The duo remaking Autoworld

By Zander Frost, Chronicle Staff Writer

In May Ben Alden and Brian McKenzie spent $1-million to buy the long vacant Autoworld Suzuki building on Route 9 in Moreau.

Now they are transforming the 12,000- square foot building into Moreau Commons, with space for seven or eight businesses and a shared common area. They hope to open it by Nov. 1. Tenants already signed up include Stinky’s Coffee (their first first storefront after owner Ryan McNaughton built a following through farmers markets) and the Upstate Barber Co.

“We’re trying to create a really open concept community,” Mr. Alden said. “We’re going to have multiple businesses inside that building with a nice central area for people to hang out.”

Mr. Alden is a Hudson Falls graduate, Mr. McKenzie is a South Glens Falls grad.

They have long worked together, starting when they brought Linex truck liners to the area years ago as dealers.

“We’ve been best friends for 25 years,” Mr. Alden said.

Mr. McKenzie laughs, “We’re like a marriage — we don’t see each other. He works and I work.”

When Mr. McKenzie finishes building a building, “I move on to the next one.” Mr. Alden maintains and manages them.

Mr. McKenzie said his family business was construction and that he spent years working with major Saratoga County builders like Bonacio and Munter.

Mr. McKenzie’s company, McKenzie Drywall, is handling the renovation work.

Operating here as Executive Property Services LLC, they’ve already built and operate a building just to the south at 1330 Route 9, across from Stewart’s.

Mr. Alden owns Platinum Protective Coatings LLC there.

The partners said the Autoworld building, vacant for over a decade, was a time capsule.

“When we went in, there were documents, keys… computers,” Mr. Alden said. “It was kind of really eerie to walk in, 10 years later — brand new parts in a box.”

They are renovating and splitting up the interior, planning a central entry, with seating areas including a bar looking out the large front windows.

The central part of the building was initially a Hess station, and Suzuki Autoworld built out and around it.

The maintenance shops and showrooms will be converted into small business spaces that it’s hoped will draw a Yoga Studio or a UPS store or restaurants.

“It’s been — not an eyesore, but it’s been a really cool-looking building,” Mr. Alden said. “I always thought, I wish somebody would do something with this building.”

“Brian has the vision to say, hey, let’s cut it up here, let’s build it here. Let’s put a new wall in here,” Mr. Alden said.

They said that the strip has a traffic count of over 30,000 cars a day — rivaling the Exit 18 area into Glens Falls.

“In all honestly, the community needs something like this in this corridor,” Mr. McKenzie said. “It’s pretty vacant.”

He said more restaurants are needed.

“We have Fitzgerald’s, they do a great job, but..that’s the only restaurant here,” Mr. Alden said.

Besides Stinky’s, which plans to have food, the duo believes their space could hold another restaurant.

They say they’re still working on some final approvals, but have already gotten started on work. They both say the town of Moreau has been “great” to work with.

They see growth in Moreau’s future.

“I think this Exit [17] will be built up kind of like 18 and 19. It would be nice to see some more commercial spaces come in. It has the opportunity, you know,” said Mr. McKenzie. The new sewer infrastructure makes commercial construction easier, the partners added. They still have spaces available, ranging from 600 to 1,500 square feet.

They said the plus is that “everything is included,” Mr. Alden said. “We take care of all the gardeners, the plowing, the yard maintenance, all the electricals included. Everything is included.”

They see their project as a big win for the community of Moreau. Mr. McKenzie says Mr. Alden “lives two miles up the road, I live three miles. Not only are we residents here, but we do business here.”

“We’re going to incorporate the town name into the building — Moreau Commons, displayed on the outside of the building,” said Mr. Alden.

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