursor to further actions over the coming months and years.

With 72 initiatives, President Biden’s executive order is certainly sweeping in scope; however, as it relates to employee non-competition, non-solicitation, and related restrictive covenants, it is limited in both scope and immediate effect. Specifically, the order encourages the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to create rules “to curtail the unfair use of non-compete clauses and other clauses or agreements that may unfairly limit worker mobility.” The order thus merely encourages, but does not mandate, the FTC to commence the rule-making process to limit the unfair use of non-competition covenants and other restrictive covenants, which may include non-solicitation, non-poaching, and/or non-servicing restrictions.

In other words, the executive order does not prohibit, or even limit, employee non-competition agreements or other restrictive covenants. Rather, at most, it previews possible future agency action designed to “curtail” (notably, not “ban” or “eliminate”) the “unfair use” of such agreements. To the extent that the FTC does act, as the order encourages it do, we expect that some definition will be provided on, among other things, how the FTC plans to “curtail” the use of such agreements and what is considered “unfair.” We will continue to monitor the situation and provide necessary updates if and when any such future action, agency or otherwise, occurs.

In the meantime, [companies] may continue to utilize non-competition and related agreements, consistent with applicable law, which are reasonable in geographic and temporal scope and necessary to protect their legitimate business interests (e.g., the use, disclosure and/or loss of confidential and trade secret information, customer relationships and goodwill). However, with the potential of future action at the federal level limiting the use of such agreements, [firms] should exercise prudence on their employee restrictive covenants and take necessary steps to ensure that they are utilizing best practices with their restrictive covenants, including, without limitation, ensuring that adequate consideration is provided, avoiding a “one size fits all” approach, and periodically updating their restrictive covenants to account for any change in law.

Bradley A. Hoppe is a member (partner) in the Buffalo office of Syracuse–based law firm Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC. He is chair of Bond’s manufacturing industry group. Contact Hoppe at bhoppe@bsk.com. Samuel P. Wiles is an associate in Bond’s Rochester office. He is a is a litigation attorney who counsels businesses in employment, commercial, health care, and property disputes. Contact Wiles at swiles@bsk.com. This article is drawn and edited from the law firm’s New York Labor and Employment Law Report blog.

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