The Village of Menands is a great place to do business given our unique location and instant access to I-787 and I-90. In addition, we are conveniently located to downtown Albany and only a few minutes from other area communities.

The focus of the Village’s economic development effort is on the over 150 businesses that are located in Menands.  The Village Board tries to meet the needs of each business for government services or support of their enterprises.  Since the Village is home to businesses that range in size from sole proprietorships to multi-national corporations, the Village continually seeks to encourage a business-friendly environment by advocating for our commercial community and delivering our services in a timely and efficient manner.

In order to achieve this goal, individual business visits are conducted to let the owners know that the Village Government cares about their well-being and wishes to be pro-active in their success.  Moreover, we want to encourage our businesses to stay in Menands and to expand their facilities wherever possible.

The primary economic benefit that the Village can provide to new businesses locating in Menands are tax abatement programs. Under Section 485-b of the New York State Real Property Tax Law, adopted in 1976, this program provides a ten year sliding scale of exemption from the Village property tax wherein 50% of the tax is forgiven in the first year, 45% in the second year and so on until the exemption phases out after ten years.

In 2014, the Village Board also adopted the provisions of Section 485-a of the New York State Real Property Tax Law. Section 485-a is a residential-commercial urban exemption program, designed exclusively for the conversion of non-residential property to a mix of residential and commercial uses. A minimum of at least 75% of a residential component is required. This program provides a declining twelve year partial exemption from real property taxation for eligible projects in the Village, which allows 100% tax exemption of improvements for 8 years, followed by a phasing in of the value of the improvements in years 9 – 12.

We also assist interested parties with the Village Site Plan Review Process to expedite projects that require Village Board approval and to make sure that all requirements are met for that approval.  Furthermore, the Village Building Department assists business owners with Building Permit Applications, the scheduling of construction inspections, and issuance of Certificates of Occupancy or Operating Certificates as necessary.

The Village Board hosts an annual Business Breakfast Meeting as part of the strategy to inform business owners and representatives about the Mayor’s and Board’s priorities as they affect the quality of life and business climate in the Village. These meetings provide an opportunity to meet the Village Officials and also provide time to ask questions of the Village Government representatives.

The Village also belongs to the Albany-Colonie Chamber of Commerce, the New York State Economic Development Council, the Colonie Chamber of Commerce and is a participant with the Local Government Committee of the Center for Economic Growth.  These organizations help us to better serve our business community through participation in programs, seminars, and conferences.

In summary, the Village of Menands continually strives to promote a viable economic climate for businesses through a responsive, interested, and supportive Village Government. Please do not hesitate to contact the Village Office with any questions related to doing business in Menands.