Contractor Bids On Rights To Develop On Prime State Lands

An entrepreneur purchases exclusive rights to build waterfront housing along the entire New York's state canal system.

1 minute read

September 16, 2003, 12:00 PM PDT

By Abhijeet Chavan @http://twitter.com/legalaidtech

"Richard Hutchens won the contract after submitting the only written proposal in response to a classified ad that ran on page 62 of a state-run, $175-per-year newsletter. Below listings for mops, towels and coveralls, the state shopped for a developer who shared its dream to build homes across New York state with their own mini-canals leading boaters to the Erie, Cayuga-Seneca, Oswego and Champlain canal systems. With Hutchens the only person to answer the ad, the state began negotiating a contract with him. It didn't solicit additional proposals, even though 32 other companies had previously expressed interest in canal development. The deal flew so far under the radar that former Assemblyman Michael Bragman, then- chairman of the Assembly Transportation Committee and one of the canal's chief supporters, was unaware of the state's search for a developer."

Thanks to Stu Baker

FULL STORY: On canal, he has the ad-vantage

Monday, September 15, 2003 in Troy Record

Government / Politics New York

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