President Barack Obama visited the Albany area for the third time in his presidency, this time to visit University at Albany College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering. 

President Barack Obama and Governor Andrew Cuomo toured what the president later called the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering’s “incredible complex.” President Obama spoke to more than 650 researchers, students, and government and business leaders inside what will become the first 450mm wafer cleanroom in the world. He spoke about how the college is training students for specific high-tech jobs in a sector that’s growing, creating a virtuous cycle of manufacturing opportunity in the U.S. He told the crowd, “You have an outstanding university. Now I want what’s happening in Albany to happen across the country.” 

Corporate Plaza and Great Oaks Office Park are each located within two miles of the “NanoCollege.”

Conveniently located in Guilderland, NY with an Albany mailing address, Great Oaks Office Park offers high-end finishes and excellent property management by The Rosenblum Companies. Currently it is only one of two spaces we have available at Great Oaks Office Park. 

View the complete listing here or contact us for more information.

CNSE Senior Vice President and CEO Dr. Alain Kaloyeros said, “This important initiative further demonstrates Governor Andrew Cuomo’s leadership and commitment to driving economic prosperity by continuing to build a world-class nanotechnology industry in New York State. This project will enable critical infrastructure improvements to support expansion of the UAlbany NanoCollege, while at the same time providing a long-term traffic solution that eases congestion and heightens safety for motorists and pedestrians throughout the region.”

NYSDOT will realign Washington Ave. Ext. to the north and install a two-lane roundabout at the Fuller Road/County Road 156 intersection. A flyover bridge will be built to carry through-traffic, thereby removing 20,000 cars daily from the intersection and providing improved access to CNSE’s Albany NanoTech Complex, which is currently engaged in a $366 million expansion project. Nearly 30,000 vehicles travel through the intersection each day.

Pedestrian and bicycle access will be improved with new sidewalks and a new, 10-foot bicycle lane that will connect to existing bike trails. Reduced congestion will enhance transit schedules; new bus bays on Washington Ave. Ext. will provide safer stopping areas for riders.

Most of the work can be done without impacting traffic. More than 3.5 miles of Washington Ave and Washington Ave. Ext. will be reconstructed, together with a half mile stretch of Fuller Rd.

Corporate Plaza is located just down Washington Avenue Extension from Albany NanoTech, which is at the corner of Fuller Road and Washington Avenue Extension. An expansion to this prominent campus is underway, as reported in this Time Union article.  

This map shows Corporate Plaza’s location near Albany NanoTech / CNSE: 

View CNSE Albany NanoTech to Corporate Plaza in a larger map

Some of the CNSE partners that currently lease space from us at Corporate Plaza include EBARA Technologies, Inc. and Brewer Science. Renting an office at Corporate Plaza is a slam dunk for them, since they can easily access the labs and clean rooms on site at the nano college.

If you are considering leasing office space near Albany NanoTech, please contact us or view our available spaces here.

A late stage developer of renewable energy systems, with a focus on wind and solar energy, Third Quadrant Energy reaches businesses worldwide from its office at 300 Great Oaks Blvd.

Why Rosenblum?

A former tenant at Corporate Plaza as President of MSE Power Systems (now CG Power Solutions), Principal Mark Scher returned to the Rosenblum Companies when he founded Third Quadrant Energy (originally dubbed Corona Capital Partners) in February 2011. “We deal a lot with the financial community and we want a building that is presentable, professional, well-maintained, but not priced over the top,” he said.

Albany Lifestyle

A graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Scher has based both of his businesses in the Albany area. With customers worldwide and a concentration of business in Manhattan, Scher said that his office location is key. “It’s convenient to the airport, to the train station, where we live, and also to the highways.”

From its office at Located at 240 Washington Ave. Ext. in Corporate Plaza, the company manages the sales operation and training for AFLAC Insurance in upstate New York, Vermont, and Western Massachusetts. 

Albany Lifestyle

During his 28 years of working with AFLAC, Jones has managed operations all over the United States, including as an officer of the company in another Albany office.  Upon returning to New York to manage the area sales operation, Jones returned to the Capital Region.  “When I came to New York, I fell in love with the Albany area,” he said.

 Why Rosenblum?

Location. “Since I travel from here to Buffalo, to Plattsburgh, to Burlington, Vermont, to Western Massachusetts, this is a central location with access to the highway,” Jones said.

Service.  “I’m proud of the place I’m in because they take care of it… it’s an organization that takes a great deal of pride and care in their property.” 

• Donations Collected: 15
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Your donations will help the American Red Cross Northeastern New York Region prevent blood shortages in the coming months. Thank you for helping us save lives!

