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.”
Our Corporate Plaza and Great Oaks Office Parks are located near the Albany NanoTech complex at the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE), part of the University at Albany. CNSE is a fully-integrated research, development, prototyping, and educational facility that provides strategic support through outreach, technology acceleration, business incubation, pilot prototyping, and test-based integration support for onsite corporate partners including IBM, TEL, Applied Materials, ASML and International SEMATECH, as well as other “next generation” nanotechnology research activities.
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:
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.
By now many people know that fluorescent light bulbs are more energy-efficient than incandescent light bulbs, but environmentally friendly lighting doesn’t have to stop with swapping out bulbs. A local business that recycles old electronics takes conservation a step further by producing CFLs from its recycled junk. eLot Recycling, on the Hudson River just north of the Menands Bridge, processes old light bulbs and turns them into new ones, right on site. At the Rosenblum Companies, we’re supporting local business and the environment by outfitting all of our office buildings with these recycled CFLs from eLot Recycling. You can read more about the company and the process at All Over Albany.
We would like to thank all of our tenants at Corporate Plaza and Great Oaks office parks for their generous participation in the Blood Drive on January 24. The American Red Cross informed us that the blood donations will help dozens of people in the Albany area and beyond.
A blood drive sponsored by The Rosenblum Companies, M&T Bank, and Dunkin Donuts will be held on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm in the Building 100 lunchroom at Great Oaks.
To make an appointment, please contact our office.
All donors will receive a coupon for a free pound of Dunkin Donuts coffee.
Some businesses need to rent only a single office, and others need multi-office space with bathrooms and a kitchenette. Let us help you find the office space to meet your company’s needs.
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.
Each year, tenants at Great Oaks and Corporate Plaza office parks are invited for a summertime treat. What a great way to cool down and meet other tenants! At a Rosenblum property, we do everything for our tenants – even scoop the ice cream!
Click on any of the photos below to see a full-size image.
Office renovations are more than about décor. We believe in preventative maintenance, with constant upkeep to buildings and landscaping, so that problems are fixed before they start, and our properties always look clean and professional.
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%.
What a storm! We hope all of your property survived the fierce rain and winds from Irene as well as our properties did. As soon as the storm left, our crews did a thorough inspection of Great Oaks and Corporate Plaza to assess damage.
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.
An article in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal selected Albany, N.Y. as the place for the growing nanotech industry. “Location matters”, the article says, and we agree! Being in the right place can mean a thriving business, despite the economic recession.
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.
