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

Governor Kathy Hochul today 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."

Read the full press release here.