New life for Saratogian’s old home
Coffeehouse, brew pub planned to open in June
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. >> The Saratogian’s old home is getting a new life.
The two-story brick structure, at the corner of Lake and Maple avenues, is undergoing major renovations with plans for a new literary-themed business called Walt and Whitman Beer Hall and Coffee House.
The building has been vacant since August 2017 when The Saratogian moved to new offices at 7 Wells St.
“It’s going to fill a void,” Mayor Meg Kelly said. “We’re excited to have that kind of business downtown. It’s only going to bring more people in.”
Walt and Whitman is owned by Kathy Crager.
The firm’s director of opera- tions, Shawna Jenks, previously worked for Morton’s the Steakhouse.
“We’re looking to bring a positive experience to the city,” she said. “We want to do a lot of givebacks. It’s definitely going to be very affordable.”
Plans call for the new business to open in June.
Renovations are being handled by Saratoga Springs-based Bonacio Construction, which began work in late October.
The basement area, where the newspaper’s mailroom and presses were once located, has been gutted to make room for a brewpub. Whitman Brewing Company will make beer on site.
The building will have two kitchens and two bars.
The coffeehouse, with seating for dining and entertainment, will be upstairs. The menu will include items such as pizza and salads, Kelly said.
Renovations are not subject to city planning board approval because work is confined to the interior, with no building additions, the mayor said.
Jenks was appointed to a twoyear term as an alternate planning board member on Jan. 1. “I would definitely recuse myself if there’s anything about this project that comes before the board,” she said.
The building, at 20 Lake Ave., is owned by prominent area businessman Frank Parillo, who co-owns the Hampton Inn & Suites at 25 Lake Ave., almost directly across the street from the old Saratogian building. Parillo also owns Wilton Travel Plaza, just off Northway Exit 16.
Kelly said Parillo is leasing the building to Crager.
Barbara Lombardo joined The Saratogian in 1977 as a reporter and spent most of her 38 years there as managing editor. She left in 2015 and currently teaches jour-
nalism at the University at Albany.
“I always had a soft spot for the quaint brick building,” she said. “I loved that the newspaper was part of downtown’s past and present, a block from Broadway and across the street from City Hall. When it became common for newspapers to move to isolated, sterile locations outside of city centers, I was happy to be working where the action is.”
“The newspaper’s new offices are still quite close to downtown, but it’s not like driving down Lake Avenue and seeing ‘The Saratogian’ above the corner door,” she said. “So I’m glad the old building is getting a new life with a nod to its historic
place in the community. It could be a fitting place for a Saratogian reunion. I may regret saying this, but the first round is on me!”
Several years ago, The Saratogian published a special commemorative edition when celebrating its 150th anniversary. Information supplied by the History Museum of Saratoga Springs says the building at 20 Lake Ave. became The Saratogian’s home in 1902, following a tragic Broadway fire that claimed three lives on June 9 of that year.
The paper previously operated out of a plant at Broadway and Phila Street. A temporary office was set up at Henry and Spring streets.
Capt. John K. Walbridge,
who had purchased the newspaper two years earlier, “soon bought The Saratogian’s property on the corner of Lake and Maple avenues,” the History Museum says. “In November 1902, Walbridge continued to improve the paper by installing the most up-to-date printing equipment of the time.”
Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce President Todd Shimkus said Walt and Whitman Beer Hall and Coffee House should be a destination for visitors and local residents alike.
“Clearly it’s one of the largest spaces that has not been filled recently,” he said. “To have this right in the heart of the community is a real step forward.”