Work on Monolith’s HQ stops
Construction firm told company is formalizing strategic plan
Construction has halted on Monolith Solar’s $4.8 million headquarters in Slingerlands, four months after it began, according to town of Bethlehem officials.
Robert Leslie, the town of Bethlehem’s planning director, confirmed that construction was stopped last week by BBL, Monolith’s Albany-based construction firm that developed the Vista Technology Campus where the new 26,000 squarefoot facility was being built.
“BBL didn’t give us a reason,” Leslie said.
Leslie said the town reached out to Monolith but has not heard back. He said he hoped that the work stoppage would be temporary. BBL and the town have to decide how BBL will secure the site when no work is being done, including dealing with potential erosion and safety issues, Leslie said.
A sole worker was packing up a truck on Monday afternoon at the Monolith site at the Vista Technology Campus. Otherwise there was no activity at the property.
Stephen Obermayer, chief financial officer at BBL, confirmed Monday that Monolith asked for the construction to be halted but that the project should ultimately be completed at Vista.
“They (Monolith) have informed us that they are in the process of formalizing a
strategic plan and have asked BBL to temporarily pause construction,” Obermayer told the Times Union. “We look forward to resuming and working on other future opportunities to bring investment to Bethlehem.”
Monolith officials did not respond to repeated phone calls from a Times Union reporter Monday.
The stoppage was initially reported Monday morning by the Albany Business Review.
Monolith is in line to receive $680,000 in state tax breaks on the project through the Bethlehem Industrial Development Agency, of which $313,000 of that is local property tax breaks over the next decade.
Monolith first announced plans for the Slingerlands project back in the fall of 2014, saying it had outgrown its original location in Rensselaer. The company also has an office in Albany.
From the start, Monolith had difficulty obtaining financing for the construction. Pioneer Bank stepped forward earlier this year after Monolith hired local entrepreneur Michael Hickey as its CEO, and construction began in May.
Monolith has also had two lawsuits filed against it recently in state Supreme Court in Albany County by the law firm Couch White and a company called CED Greentech, a solar equipment wholesaler that has an office on New Karner Road in Colonie.
CED Greentech claims in its lawsuit that it hadn’t been paid for $1.2 million in equipment sales to Monolith between May and August.
Hickey unexpectedly left Monolith at the beginning of September for Siena College, where he’s leading the Stack Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, a job he previously held years ago.
“At this point in my career and life I want to focus on things I have a real passion for,” Hickey said in a statement at the time. “Teaching, coaching and mentoring young people here at Siena in entrepreneurship and leadership is the personal sweet spot.”