A Beautiful Gem of a Town

Bringing Together the Best of Nature, Innovation, and Community

Niskayuna is a charming town in upstate New York, positioned between the serenity of the Adirondack Mountains and the bustle of the Capital Region. Named by the Connestigione people who inhabited the area long before the first settlers arrived in the 1600s, this growing community offers a welcoming blend of small-town spirit, natural beauty, and economic opportunity.

For Town Supervisor Erin Cassady-Dorion, Niskayuna is more than a municipality. It’s home. “I’ve lived here my entire life, and I have loved this community since I was little,” she shares. “We are situated in a part of the state that makes it a really ideal place to settle down. We’ve got a lot of amazing employers around us, running the gamut from trade jobs all the way through PhD jobs.” This, combined with a location that provides both tranquility and access, means residents truly have the best of all worlds. “You don’t have to drive far to get to beautiful things, like the Adirondacks or New York City or Boston. That’s what I’ve always appreciated about the area. You get a little bit of everything.”

An Economic Engine

Though Niskayuna may seem to be a quiet town, its thriving economic base includes Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory, a 170-acre U.S. Government research facility, the GE Global Research Center, a 338-acre, world-class research center that allows collaboration between GE Aerospace (owner), GE Vernova and GE HealthCare, and a 194-acre stand alone GE Vernova campus built for state-of-the-art renewable energy research. Next door, Momentive (a leading global company specializing in advanced materials) and Environment One (an innovative solutions company specializing in wastewater disposal and safety for power generation assets) beautifully maintain 80-acre and 40-acre campuses.

Regarding GE Vernova’s recent, almost $100 million, investment in its Advanced Research Centers’ in Niskayuna, Cassady-Dorion notes that in addition to investigating new clean energy technologies, they’re also nearly done constructing a huge Direct Air Capture building that moves beyond theoretical research and demonstrates full scale production of this leading-edge carbon capture system.”  Cassady-Dorion says Niskayuna is lucky to have these innovation centers. “This new investment strengthens Niskayuna’s ability to attract top-tier talent and create high-value, specialized jobs in the clean energy sector. GE Vernova could have gone anywhere in the world, really. And we’re excited to have them here.”

Niskayuna also showcases an evolving commercial landscape with a growing shopping and dining scene along the Nott Street Corridor. “Schenecatdy County updated parking and sidewalks in that area so that it’s more walkable,” details Cassady-Dorion. She highlights a new business, the Broken Inn, which has become Niskayuna’s “hometown bar.”  “It’s been a reinvigoration of that area because they’re very involved in the community. They are very connected to the businesses that surround them, and that’s helped us to develop a mini Main Street in a town that really doesn’t have a huge commercial presence.”

Open for Business

The town’s approach to economic development emphasizes balance and sustainability, supporting entities at every level. “The best way that we can help these businesses is by making sure that we’re mindful of the difference between these major employers and these big retailers who occupy that space, and that our policies and fees are affordable for the small businesses we really want to nurture in that one area,” Cassady-Dorion conveys.

Niskayuna partners with Schenectady County to handle business attraction and economic incentives. The county’s regional development agency, Metroplex, also plays an important role in structuring agreements with major employers. “They work with the county to bring economic development to different areas,” she relays. “They’ve been helpful in negotiating with GE, negotiating what the taxes are going to look like to make it attractive for them to stay here, develop here and make sure that they keep their presence here. We’re lucky to have somebody helping us with that.”

A Town Designed for Connection

Niskayuna is ensuring that current and future development aligns with its goals related to community connection and recreation. Cassady-Dorion recounts, “We have a planning department that works very closely with our Complete Streets committee. A lot of the projects that have happened over the last couple of decades have focused on making sure that the development is thoughtful for biking and walkability in the future.”

