Building with bank and coffee shop planned for Rivers Casino site

SCHENECTADY — The Galesi Group is proposing a retail building by the future casino to house a coffee shop and a bank, both with a drive-thru.

The Rotterdam developer is seeking site plan approval from the city Planning Commission next week for a 4,000-square-foot building that will house a coffee shop and a bank to serve people coming in and out of the Mohawk Harbor site.

The proposed building would be situated at the corner of Erie Boulevard and Rush Street near the entrance to the Rivers Casino and Resort at Mohawk Harbor, which is under construction and expected to open in March.

“We’re talking to a variety of people,” said David Buicko, CEO of Galesi, when asked about specific tenants. “We’re getting this approved so we can market it.”

The building would be split with 2,000 square feet for each, according to documents submitted to the city. The coffee shop would have a drive-thru with a bypass lane and the bank would have a drive-thru ATM, which will use the same bypass lane as the coffee shop.