Adirondack Bank Center

had only just acquired the former TartanTextile property,a 1.9- acre parcel,just east of the Center,this past December. Demolition of the textile plant is complete,with a ground- breaking for theNexus Center slated soon.The design for the newfacility involves three ice rinks that can be converted into playing fields.“Currently theAdirondackBankCenter has about 225,000 visitors a year,”Esche says.“The Center is projected to do about 350,000 visitors a year.That’s over half amillion vis- itors coming to downtownUtica,whichwill allowrestaurants, bars,and hotels to grow.” Esche,who grewup inUtica andwas a professional hock- eyplayer in Canada,the U.S.and Europe,before returning home to spearhead the revitalization of theAud,and soon, the UDistrict,says that the renovation of the building and the institution of AHLhockey inUtica have rekindled a sense of civicpride in the city.“We’ve sold out for 122 games,now,”he states,“and it’s reallygiven our area a shot in the arm.It’s been a catalyst for growth and revitalization and all of us here are veryproud of it.” THE ADIRONDACK BANK CENTER PREFERRED VENDORS n Clinton Tractor and Implement Co. www.clintontractor.net A family-owned, and operated business, that services and sells a large inventory of farm and industrial equipment including mowing machines, lawn & garden tractors, farm equipment, construction equipment, utility vehicles, and trailers. n Scalzo, Zogby & Wittig Inc. www.szwinsurance.com Scalzo, Zogby & Wittig, Inc. is a Trusted Choice independent insur- ance agency. As commercial insurance specialists, we’ve been pro- tecting businesses in Central New York for over 25 years. We put our carefully selected insurance companies to work competing for our cli- ents’ business. That way we’re sure they’re consistently getting reliable coverage for the best price.