APA looks to vacant 1-3 Main St. site for new HQ in Saranac Lake

RAY BROOK | At their September board meeting, Adirondack Park Agency (APA) communications staff presented an update to commissioners on plans to relocate the agency's headquarters. The preferred location in design/review would reuse the historic former Paul Smith's Power and Light building at 1-3 Main Street in Saranac Lake. APA launched a web page in August to provide the public with updates on their relocation process, the Agency Headquarters Project: apa.ny.gov/headquarters-project HISTORIC PUBLIC RESOURCE The Power and Light building formerly housed Saranac Lake village offices with Saranac Lake Police Department in quarters at the lower, back section of the building. Village offices moved to the Harrietstown Town Hall in 2011 and a biotech firm moved into the 1-3 Main quarters. After closing operations, employees of the biotech firm reconfigured as Ampersand Biosciences and moved into the former Lake Clear elementary school building. Last year, Saranac Lake PD relocated to the National Guard Armory Building on George LaPan Highway. The Power and Light building at 1-3 Main is vacant, although it houses hydroelectric generating equipment for the adjoining station at the Lake Flower dam, an impoundment of the Saranac River. Historically, the property has a long connection to public use. First power generation began on the site on September 20, 1894. According to Historic Saranac Lake records online, "Paul Smiths Electric Light & Power and Railroad Company bought the property, water rights, electric plant and buildings from the Saranac Lake Light, Heat & Power Company on Jan. 16. 1907." The current three-story office facility was built 20 years later by Adirondack hotelier and entrepreneur Paul Smith's son, Phelps Smith. According to historic reports, the building remained in use by Niagara Mohawk power until 1986 when the Village of Saranac Lake acquired the property. The Paul Smith's Electric Light and Power and Railroad Company Complex, including the three-story office and powerhouse, the bridge and the dam, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (ID #87001898) on Nov. 2, 1987. APA would engage a lease option with the Village of Saranac to reuse the building as its headquarters. The preferred plan would add a new 18,000 square foot building behind the Power and Light site, situated on the western bank of the Saranac River. ............................ PROJECT OVERVIEW Presented to the board by APA communications staff Keith McKeever and Ben Brosseau, the overview incorporated status of the current APA office building in Ray Brook and architectural renderings of the new complex in consideration. The relocation project team includes APA, the state Division of Budget and state offices of General Services, Historic Preservation, and the Village of Saranac Lake. The log building that has been APA headquarters in Ray Brook for some 50 years was built from logs gathered after the Big Blowdown storm in 1950. The facility was initially used as a state trooper barracks, McKeever relayed, and then for Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) headquarters. APA was established by the state in 1971 and moved into the log building when DEC relocated to new office space built next door. Capital improvements on the current APA building added a new conference room in 2004. Ray Brook is a Hamlet in the Town of North Elba. The APA building sits in a state office complex on the flat stretch of Route 86, which does not have access to a municipal wastewater treatment systems. The aging log building is currently facing failing septic infrastructure. APA staff told commissioners that the agency is paying more than they should be to heat the building, as HVAC equipment is deteriorating and needs repair. Costs for heating and cooling updates would require interior wall demolition. APA started to investigate headquarters relocation in 2018, McKeever said. Criteria for a best-use site were built around the agency's own guidance laws. They began looking for a lease opportunity within five miles of their present location that was affordable and would have no impact on the tax roll. They looked for reuse/renovation options that involve public water and sewer and connectivity. The APA isn't allowed to own property, and needs a leasing option, McKeever said. The 1-3 Main Street Power and Light building in Saranac Lake is still the preferred site, he said, as it is situated in downtown Saranac Lake and is a vacant building with parking; and is owned by the village, allowing potential for lease. "The site also has access to the village Riverwalk," he said, "connecting people to nature and local businesses. The site checks off a lot of boxes for the APA." It is also closer to staff homes and would allow some 70 percent of staff to bike or walk to work. "It is a site, we believe, based on feasibility studies, will meet all our programmatic needs." As to community impact, relocation to Saranac Lake would bring 50 to 60 stable jobs to the downtown village area, adding related daily traffic for local business. In a vision statement, APA said the move to 1-3 Main Street would be transformational for community in important ways: As an opportunity for New York State to showcase green construction, smart growth strategies, historic preservation, and partnership with local government. And to make APA more accessible and integrated into a community. BUILDING CONCEPT McKeever and Brousseau provided concept drawings of the APA headquarters that include restoration and updates to the three-story Power and Light building for office and community meeting space. A new building behind it would add another 18,000 square feet for offices, altogether providing 5,000 square feet more than their current building. The boardroom meeting space would provide public access on Main Street in Saranac Lake. The entry room could include displays outlining the work APA does, park maps and a central location for APA public resources. Concept design images show how parking would array behind the existing Power and Light building toward the new building, following a turn in the Saranac River. Design indicates approximately 70 parking for APA staff, board members and the public. PROJECT COST APA's project team estimates a $30 million total project cost with $4 million for site development, $6 million for updates to existing buildings and $20 million for new office building construction. The state Office of General Services (OGS) would oversee the construction and bidding process. Next steps, APA staff said, will provide professional consulting report and documents for public review as the agency continues to work with OGS and the Village of Saranac Lake on a lease agreement. Public outreach this fall will include a public information session and continued updates to the agency's Headquarters Project dashboard. APA Commissioner Mark Hall, chair of the Public Awareness and Communications Committee, said the agency needs a new building. "We do need a facility that meets the needs of today," he said, including internet connectivity and wastewater treatment. Moving the planning process online, he said, will help with project transparency. "I think people might think we're further along than we are," he added. Hall is former Town of Fine supervisor and former member of the Adirondack Park Local Government Review Board. He was appointed to the APA board in 2020. ......................... FIND OUT MORE The Professional Consultation Report for APA Headquarters can be downloaded from the project dashboard. Numerous reports, including Air Quality, lead testing, geotechnical data and site assessment surveys, are included on the website, along with site drawings. Questions about the project can be directed by email to: contact@apa.ny.gov

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APA looks to vacant 1-3 Main St. site for new HQ in Saranac Lake

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