State: Mount McGregor proposals are not viable
Future of site uncertain
The state says three proposals for shuttered Mount McGregor Correctional Facility aren’t feasible, leaving the former prison’s re-use highly doubtful.
Empire State Development, the state’s economic development agency responsible for selling the site, notified potential buyers Thursday that it has canceled a request for proposals after reviewing plans submitted by three different parties.
The owner of a Saratoga Springs firm that responded to the RFP is upset by the state’s action.
“This is now the second failed RFP for Mount McGregor,” said Mark Adams, founder of Global Energy Research Associates. “Empire State Development is not doing the site justice. New York state under the leadership of Gov. Andrew Cuomo is completely inept at investing in
clean energy technology and long-term innovative energy research and development programs.”
Adams, an MIT graduate, proposed using a nuclear-powered internal engine to build a series of small power plants atop Mount McGregor as part of a multi-faceted energy research park. This could produce the energy needed to build a second computer chip plant at Luther Forest Technology Campus in Malta, creating thousands of jobs, he said.
Plans called for investing $10 million at Mount McGregor within the first year, matched by $8 million from the state, he said.
But Empire State Development said, in a statement, “After review, responses to the Mount McGregor RFP have been deemed unfeasible and the RFP has been canceled. We are currently evaluating the next steps for the reuse of Mount McGregor Correctional Facility, which could include having direct discussions with potential developers.”
Dennis Brobston, Saratoga Economic Development Corp. president, said he isn’t surprised by the state’s decision.
Cleaning up and preparing the site for re-use would cost millions of dollars. Prospective buyers wanted most of this money to come from the state, while state officials wanted more evidence of a firm financial commitment, ensuring that any project that gets started will be carried through to completion, Brobston said.
“I think the state was looking for more money upfront with a development plan,” he said. “From the proposals I’ve seen, that wasn’t the deal. I haven’t seen the financial wherewithal of any of these people. That’s what it comes down to, the money.”
Adams planned to work with the New York State Baseball Hall of Fame, to create a high-quality baseball and softball tournament complex at the former prison’s recreation area. This could have contributed to the local tourism and hospitality industry, by bringing in large numbers of people, he said.
“It is unfortunate that the community will miss out,” Adams said.
Last spring, William Browning, owner of Florida-based Browning Productions and Entertainment, expressed considerable optimism about Mount McGregor’s future after touring the property. His multi-faceted proposal called for a film studio, concert venue and interactive theme park where visitors could battle zombies or play superheroes.
The property is also ideal for police and special forces military training exercises, he said. State police currently have a firing range at Mount McGregor.
Browning could not immediately be reached for comment about the state’s decision to cancel RFPs.
Mount McGregor, which closed in July 2014, is one of 13 minimum- and mediumsecurity prisons Cuomo has shut down since 2011. Most are in rural, remote parts of upstate New York. Closures, which have saved the state more than $160 million, have been made in response to a declining number of nonviolent offenders.
But only one former upstate prison, Mid-Orange Correctional Facility, has been transformed for business purposes. The rest, like Mount McGregor, are idle and deteriorating.