Visitors to the Latham retail plaza being redeveloped by the Lia family will be able to drop their dog off at day care, lift some weights, play a game of pickleball, go rock climbing and end the night with a $75 New York strip steak.
You almost couldn't believe the plaza was a former Kmart.
The Lias — through a limited liability company formed by Bill Lia Jr., Michael Lia, Vincent Lia and Deborah (Lia) Simeone — bought the 12-acre parcel at 195 Troy-Schenectady Road for $1.76 million in 2017.
The Kmart had closed in 2014, leaving the large building with more than 700 parking spaces on a busy road mostly vacant. The only tenant in 2014 was Vent Fitness, the health club owned by the Lias.
The Lias have since expanded the Vent Fitness and adopted a strategy to sign on complementary tenants, turning down offers from a furniture retailer and a large cinema operator that wanted to lease the entire building.
Today, the 130,000-square-foot building is becoming a destination for entertainment, sports, dining and more.
Lia retail redevelopment
Location: 195 Troy-Schenectady Road (Route 2) in Latham
Developer: The Lia family
Contractor: MR2 Construction Services LLC
Architect: Dennis Rigosu of Syvertsen Rigosu Architects
Financing: The LLC consolidated two mortgages on the property worth $7.75 million with M&T Bank in 2021
Tenants, current and future: The Scarlet Knife, Vent Fitness, Philadelphia Rock Gym, Dogtopia, Convergence Craft, and True Pickleball Club
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