Courtesy SEDC
The Saratoga Economic Development Corp. (SEDC) and MJ Properties of Clifton Park Inc. held a ground-breaking celebration on Sept. 26 marking the beginning of a 155,000-square-foot facility that will become the site of a U-Haul Co. facility.
It is expected to be complete in the third quarter of 2020.
It marks the first project contained within an $18 million investment—a combined acquisition, design, infrastructure and building investment in Synergy Tech Park.
Officials said the private investment will strategically activate the commercial business park infrastructure, opening up a total of 1.2 million square feet of permitted, shovel-ready sites at its prominent Clifton Park location—one mile fronting the Northway, between exits 9 and 10, and Route 9.
Working with SEDC, the Clifton Park IDA previously froze property taxes to help enable MJ Properties’ investment into opening Synergy Tech Park.
“We continue to enhance local economic development methods to sustain the vitality and quality of life we enjoy for generations to come,” said Clifton Park Supervisor and current Saratoga County Economic Development Committee Chairman Phil Barrett.
“Anytime you can attract private investment to prompt a desirable mix of uses of this scale at a prime location that will grow jobs, wages and tax base, you have to work diligently to support it,” he said. “We are fortunate to have experienced economic and property developers, planners and IDA officials promoting Clifton Park and Saratoga County.”
“MJ Properties has been at the forefront in answering the call for strategic site development to help attract new commercial investment supporting growth in jobs, wages and tax base,” said Dennis Brobston, president, SEDC. “Our business led five-year Advance Saratoga strategy highlighted the need for more site inventory to promote for commercial use. Economic development is a team sport, and this project is no different.
“It is a pleasure working with partners like Mark Rekucki, the Clifton Park town leaders, planners, and its IDA, as well as our utility partners at National Grid and NYSEG. That’s how we lay the groundwork for attracting substantial commercial investments that led to the confidence of MJ Properties and U-Haul to invest here.”
Synergy Tech Park could reach 1.2 million square feet of mixed-use projects that are already locally approved. SEDC and MJ Properties are co-promoting the space for strategic commercial office, services and light industrial users.
“We are thrilled to have U-Haul signed on as an initial corporate client and user of this robust three-story building now under construction,” said Rekucki, owner of MJ Properties, the Synergy Tech Park developer. “This national brand locating here adds to our confidence in making our investments. U-Haul’s occupancy at the park will fully open up phase one and its 405,000 square feet of approved space to market. Truly shovel-ready sites adding up to 1.2 million square feet offers a very rare scale of property inventory ready to move in our Capital Region. Coupled with the site access, visibility and the competitiveness of Saratoga County, we are confident in attracting more substantial businesses.”
Levi Parmerter, U-Haul district vice president overseeing nearly 100 facilities across northeastern states, said Saratoga County and Clifton Park are communities “with a growing demand for U-Haul products and services. We were attracted to Synergy Park due to its Northway proximity and the plans for ample additional future uses in the park that could prompt more demand for our services.”
He said the location will “fill a void by providing our state-of-the-art self-storage product, U-Box portable moving and storage containers, and much more.”
Officials said the arrival of U-Haul will create 15 to 20 direct jobs. Another 50-75 construction jobs are projected leading up to the anticipated third quarter of 2020 delivery of the completed three-story facility.
The location will employ a full-time general manager and an assistant manager and numerous support positions, including full- and part-time jobs as customer service representatives, self-storage housekeepers, facility maintenance personnel and warehouse staff. U-Haul offers competitive wages and benefits packages.