SEEC’s looking forward to being a part of big things in the Village of Schoharie in 2022.
Among them:
Renovations to their offices at 287 Main, public access to free WiFi, and maybe the most long-awaited of all, helping Parrott House owners Nick Ahmetaj and Alex von Zehle move that project forward.
“They are still fully committed,” SEEC’s Spencer Cocca told Mayor Larry Caza and trustees in an update Tuesday.
“They want to get it underway as soon as possible.”
The Windham couple bought the 1875 Parrot House in January of 2020 with plans of rehabbing it and then reopening it as a 20-room inn and more.
Then came COVID.
Mr. Cocca said the owners have managed to make minor repairs to the Parrott House’s roof and windows, but have been waiting on stamped plans from Lamont Engineers; they got those plans Monday.
Once they get plans for things like the mechanicals, electric, and plumbing, said SEEC Executive Director Julie Pacatte, they can start looking for contractors and get cost for the work—and then take it to the bank.
There are already a couple of grants in place for the renovations and Ms. Pacatte said SEEC’s working hard to keep the $500,000 Restore New York grant awarded five or six years ago.
The cost of the work was initially estimated at about $2 million; delays and the increased cost of materials have increased that by about $800,000, Ms. Pacatte said.
Though state grants are typically reimbursement grants, paid out after the work’s completed, Ms. Pacatte said she’s had some success in the past convincing the state to disperse some of the money halfway through the work.
Last September, SEEC relocated its offices to the former Bank of America building at 287 Main Street, Schoharie.
Ms. Pacatte said they’ve moved in and are looking for a contractor to renovate some of the interior.
“But we’re working there. You’ll see us in and out,” she said.
The free WiFi in the Village of Schoharie is part of a digital marketing grant SEEC and Schoharie County are working on together, Ms. Pacatte said.
It will run antennas along Main Street, probably from Bridge to Prospect Streets, for public access.
Ms. Pacatte said she’s not sure how far off Main Street the WiFi will reach; Mr. Cocca said residents probably won’t be able to abandon any internet services they already have because the access won’t be password-protected.