Rensselaer County to Purchase Property in Hoosick as Home for New County Service Center, County Executive Steve McLaughlin and Legislators Announce
New Home Would Replace Outdated Building, and Allow for Location of Other County Offices
Rensselaer County is seeking to purchase property on State Route 22 in Hoosick as the new home for the county senior center in the Hoosick area, County Executive Steve McLaughlin and members of the County Legislature announced.
The county is seeking approval by the County Legislature to allow for the purchase of the former Dollar Tree store, located at 21299 State Route 22. The county has been seeking to find a new location for the senior center as the Murphy Building owned by the county has become outdated.
“This is part of our effort to modernize and improve Rensselaer County facilities. We believe this would be a significant upgrade over the current location for the county’s senior center,” said McLaughlin.
“We want a place we can be proud of, to host and support seniors and the activities and programs they benefit from. This new location resolves a number of issues we have been facing regarding senior services and other county services provided at the Murphy building,” added McLaughlin.
The county has already opened a new county senior center in downtown Troy, including expanded access and more modern services and features. The county center in Troy was opened in April in City Station on Sixth Avenue and replaces the former county senior center on Third Street.
The cost for the purchase of the Dollar Tree is set at $575,000. A resolution to approve the purchase has been submitted to the County Legislature and could be considered at the August legislative meeting.
The Dollar Tree closed earlier this year and is conveniently located and includes dozens of parking spots. The county would also move a DMV satellite service and Mental Health counseling services to the new location.
The current senior center is located in the county-owned John A. Murphy Building on Church Street in the village. The building was renovated for county use approximately 50 years ago, but structural issues have emerged that make improvement and further renovation for county use challenging. The county is committed to working with the village and the town to find new uses for the property.
“This is good news for the county, and for the satellite DMV services we now provide in Hoosick. Potentially having more space and easier access is a benefit for the work done by the county in the area,” said County Clerk Frank Merola.
“Rensselaer County has been exploring opportunities to find a new home for our community’s seniors, and this building seems like a very good fit. Having visited the current senior center many times, I know that it has outlived its usefulness. The Dollar Tree building is in a good location, and will house other important services to our residents, like the satellite DMV,” said Legislator Bruce Patire.
“The seniors in the Hoosick Falls area deserve a clean, safe, and modern facility like the new senior center that was established in Troy. This building provides plenty of parking, and the ability to house county facilities in a modern, inviting space. The purchase of this building is a big step in the right direction,” added Legislator Jeff Wysocki.
“Senior services are very important in Hoosick and we welcome the news the county plans to establish a new and more modern senior center in town. This will benefit our quality of life and senior services in the area,” said Town Supervisor Mark Surdam.