POTSDAM – As expected, the Potsdam Central school board Tuesday joined the Town and Village of Potsdam in approving the payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) plan for the Vecino Group’s “The Quarry” redevelopment of downtown Snell Hall.

All six of nine board members present approved the 32-year $2.1 million PILOT for the project to remake Clarkson University's Old Snell Hall downtown classroom building into 59 affordable apartments on four floors, rejuvenate the building’s existing theater, and provide space for the St. Lawrence Arts Council and the Shipley Center for Innovation, a Clarkson University business incubator.

The village was the first of the three taxing entities to approve a corrected resolution on the PILOT. The town and now the school board have followed, to replace a resolution that contained some erroneous information.

Now the county Industrial Development Agency, the sponsor of the plan, will move forward, and a public hearing will be held.

The company has agreed that if the rents they receive are substantially higher than their projections, then they will make higher payments.