The City of Glens Falls Hosts Ceremonial Groundbreaking for Central DRI Project

On Friday, October 20th, 2023, at 3:00 PM, the city of Glens Falls will be hosting a ceremonial groundbreaking to mark the start of construction of the City’s $5-million event and market center. This is the signature project of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative.

The $4.55-million contract for this building project was awarded to Bunkoff General Contractors Inc. out of Latham, New York, winning the bid over five other contractors. The project – located between 51 and 63 South Street – will be a 6,000 square-foot farmers market and event space. The Market Center pavilion will be the year-round home of the farmers market and other community events. 

“We’re pleased to now be able to show on-the-ground progress on South Street that reflects all of the work that City staff have done together with consultants, designers, and other professionals to bring this to fruition,” said Glens Falls Mayor Bill Collins. 

This investment is expected to bring more shoppers and investment to what for decades has been a run-down commercial area: “The Event and Market Center is expected to be transformative – and not just to South Street,” Collins said. “It will no longer be the last corridor of the city untouched by economic progress.”

“It has been a marathon to bring this project to fruition,” said Glens Falls Economic Development Director Jeff Flagg. “Following the sudden passing of my long-time predecessor, Ed Bartholomew, and amid the 30-month disruption of the COVID pandemic the City staff, consultants, and advisors spent more than a year just getting the project back on track… And then, with the update in the project parameters, and the increasing costs of materials and labor, we had to ensure that the proposal was still economically viable and acceptable to the state,” Flagg said.

The groundbreaking ceremony will take place at 57 South Street in Glens Falls at 3:00 PM on Friday, October 20th, 2023.