All Over Albany

Reviewing the state and federal charges against Alain Kaloyeros, no allegations against Andrew Cuomo but there are questions, what do the charges mean for projects in Albany?

The big news is, of course, the announcement of charges against Joe Percoco (a former top aide to Andrew Cuomo), Todd Howe (another longtime Cuomo associate), Alain Kalaoyeros (the president of SUNY Poly), and a string of prominent developers across the state (including Columbia Development's Joe Nicolla).

Alain Kaloyeros
+ The feds allege Kaloyeros tailored the request for proposals process for SUNY Poly administered projects in the Syracuse area and in Buffalo (the much-touted Solar City factory that's part of the Buffalo Billion) to favor specific developers. Here's an overview of the allegations. [US DOJ] [Post-Standard] [Buffalo News] [AOA]

+ Kaloyeros is facing charges from the state Attorney General's office that he was engaged in a similar RFP-tailoring scheme involving a proposed dorm project on the Loughlin Street land in Albany and Columbia Development. The state AG's office also alleges Kaloyeros was involved in two other schemes, one involving the selection of a contractor for the construction of a research building at the Albany campus and the other involving the an arrangement in which SUNY Poly work would allegedly be funneled to a prominent architecture firm renting space on the SUNY Poly campus. [NYS OAG] [TU]

+ State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman called Kaloyeros's alleged actions "stupid" and "brazen." [State of Politics]

+ SUNY announced that Kaloyeros has been suspended without pay and SUNY Poly will under the direction of SUNY system executive staff. [SUNY]

+ Said an attorney for Kaloyeros in a statement: "Dr. Kaloyeros is innocent of the charges filed against him, and very much looks forward to being exonerated." [Biz Review]

+ Kaloyeros has been the key figure in many large tech/economic development projects both in Albany and across the state in recent years. And profile of Kaloyeros and his efforts at SUNY Poly from the NYT describes him as "a geek with big goals." [TU+] [NYT]

Joe Nicolla
+ Nicolla is facing one felony count of "Combination in Restraint of Trade and Competition" from the state Attorney General's office for his alleged role in the alleged dorm project RFP tailoring scheme. [NYS OAG]
+ E. Stewart Jones is representing Nicolla and called the allegations "monumental nonsense, a fundamental misunderstanding of the process, and a complete misinterpretation of the underlying facts." [Biz Review]
+ A short recap of the many Capital Region projects with which Columbia Development has been involved. [TU+]

Joe Percoco and Todd Howe

Joe Percoco
+ The feds allege Percoco traded his influence within the Cuomo administration for more than $315,000 in bribes in connection with a power plant project in the Hudson Valley and a development project in Syracuse. [US DOJ]
+ An attorney for Percoco called the charges "an overreach of classic proportions." [NYT]
+ Tracing Percoco's long history with the Cuomos, both Mario and Andrew. [TU]
+ Andrew Cuomo, in a statement about the charges against Percoco: "If the allegations are true, I am saddened and profoundly disappointed."

Todd Howe
+ The feds allege that Howe was working both sides of deals involving SUNY Poly, as consultant for developers and as an aide to Alain Kaloyeros, and helped to rig the request for proposal process to favor selected developers He's already pleaded guilty to a group of charges and is cooperating with the feds. [US DOJ]
+ Looking at Howe's long history with the Cuomos. [TU+]

Andrew Cuomo
+ US Attorney Preet Bharara at a press conference Thursday in response to a question about any possible Andrew Cuomo connection to allegations: "What I can say at this moment is that there are no allegations of any wrongdoing or misconduct by the governor anywhere in this complaint. That's all I'm going to say." [State of Politics]
+ A spokesman for Reclaim New York: "It's unrealistic with an adviser that was this close to the governor, that the governor doesn't know what was going on." [NYT]
+ NYDN's Ken Lovett on Cuomo's previously announced efforts to clean up corruption in state government: "He has failed." [NYDN]
+ Local state Assemblyman Steve McLaughlin: "If this governor knew about it, he's gotta resign." [TWCN]

Albany
+ A overview of reactions from city of Albany officials to allegations. [TU]
+ Chris Churhill on the possible implications for the city of Albany and surrounding region: "That's why, while I know some Kaloyeros critics were made downright giddy by the charges, I'd suggest tempering that. We can't understand the economic implications of this just yet." [TU+]
+ Michael Hickey, former interim president of the Center for Economic Growth and longtime local business figure on SUNY Poly: "There's an institution there ... If something happens to a person, it doesn't mean the institution goes away." [Biz Review]

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And in other news...

BB gun prompts lockdown
Schenectady police say two students at Schenectady High School had a BB gun that looked like a real gun Thursday, which prompted a lockdown at the school -- though students tell News10 they were told at the time it was a drill. [Daily Gazette] [News10]

Colonie taxes
Colonie supervisor Paula Mahan's proposed budget includes a 1.1-percent tax increase. [TU

Public defenders office
Acting Albany County public defender Terry Kindlon is overhauling the organization of the office and its attorneys. [TU+]

Bike lanes
Saratoga Springs is looking at striping bike lanes on North Broadway. [Saratogian]