By Christine Graf
As more retail stores are forced to close due to the rise of online shopping, malls are being forced to reinvent themselves in order to survive. They are adding attractions and businesses that traditionally wouldn’t be located in malls.
“What you have seen over the course of the last several years is the re-purposing of space within the mall to alternative uses that actually make our mall more diverse,” said Wilton Mall property manager Mike Shaffer. “This started for us back in 2012 with the opening of Healthy Living Market and Café at the mall along with Planet Fitness gym.
“And then we transitioned to putting a Home Goods in a mall site which is not typical for them. That took up six previous small spaces. We did the same thing with Ulta Beauty a few years ago. We boxed up three small spaces into one larger space. And now, the welcome addition of Saratoga Hospital is a re-purposing of Sears which was a large anchor store,” he said.
“Quite frankly, those kinds of retailers are hard to find to fill big spaces. It’s about re-purposing space to continue to keep the mall relevant.”
Saratoga Hospital moved into a 56,000-square-foot space in September.
The majority of the square footage is occupied by more than 100 information technology and health information services staff members. The employees were relocated to the mall from the main hospital campus off Church Street in Saratoga Springs.

Saratoga Arts has named Louise Kerr its new executive director, replacing Joel Reed who stepped down in March.
“We are thrilled to have Louise as the new leader for Saratoga Arts,” Susanne Simpson, president of the board, said in a statement. “She brings an energy and enthusiasm as well as a wealth of knowledge and experience that will truly honor our vision for the future.”
Kerr comes from The Olana Partnership in Hudson, where she served as the director of engagement and visitor operations. She was once the operations manager of the Betty Cuningham Gallery in Manhattan. She has more than 20 years of business experience in both New York and California.
“It is with great enthusiasm, a fresh perspective, and the belief in a dedicated team of staff and volunteers at Saratoga Arts, that I look forward to forging new relationships, partnerships and connections that will continue to build upon Saratoga Arts successful history with a focus on the mission of making the arts accessible to all,” Kerr said.
Kerr has an undergraduate degree in architecture and design from the Glasgow College of Building and Printing in Scotland. She has a master’s degree in fine arts from the New York Studio School of Drawing, Painting and Sculpture.
Kerr is the third executive director of the nonprofit, which was founded and initially directed by Dee Sarno.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for me to return to what I love best—connecting and nurturing artists across all genres, at all points of their careers and working collaboratively on a local and regional level to promote and sustain the meaningful impact a public arts center can have serving the community,” said Kerr.

By Christine Graf
Hayes Development Co. of Saratoga Springs is building 64 additional townhouse apartments at its The Lofts at Saratoga Boulevard property in Malta.
The project includes eight townhouse buildings, a tennis court and a dog park. It was designed by Cotler Architecture, and Bonacquisti Brothers Construction of Albany is the general contractor.
Construction began in July. The first townhouses will be ready for occupancy in early spring. By summer 2021, the remaining townhouses will be available. “We anticipate reaching full absorption before the completion date,” said Hayes.
The townhouse apartments are being built on a portion of a six-acre parcel of land that was purchased by Hayes Development for $1.35 million in January. The previous owners had planned a mixed-use development called Blacksmith Square on the property. After they defaulted on tax and mortgage payments, Sunmark Credit Union foreclosed on the land.
Hayes Development got it divided into two parcels.

By Christine Graf
Equitas Realty broker/owner Janet Besheer recently relocated her Saratoga Springs office from 38 High Rock Ave. to space in the Wilton Mall.
Her decision to move out of the High Rock Avenue space was made after the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the way she and her staff did business. Both her businesses, Equitas Realty and Equitas Realty Management, are located there.
Because her agents are spending significantly less time in the office, Besheer decided to downsize from a 2,800-square-foot office to a 1,000-square-foot space in the Wilton Mall. The office was previously occupied by Liberty Travel and is located near the Home Goods and Healthy Living Market entrances.
“We’ve realized in recent years that with technology and the ability to do everything on our phones and being totally mobile, there was less need for an office. The way people shop for real estate has truly changed since I started in 2000,” she said. “And when COVID hit this March, we were not allowed to go to our office.”
During the early months of the pandemic, real estate agents were also not allowed to show houses. Instead, they relied solely on photographs and videos to market properties to prospective buyers. All meetings were held virtually and agents began using electronic signature software.

By Erin Nudi
Alan Schnurman took over ownership of the Red Roof Inn in Clifton Park in 2018. In June of this year, he made a change in management and renovations, which had been ongoing slowly, moved forward in earnest.
“Things are run differently now,” said Elaine Swain, the new general manager. Kemanni Gang is also part of the new management team as operations manager.
Swain said the team is re-focusing the hotel’s upgrades and its hospitality mission while adhering to the new COVID regulations.
All of the rooms underwent major renovations in 2019. They now have laminate flooring instead of carpet, which adds safety and cleanliness, two aspects of staying at a hotel that many think about today, she said.
Other upgrades in the guest rooms include a workspace, microwave and refrigerator. A guest laundry room was added and there are plans for the addition of a truck parking lot.