Part of the effort includes requiring developers to add recreation space and connect to the many trails and parks within the community. “We have a beautiful bike path that goes through our town. It is miles and miles long. It’s probably one of our best features as far as trails,” she notes. “In addition to that we have all of these other parcels of land that we’re developing trails on as more of a park system. Those have been a result of developers agreeing to give us park space so that we can keep as much green as possible while still having some new housing developed in the area.” The parks and trail system continues to transform, offering acres of scenic routes, and recreation amenities such as football and lacrosse fields.

Lions Park, situated on the bike path, is home to the historic Niskayuna Rail Station, an attraction for history buffs and rail enthusiasts of all ages. Although the station is currently in need of some repair, Cassady-Dorion says there is an outside organization working on restoring it to its former glory. Notably, the park is also part of the scenic Erie Canal byway, and the area may be included in the proposed Harriet Tubman byway, sharing the storied history of the area.

Diversifying Development

As the community grows, Niskayuna is working out how to accommodate new residents, looking outside of the traditional residential development. “We approved a luxury apartment complex that redeveloped a junkyard adjacent to the Mohawk River,” Cassady-Dorion portrays. “We hadn’t used that space for anything, and it now looks absolutely beautiful. The next phase of that area, if it gets passed, might be some condominiums down by the river as well.”

Niskayuna has also been exploring zoning strategies like accessory dwelling units and mixed-use projects. “It’s something that’s becoming a bit of a trend, these tiny houses, adding apartments above your garage so that you have somewhere to put your kids or your parents,” acknowledges Cassady-Dorion. “We need to make sure that our policies and the rules and fees that we have made sense for our population. We’re really at the tipping point where we’re going to see a lot of change over the next 10 years, with respect to how many generations live on one property.”

With an award-winning school district, and a wealth of recreation options, Niskayuna is an ideal place to raise a family. Looking ahead, Cassady- Dorion says the town is also making room for residents who want to age in place. “We’ve created an environment here in Niskayuna where we’re making sure that we’re taking care of everyone in every stage,” she expands. “We’ve got a bustling Senior Center. We have senior exemptions that are built into our tax structure, and we’ve tried to make those attractive.”

On the infrastructure side, Niskayuna recently made a major change to its water and sewer fee structure, identifying the need for updates to 100 year old materials and systems. The town is currently working with Raftelis to map out the age and material of this infrastructure, creating a plan for the future. “The ones that stand out the most are on our major county roads and those areas that feed the larger employers in our little tech corridor,” Cassady-Dorion depicts. “They have a heavy drain on our water and sewer systems, and these are massive water pipes that break often. What we had been doing was putting band aids on everything, just to turn the water back on, and make sure everything’s safe and healthy. But we’re at a point where we’re putting band aids on band aids.”

Rosendale and River Road in the north end of the town will be the priority. “It just happens to be the most expensive spot as well,” she adds. “That section of town also has a sewer line that’s almost at capacity. When we talk about future development, residential or otherwise, the fact that we are almost at capacity will absolutely impact planning decisions moving forward.”

A Future Vision

Reflecting on her leadership approach, Cassidy-Dorion says she tries to remember that 99% of the time, it isn’t personal. “The knee jerk human reaction is to sort of reject people who are aggressively complaining,” she admits. “But those people are giving you great ideas, and they are telling you what you need to pay attention to. If you can de-personalize it, you can get a lot done.”

Looking ahead, attention is on closing out grant-funded recreation projects and confronting the town’s aging infrastructure. “I’m really trying to tackle anything that’s outstanding for this year so that we can button them up and move on,” she outlines. At the same time, the study with Raftelis is helping the town assess and plan for future water and sewer needs and strategize how to fund them. With this careful approach to planning and a clear-eyed view of its needs, Niskayuna is laying the groundwork for a resilient and sustainable future.

AT A GLANCE

Who: Niskayuna, New York

What: A growing town with thriving industry, vibrant green space, and a connected community

Where: Schenectady County, NY

Website: www.niskayuna.org