News

Governor Hochul Announces Plans For Transformative $115 Million Investment In Schenectady’s Hamilton Hill Neighborhood

Project Advances Governor’s Housing Agenda with More Than 170 Units

Full-Service Grocery Store Will Provide Access to Fresh Food in Long-Standing Food Desert 

Rendering of 750 State Street Site Available Here

Governor Kathy Hochul announced plans for a full-service grocery store and more than 170 new units of affordable and workforce housing as part of a $115 million project centered around 750 State Street in Schenectady’s Hamilton Hill neighborhood. The Schenectady County Metroplex Development Authority has been working with the State, The Community Builders, Five Corners Development and Save A Lot to reimagine the vacant site. Store construction is slated for 2027 with an opening planned by the spring of 2028. New housing will be built on Albany and State Street within one block of the new store.

“Communities across the state deserve to feel uplifted and seen, especially in Schenectady, and we are delivering on that promise to the Hamilton Hill neighborhood,” Governor Hochul said. “With additional housing and a full-service grocery store right in the neighborhood, residents will be able to live in the neighborhood they grew up in, close to their families, and be able to get groceries without having to plan for additional commuting time.”

Formerly a car dealership, the 2.2-acre site at 750 State Street was purchased by the Schenectady County Legislature for $950,000, and the existing building was demolished utilizing a $2.75 million Restore New York grant from Empire State Development. The State Street site will undergo remediation through New York State’s Brownfield Program, administered by the Department of Environmental Conservation, to support the construction of a mixed-use building featuring the grocery store, 85 units of housing, greenspace, a new playground and parking. Clean-up work to prep the site is expected to run through 2027, with the County also providing $3 million in grant funding to support the new construction.

Nine additional vacant buildings were also demolished using Metroplex funding to create three sites at 748 Albany Street, 758 Albany Street and 785 Albany Street. Three buildings will be constructed at these sites, totaling 86 units, supported by $1 million from Empire State Development through the Regional Council initiative. In total, the project will create 171 units of affordable and workforce housing, including 36 units designated as supportive housing. The units will provide a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom configurations to accommodate a range of family sizes.

Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “Creating new opportunities is at the heart of this project. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, and by leveraging public funding with private investments, the new housing and much-needed grocery store will support families and combat food insecurity, demonstrating the importance of community development and neighborhood revitalization efforts.” 

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton said, “Revitalizing blighted or contaminated areas and transforming them into useful development that protects and benefits New Yorkers is the cornerstone of DEC’s Brownfield Cleanup Program. We are proud to join our state and local partners in announcing this exciting new housing project and full-service grocery store that will enhance Schenectady’s Hamilton Hill neighborhood and deliver on Governor Hochul’s commitment to make communities safer and housing and quality food more affordable and available to all New Yorkers.”

Schenectady County Chair of the Legislature Gary Hughes said, “We are fulfilling our promise to bring a grocery store to the Hamilton Hill neighborhood as part of a larger development with new housing and greenspace. We are extremely grateful to Governor Kathy Hochul and state agencies that are working closely with us to make this project a reality. This is another powerful example of the success that comes when we set ambitious goals, and then work together with our outstanding, results-driven economic development team and our partners at the State to make it happen.”

Located just blocks from Downtown Schenectady, the new 17,250-square-foot grocery store will offer customers quality private label and national brand products at everyday low prices, meat cut fresh in the store, farm-fresh produce, and household essentials. Founded nearly 50 years ago, Save A Lot is the largest independently owned and operated value-focused grocery chain in the United States, with approximately 650 stores in 29 states. 

Save A Lot CEO Bill Mayo said, “At Save A Lot, we believe in the power of the neighborhood grocery store as a key to building vibrant communities. We’re focused on serving families by ensuring they have access to fresh, affordable, nutritious food. We are thrilled to partner with New York State and Schenectady County and look forward to delivering an outstanding shopping experience to Hamilton Hill neighbors.”

The Community Builders, serving as lead developer on the project, has advanced neighborhood development nationally through award-winning affordable housing communities and its pioneering Community Life model for resident success. The company’s ownership and management portfolio spans more than 18,000 apartment homes across 15 states.

The Community Builders Regional Vice President of Real Estate Development Jesse Batus said, “The Community Builders is proud to advance our mission to build and sustain strong communities where all people can thrive through this investment in Hamilton Hill. We are honored to deepen TCB’s commitment to the City of Schenectady through this partnership, which will deliver the full-service grocery store that residents of the Hamilton Hill and Vale neighborhoods have been asking for. This is the kind of concerted, comprehensive action that will strengthen this community for generations. TCB could not be prouder to undertake this effort with our great partners at Save A Lot, Metroplex, Five Corners Development, BCNI, and our many government and funding partners to deliver housing and amenities our neighbors deserve.”

Metroplex Chair Ray Gillen said, “We knocked down the long-standing blighted and vacant buildings in this part of Albany and State Street and we chartered a course to bring in new housing and a full-service grocery store. We have secured commitments through months of focused efforts to bring $115 million in new investment to Schenectady with a leading national housing developer and grocery store operator. We are extremely thankful to all of our partners who have worked together to move this project forward.”

Five Corners Development Principal Sumeet Gupta said, “Hamilton Hill deserves what every neighborhood deserves — a place to buy fresh groceries, quality homes, and the confidence that investment is coming and staying. As a Capital Region development firm, we are proud to partner with The Community Builders, Metroplex, Save A Lot and this entire coalition to help deliver something that will be felt in this community for generations. This is exactly the kind of project that demonstrates what public-private partnerships can accomplish when everyone is aligned around a shared vision for a neighborhood.”

State Senator Jim Tedisco said, “This new full-service grocery store and 171 new housing units will be a very positive addition to Schenectady’s Hamilton Hill neighborhood providing an affordable place for people to call home and grocery shopping for the community. I want to thank the Governor for helping make this redevelopment possible.”

Assemblymember Angelo Santabarbara said, “This project is an important investment in the future of the Hamilton Hill community and something we’ve been working toward for years. By bringing affordable housing, a full-service grocery store, and new public spaces together, we’re creating new opportunities for families, improving quality of life, and expanding access to the resources they deserve close to home. That’s why I worked to help secure the state funding that made this vision a reality, and I thank Governor Hochul, Schenectady County, Metroplex, and all of our partners for helping bring this long-awaited vision to life.”

Schenectady Mayor Gary McCarthy said, “The City is proud to move forward with this game changing investment. We are directly addressing the need for affordable groceries and housing in one major development that will benefit our residents. These formerly blighted sites will now add to the resurgence of Schenectady.”