LEGISLATURE STUFF - A Welcome and Unwelcome Welcome

CATSKILL - Bids have been approved by the Greene County Legislature for the redevelopment of a visitors “welcome center,” although the multi-million dollar project is not warmly welcomed by all lawmakers.

The county Tourism Office has been located for many years at the Exit 21 entrance/exit for the New York State Thruway, between the village of Catskill and hamlet of Leeds.

That building has been torn down and replaced by a Stewart’s Convenience Shop, formerly located across from the Thruway along old Route 23.

Stewart’s, in exchange for setting up on what was the county’s land, will be transferring ownership of their old property to the county.

They will leave a solid structure intact while ripping up any pipelines and tanks so the Tourism Office can move there in the near future.

Opening date for the new Stewarts is scheduled for September 6, with the county wanting to start remodeling their new space as soon as possible.

That may not happen until next spring, so meanwhile, Tourism staff are working on the 4th Floor of the county building, in downtown Catskill.

It is not an ideal situation, making walk-in visitors seeking information on local attractions inconvenient at best and impractical at worst.

And while bids were awarded on the $2.2 million dollar job by more than a majority vote, earlier this week, lawmaker Michael Bulich (District1, Catskill), was a naysayer.

Eleven bids were received overall for four separate elements of the project as follows:

—General Construction Work; Gallo Construction, 50 Lincoln Avenue, Watervliet, NY, $1,794,500 including base bid, $1,682,000, pavilion alternate $102,000 and F.P electrical alternate $10,500.

There were four General Construction bids in total, including a high bid of $2,820,000 and a lower bid than what was approved by lawmakers.

A bid of $1,290,000 (base bid and pavilion) was submitted. It was explained by county deputy administrator Warren Hart, that a “mathematical error” precluded the bid from being officially considered.

—Mechanical Construction (HVAC) Work; DJ Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. 1409 Route 9W, Marlboro, NY, $184,000. There were three bids, ranging from the low to a high of $245,875.

—Plumbing Construction Work, Ashley Mechanical, 27 Emerick Street, Kingston, NY, $68,120, the lone submitted bid.

—Electrical Construction Work, Ideal Wiring Solutions, Inc., 90 Saw Mill Road, East Berne, NY, $160,050 ($154,200 base bid plus alternates).

There were three bids submitted, ranging from the low bid to a high bid of $175,900 (base bid), according to the legislative resolution.

Bulich was not pleased with the bids, regardless of their price tag, voting against the total $2,206,679 expenditure, saying, “this building truly isn’t necessary anymore. 

“We are in the digital age. People do almost everything online. I’m willing to bet the 20 to 25 people we estimate who visit the building on a daily basis, go right to the bathroom and right back out again.

“My main point is this,” Bulich said. “It’s just not okay for the county to spend this kind of money on a generic building like that.

“We’re talking about a 2700 square foot building. Nobody in their right mind would construct a 2700 square foot home for 2.2 million dollars.

“I think it would be much more effective to put a visitors kiosk at Stewarts and maybe one in Windham and one in Tannersville,” Bulich said.

Legislature chairman Patrick Linger sees the matter differently, saying there is more to the Tourism Office than serving as a quick digestive relief.

“The presence of the Tourism Center lends credence to the fact that tourism is the number one industry in Greene County,” Linger said.

“And it’s not just tourism. It’s every business we have in the county. The hotels. The restaurants. The places that visitors might not know about otherwise, without stopping in to get information.”

Two different funding streams will be tapped to finance the project including $750,000 from the Industrial Development Agency and the rest in county fund balance, officials said.