By Christine Graf
Rochester-based Flaum Management Co. Inc has purchased the former State Farm Operations Center located off Northway Exit 12 in Saratoga County.
The building sat empty for approximately two years before being auctioned off in March by Ten-X Commercial, an online real estate platform.
The two-story, 124,171-square-foot building was purchased by John Senese, owner of Calco Construction in Farmington, Con., for $1.36 million, according to the Flaum.
After purchasing the property, Senese sold it to Flaum Management Co. for $2 million.

By Andrea Harwood Palmer
The Village of Ballston Spa has closed down a main commercial street during the coronavirus pandemic to make more space for outdoor dining for restaurants.
A section of Front Street is closed to vehicles from 4-10 p.m. those specified days every Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
“The Village of Ballston Spa is open for business,” said Mayor Larry Woolbright.
“It’s been going great. People are coming out. The restaurants are doing good business. People really appreciate being able to get out again. We have a nice 15-foot-wide pedestrian path blocked off down the middle of the street so everyone has plenty of space to get where they’re going,” he said.

By Jennifer Farnsworth
Interest in bicycling has grown as a safe alternative for transportation, combating boredom and staying in shape during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Local bike shops, like Grey Ghost Bicycles in Glens Falls and Saratoga Springs, didn’t anticipate what that would mean for them. They have worked tirelessly to keep us with customer demand.
“I never in my wildest dreams could have imagined the spring we had,” said Grey Ghost manager Steve Fairchild.
With an established business in Glens Falls, Grey Ghost opened its second location in the plaza at 60 West Ave. in Saratoga Springs just before the pandemic hit. They were deemed by the state as an essential business, a determination that Fairchild said he thought may bring some challenges.
But he never expected to experience the demand that he saw almost immediately.
“As soon as the weather started to warm up in late March, early April, the demand just skyrocketed. Our inventory was almost immediately cleared out. Many of the bikes we sell are made in China and since most of the manufacturers closed, we couldn’t even order bikes. They just were not being made,” said Fairchild.

GlobalFoundries announced it has secured a purchase option agreement for approximately 66 acres of undeveloped land adjacent to what it calls its most advanced manufacturing facility, Fab 8 in Malta near the Luther Forest Technology Campus (LFTC).
The land parcel is located at the southeast end of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) Saratoga Technology + Energy Park (STEP) campus, adjacent to Stonebreak Road Extension, between the Fab 8 facility and Hermes Road.
Exercising the option to purchase the land and commencement of development to expand the company’s Fab 8 facility will be subject to zoning regulations and client demand, company officials said.
“GlobalFoundries continues to demonstrate its commitment to economic growth in Saratoga County and Upstate New York,” said Darren O’Connor, Malta town supervisor. “I am pleased to hear that this latest step will enable future growth opportunities for GlobalFoundries for years to come.”

The boards of the Center for Economic Growth and the Capital Region Chamber have agreed to form a Joint Task Force to pursue possible affiliation.
The affiliation is being explored as CEG President and CEO Andrew Kennedy has accepted a senior position with Ostroff Associates, a leading government relations firm based in Albany.
“On behalf of the CEG board of directors, I would like to thank Andrew for his leadership, implementation of the CEG investor model, and his commitment to the growth of the Capital Region over his years of service,” said Dr. John Bennett, Chair of CEG and president and CEO of CDPHP.
“With Andrew’s transition, the CEG’s volunteer leadership took this opportunity to step-back to determine how to best proceed. Our belief is that business and community growth in the Capital Region requires a unified vision and coordinated strategy that was best achieved if CEG and the Capital Region Chamber were directly affiliated under one organizational structure.”
“It has been a privilege and honor to serve as the president and CEO of CEG,” said Kennedy. “I am proud of the work done by the professional team at CEG who work day in and day out to not only market the Capital Region but serve as the resource for Capital Region businesses. As I transition to the new opportunity, I would like to thank the CEG board of directors and our investors for their support. It is through their efforts we have made the Capital Region stronger.”

The 2020 summer meet at Saratoga Race Course will begin July 16 and will run races without fans due to the coronavirus, as they have been doing downstate at Belmont Park.
Another big change for the meet is that the Travers Stakes will be run on Saturday, Aug. 8, rather than the last Saturday in Aug..
The New York Racing Association (NYRA) announced the racing schedule featuring 71 stakes races worth $14.45 million in purses, encompassing 39 graded stakes and 18 Grade 1s. The meet ends Monday, Sept. 7.
“We’re thrilled to be racing at Saratoga this summer and we thank Gov. Andrew Cuomo for his support and the support of horsemen who have worked with us to navigate the many challenges,” NYRA President and CEO Dave O’Rourke said. “While this will be anything but a traditional Saratoga season, we hope to provide a semblance of normalcy for both the local community as well as racing fans across the country.”

By Jennifer Farnsworth
Tully Rinckey PLLC has opened a new office in Saratoga Springs.
The office at 125 High Rock Ave. is their 13th worldwide and seventh in New York state.
It is lead by partner Michael J. Belsky, who has over 20 years of experience practicing law in Saratoga County.
Belsky, who had been working out of the Albany office, said he is excited to serve the Saratoga community where he has deep roots working as an attorney with Saratoga County Family and with state Supreme Court cases.
His areas of experience are in matters related to divorce, adoption, child custody and support.
“We are excited to be a part of the community and plan to give back where we can. I have always stayed connected to Saratoga,” said Belsky.
The Saratoga office offers legal services covering family and matrimonial, trusts and estates, corporate, and criminal law.
Michael Macomber, Tully Rinckey chief executive officer, said they will have about three to four employees in the new location. He said they have talked about opening an office in Saratoga for several years and felt the time was right to make it official.