FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
December 18, 2007
ESD ISSUES REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS FOR
HARRIMAN CAMPUS
Empire State Development has begun the formal
process of seeking private developers to transform
Albany’s 330-acre Averill Harriman State Office
Campus into a center for technological innovation,
job creation and economic development in the Capital
Region.
In the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) issued
yesterday, the ESD subsidiary Harriman Research and
Technology Development Corporation (HRTDC) asks for
qualified developers to work with it and the Office
of General Services (OGS) to develop Harriman to
realize the “Innovation Community” concept Gov.
Eliot Spitzer described last week.
The plan encourages a regional adaptation of the
Innovation Economy and calls for a progressive blend
of business, academic and government pursuits. It
includes marketing Harriman campus space to private
sector entities interested in public/private
partnerships, seeking proposals for site-specific
development of vacant parcels, providing space for
Innovation Economy-related SUNY-Albany departments
and a process for community input throughout the
redevelopment.
“This RFQ is an important first step in realizing
Harriman’s redevelopment potential,” said Empire
State Development downstate chairman Pat Foye. “With
the right private sector partners, Harriman will
become a model of progressive economic development
in New York, supporting industry clusters, cluster
development, University Tech Transfer to the private
sector, the SUNY system and smart growth."
Said OGS Commissioner John Egan, “As stewards of
the Harriman State Office Campus, the issuance of
the RFQ represents the beginning of a new era for
the campus. Working with our state government
partners and Governor Spitzer, we will maximize this
tremendous asset to realize the potential of this
site.”
The RFQ states that the development opportunities
include, but are not limited to office/R&D
facilities and administrative offices for
technology-focused industries and could include
hotel/conference facilities, residential development
and associated convenience retail.
The RFQ is available via the New York State
Contract Reporter; can be downloaded at the HRTDC
website at
www.harrimancampus.com; and can be obtained by
mail at Harriman Research and Technology
Corporation, 7A Harriman Campus Road, Suite 210,
Albany, NY 12206; or by fax, 518-457-8185. Responses
must be received on or before 4 p.m. EST on Feb. 18,
2008. Based on the responses, HRTDC intends to
pre-qualify a group of finalists to participate in a
Request for Proposals (RFP) for the development
phase of the selection process The RFP is expected
to be issued in March or April 2008. Empire State
Development is New York’s chief economic development
agency, encompassing business, workforce and
community development. ESD also oversees the
marketing of “I LOVE NY,” the State’s iconic tourism
brand. For more information, visit
www.nylovesbiz.com.
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