Property purchase on table for Schenectady food market

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The Schenectady County Legislature passed a resolution through committee Tuesday night to purchase 754 State Street in Schenectady, in hopes of building a food market there. To take effect, the resolution must also pass during the regular meeting of the legislature on Sept. 13.

Several neighborhoods within Schenectady have been identified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service as low-income census tracts where a significant number or share of residents is more than a half-mile from the nearest supermarket.

“We’ve been looking for ways to bring a food market to this part of the city so families can more easily access healthy and affordable food,” said Schenectady County Legislator Gary Hughes, Chair of the Economic Development & Planning Committee. “Our goal is to use ARPA funds to invest in projects like this, that will have a lasting impact on our community. We think this is an ideal location due to its proximity to areas that have been identified as lacking access to healthy, fresh foods, and that our pledge to invest up to $3 million to construct the market will help us attract a developer that will make this project a reality.”

The property at 754 State Street is just over two acres, includes a large building, and is accessible from both Albany Street and State Street. The legislature has asked the County's Director of Economic Development and Planning to develop a Request for Proposals (RFP), which would provide up to $3 million to construct a food market on the property.