COHOES, N.Y. (NEWS10) — This is a time where, unfortunately, we’ve seen far too many businesses shutting down and redevelopment grants become slim. For Cohoes, investors say they had great momentum for the city before the pandemic, saying they’re not going to let it stop them.
“The pandemic hit, and then it came to a complete halt, and we thought, ‘What can we do at this point?’” said Daniel Oh, Managing Partner for Capital Companies NY. “At that point, we decided. Let’s give the best deal we possibly can.”
Between the partnership of Capital Companies NY and Go Gonzalez, they offered a grant of one-year free rent and a technology grant to help with website and online support.
“Helping them understand what might tick down here and also to help them with their business development effort and communication effort,” VP of Operations at Go Gonzalez, Manny Santos said. “To be able to do something like this and see someone establish a business that’s sorely needed, especially during this difficult time, is fantastic.”
Filling a vacant space, previously occupied by The Olde Mercantile up until March, the recipient of the grants was Kelsey Knutsen, who also owns Café Monocle and The Local on Remsen Street. Coming now is “Haven Home Décor,” a home decor and interior design shop.
With the assistance to make local online shopping more user friendly, she says it shows just how important it is for other businesses to look out for one another.
“It really just shows how great Cohoes is, I want people to feel comfortable coming in to downtown Cohoes,” Knutsen said. “The shops are so small, but we are all doing our hardest to make you feel comfortable with your dining or eating, shopping, whatever it may be that you can do it in a safe place here.”
Knutsen says her opening date is set for November 11.