SEEC

Schenectady Environmental Education Center (SEEC)

ECOS, along with a team of partners, is excited to be repurposing the Central Park Casino building in Schenectady into the Schenectady Environmental Education Center (SEEC). Our partners are Schoharie River Center, Upper Union Neighborhood Association, Community Fathers Inc., and the City of Schenectady.

Project Update November 2025
A status report of development funding, design and approvals for the SEEC project follows.
Funding

• Santabarbara grant ($500,000): This award to the City was announced by Assemblyman Santabarbara in the Fall of 2023. The award is being administered through the Dormitory Authority (DASNY). They have been extremely slow to process these funds. The City has provided DASNY with everything requested except a lease between SRC and the City, which has not yet been approved. We first asked the City to draft a lease agreement in February 2025, and provided some draft language at that time. We hope the lease is in place soon – we can’t issue bids for the project without the DASNY funds.
• NYSERDA ($118,920): We submitted an application for the Building Cleaner Communities Competition on behalf of the City in September 2024 and were notified in January of this year that we were successful. The contract between City and NYSERDA has been executed. We meet regularly with NYSERDA and City development staff to provide status updates and energy modeling reports. We are revising the contract schedule for this grant due to delays since funding was awarded.
• NYS DEC ($475,000): Schoharie River Center (SRC) submitted an application for DEC Community Environmental Center funds in January and was notified of the award in August. We expect this contract will be executed soon – it’s currently at the Attorney General’s office, the last stage of review. We have drafted an MOU to transfer the construction funds in this grant from SRC to the city and are waiting for the City to finalize the document.
• Direct pay tax credits (ITC – $30,000): this Federal tax credit will pay for a portion of the project related to solar and other work to achieve net-zero. We have verified that this credit is still available. The City needs to complete a registration process and can claim credits when project is placed in service.
• City funds (250,000): $138,000 of this has been reserved to pay our design team (Keith Cramer – architect, Sam Simmons Design Services, Quantum Engineering and L&S Energy Services), with the rest available for construction. We have written confirmation that the funds, appropriated in the City’s 2024 budget, are still available for the project. The City has also provided labor to secure the building, repair a major roof leak, clear out debris and replace a collapsed sewer drain.
• Schenectady Foundation ($6,000): the mini-grant the Foundation provided in 2023 was used for preliminary design work, and really helped us move from idea to project.
• Carlillian Foundation ($25,000): This grant was received last year. The contract has been executed. Funds will be used for start up costs and part of cost of lumber for the timber-frame solar canopy.
• Other: Last year, kids in afterschool programs at CREATE and Hamilton Hill Arts Center made the banners you see on the building to help spruce up the appearance. Metroplex provided funds for materials for this project and city staff installed new plywood to cover the windows and put up the banners.

Design

Our design team has been hard at work to balance the goals of the project and get the plans and specs finished so the project can be bid. Designs are currently 90% complete, and specs and cost estimation are being finalized. The building will be transformed with a striking design that emphasizes the role the Center will play raising awareness of the climate emergency and other local environmental threats.

We spent a couple of months refining the design of the heating and electric systems to make sure it meets the net-zero goal and complies with NYSERDA’s stringent requirements. We have settled on variable refrigerant flow heat pump system that will provide both heating and cooling. Existing structural elements will be used to conserve the embodied energy in the building. Interior and exterior surface materials, decking material and siding for the additions to the building (2nd floor wings and rear foyer) have all been selected. New vestibules at the front and rear entrances and a small elevator/lift to provide no-step access to the second floor will enhance accessibility and energy efficiency.

A 32 Kw rooftop Solar photvoltaic system will provide all power for heating, cooling, lighting and other operations. The system will be partially supported by a timber frame canopy that will be built over part of patio. A heat recovery system will be installed to maximize heating and cooling efficiency.

Repairs to stone patio and replacement of the front deck surface will be part of the work. A new surface will be installed over the existing concrete patio to improve drainage and provide a smooth level floor for programming and events. New railings will be installed around the patio and a new fence placed along the lake behind the building.

Approvals

Historic resources review: the State Historic Preservation Office signed off on the project in 2023.

Environmental review: the City Council passed a resolution clearing the project in October. No additional environmental review is necessary.

Building permits: a permit for the demolition project, described below, has been pulled. The architect has been in frequent contact with the buildings department so that they understand the project and will be able to issue permits for the rest of the work once contractors have been selected.

SEAT Demolition project

We are teaming with the Social Enterprise And Training Center (SEAT) who will provide volunteer labor at no cost to the project for interior demolition through their youth employment program. Upper Union Neighborhood Association has committed up to $1,000 for costs of personal protective equipment for student participants in this project.

Other

Street address – we now have a street address: 555 Iroquois Way, Schenectady NY 12309

National Grid – a new account must be set up and an interconnect agreement established before the PV system can be placed in service, but this can’t be done until the new electrical service wiring and panels are installed.