Editing Schenectady, New York (section)

==Economy==
[[File:GE Schenectady.JPG|thumb|GE building, formerly corporate headquarters]]
Schenectady was a manufacturing center known as "The City that Lights and Hauls the World"—a reference to two prominent businesses in the city, the Edison Electric Company (now known as [[General Electric]]), and the [[American Locomotive Company]] (ALCO).

GE retains its steam turbine manufacturing facilities in Schenectady and its Global Research facility in nearby [[Niskayuna]]. Thousands of manufacturing jobs have been relocated from Schenectady to the [[Sun Belt]] and abroad. Corporate headquarters for [[GE Vernova]] are now in [[Cambridge, Massachusetts]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Egan |first1=Matt |title=Even GE's Boston headquarters is shrinking |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/15/business/ge-boston-headquarters/index.html |website=cnn.com |date=February 15, 2019 |publisher=CNN |access-date=December 11, 2019}}</ref>

ALCO produced steam locomotives for railroads for years. Later it became renowned for its "Superpower" line of high-pressure locomotives, such as those for the [[Union Pacific Railroad]] in the 1930s and 1940s. During [[World War II]], it converted to support the war, making tanks for the US Army. As diesel locomotives began to be manufactured, ALCO joined with GE to develop diesel locomotives to compete with GM's [[Electro-Motive Diesel|EMD division]]. But corporate restructuring to cope with the changing locomotive procurement environment led to ALCO's slow downward spiral. Its operations fizzled as it went through acquisitions and restructuring in the late 1960s. Its Schenectady plant closed in 1969.

In the late 20th century, due to industrial restructuring, the city lost many jobs and suffered difficult financial times, as did many former manufacturing cities in upstate New York. The loss of employment caused Schenectady's population to decline by nearly one-third from 1950 into the late 20th century. The early industries had left many sites contaminated with hazardous wastes. Such environmental [[brownfields]] have needed technical approaches for redevelopment.

In the 21st century, Schenectady began revitalization. GE established a renewable energy center that brought hundreds of employees to the area. The city is part of a metropolitan area with improving economic health, and a number of buildings have been renovated for new uses. Numerous small businesses, retail stores and restaurants have developed on State Street downtown.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/01/nyregion/01unioncollege.html?scp=1&sq=union%20college%20finally%20admits%20where%20its%20at&st=cse | work=The New York Times | title=Union College Finally Admits Where It Is | first=Lisa W. | last=Foderaro | date=February 28, 2010}}</ref>

[[Price Chopper Supermarkets]] and the [[New York Lottery]] are based in Schenectady.

In December 2014, the state announced that the city was one of three sites selected for development of off-reservation casino gambling, under terms of a 2013 state constitutional amendment. The project would redevelop an ALCO [[brownfield land|brownfield site]] in the city along the waterfront, with hotels, housing and a marina in addition to the casino.<ref name="casino">[http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Fortune-smiles-on-Schenectady-casino-proposal-5964571.php#page-1 Rick Karlin, Kenneth C. Crowe II and Paul Nelson, "Fortune smiles on Schenectady casino proposal"], ''Times Union,'' December 18, 2014, accessed December 18, 2014</ref>

In February 2017, the Rivers Casino & Resort opened with 66 table games and 1,150 slot machines on a 50,000-square-foot gambling floor with a steakhouse and a restaurant lounge.<ref name=opens>Nelson, Paul. [https://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Hundreds-line-up-for-opening-of-Schenectady-casino-10917265.php Rivers Casino & Resort opens in Schenectady] ''Times Union''. February 8, 2017.</ref> The $480 million (~${{Format price|{{Inflation|index=US-GDP|value=480000000|start_year=2017}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US-GDP}}) residential-retail project on 60 acres includes a marina, two hotels, condos, apartments and retail and office space for tech firms.<ref name=opens/>