TROY – Rensselaer County’s plans to transform a former Masonic Temple now housing the Troy Area Senior Services Center into a high-tech center were delayed when the sole bid for the building was rejected.

The Rensselaer County Capital Resource Corp. unanimously rejected the proposal submitted by AI Center of Excellence, which is controlled by Bob Bedard, when it met Thursday.

The decision to issue a new request for proposals came after the CRC received a plan that added clauses for contingencies that may crop up during work on the 19 Third St. building into a high-tech hub, said Rensselaer County IDA Executive Director Bob Pasinella.

After considering that, Pasinella said the conclusion was reached to rewrite the bid documents to clarify what is necessary for the project. Pasinella was not immediately able to provide detailed information about the submitted proposal.

“The building itself is a gargantuan task to redevelop,” Pasinella said.

The county CRC assumed control of the three-story, 29,940-square foot building earlier this year when the county Legislature transferred ownership of the property. The county IDA sits as the county CRC.

When the project was advertised a month ago, CRC said the project's goal is to "stimulate economic development and generate job growth in Rensselaer County, particularly high-tech jobs." In addition to this, it was seen as an opportunity to restore the downtown property to the tax rolls for the county, city of Troy and the Troy school district.

While the county received several inquiries about the building, only the single proposal was submitted. Bidders were required to present a development plan that included the proposed use of the building and planned renovations. They also should seek to create jobs in new or emerging technology fields and provide estimates of the number of new jobs to be created along with the pay scales.

Plans also had to be made to allow the senior center to remain for up to 18 months while paying only for electric, natural gas and water services. The county plans to find a new location for the center.

In 2017, then-County Executive Kathleen Jimino reached an agreement for the county to buy the Italian Community Center at 1450 Fifth Ave. for the senior center while selling the Third Street building to developer and downtown property owner David Bryce for $575,000. County Executive Steve McLaughlin struck down that deal when he took office last year.

The IDA also heard a presentation by Woodlands Energy Management Representatives for a new payment-in-lieu-of-taxes deal for the Empire Generating Co. LLC facility in the city of Rensselaer.