To make an appointment, please contact our office.

All donors will receive a coupon for a free pound of Dunkin Donuts coffee.

Here are 5 Things to Look for When Choosing an Office Space:

1. Check How Much Usable Space is Available

Are you paying for square feet that are tucked around a corner or behind a closet?  Check out how much of the space you’re renting will usable.

2. Consider What You Need

It seems like common sense, but not every business manager has a list on hand when assessing potential office space.  Write down exactly what you need and take that list with you when you tour available spaces.

At Rosenblum, we have available office space in a variety of sizes, which can be customized to match the size and scope of each tenant.

3. Plan for Growth

With the booming local high tech industry and government resources from the Capital Region, Albany is a growth market.  If your business is still in the growth stage, consider where you will or would like to be in 5 years.  If that includes hiring 15 new employees, make sure that your space can accommodate that! 

Many of our office spaces can be custom outfitted to accommodate the size and structure of businesses of various sizes.

4. Check What Amenities are Included

Is there ample parking at the office park you’re considering?  Does the landlord regularly maintain the landscaping and provide snow removal when necessary?  Is it important to your employees to have an on-site gym? Some of the major attractions of our properties is the on-site walking/jogging trail at Great Oaks, the delicatessen at Corporate Plaza, and the impeccable landscaping at both office parks.

5. Assess the Location

Is the property accessible for your employees’ commute?  Will it be easy for customers to find?  Is it convenient to supporting business? Does the location offer nearby resources for recreation or dining? The nicest office won’t be a pleasure to come to day after day if it’s in an inconvenient location.

We believe that one of the biggest assets of an office at Corporate Plaza or Great Oaks is the location, right off of major highways and less than a mile from shopping and dining destinations.

Click on any of the photos below to see a full-size image.

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We recently renovated the lobby at 1 Executive Center Drive at Corporate Plaza by replacing the old carpet floors with black ceramic tile and high-end carpeting, and we added a seating area.  A beautiful, black tile surround replaced the oak trim around the elevator.  The bathrooms are now upgraded with granite countertops, exquisite light fixtures and all-new ceramic tile work and wall covering, along with hands-free, water-efficient fixtures.

Additionally, recent energy efficient upgrades, including a lighting retrofit, reduce energy usage by approximately 40%.

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As you might expect, there were a lot of fallen branches, which we are already removing, along with one of our namesake “great oaks.” Luckily, the buildings were unscathed.

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But you don’t need to be a tech firm in order to benefit from the booming local technology industry.  Reporter Emily Maltby wrote that both nanotech companies and supporting businesses get a tremendous boost from being located in Albany:

“The prestige of being here and the credibility is amazing, which helps when you are talking with VCs and investors and large companies,” says Primal Fernando, CEO and chief technology officer of Resource Management Technology Systems Inc., which moved to Albany from La Junta, Colo., last year. “And the equipment available here is not available elsewhere.”

“Venture capital has been growing to feed the innovation,” says Alain Kaloyeros, a physics professor and senior vice president of the college. “Suppliers and law firms are moving to the region to support this ecosystem, so it will be quite an exciting venture to watch.”

Read the full article: “Where the Action Is”, Wall Street Journal, August 22, 2011.

The Downtown Albany Business Improvement District reported last week that tech firms WhoSay and QED National opened new offices in downtown Albany and that Microsoft invested nearly $1 million into expanded office space.  But you don’t have to be downtown to benefit from the perks of locating your business in Albany.

The Great Oaks and Corporate Plaza office parks, situated in suburban Albany, are located in the heart of tech valley and situated right off of major highways that can take you to Albany International Airport or to the downtown core in a matter of minutes.  Great Oaks borders the New York State Thruway and is located right at the entrance to the on-ramp for Interstates 87 and 90.  Corporate Plaza is situated just minutes from the State University of New York’s College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering located at Washington Avenue Extension and Fuller Road.

One of the more complicated aspects of office renovation is replacing the floor in a space that is already furnished and occupied.  But there is a clever way to solve the problem.  Carpets can be replaced with carpet tiles, piece by piece underneath furniture on a lift — no need to move expensive computer equipment and remove cabling!

Another advantage using carpet tiles is that if a piece of carpet becomes stained or damaged, it can be simply replaced with a spare tile.

The Rosenblum Companies makes sure that every office space is outfitted with quality, stylish materials, aiming to deliver the finest commercial properties in the Albany, NY area.  Keeping our tenants’ spaces and our commercial property for rent constantly renovated is part of our preventive maintenance philosophy.  Constant attention means that tenants rarely have to make calls for repairs.