Times Union
Saturday 13, 2001
By: Kenneth Aaron

COLONIE – Blue Shield of Northeastern New York will move to a Latham office park in August 2002.

First Columbia LLC will construct a new building for Blue Shield at 30 Century Hill Plaza, which the health insurer will then lease. The office park is located off Route 9, North of Northway Exit 7.

"We needed to find office space that could accommodate our growing business," said Leslie Baker, the company"s vice president of sales and marketing. The company currently employs 400 people in its current space at 187 Wolf Road.

Blue Shield has 70,000 square feet in that building, which is owned by the Beltrone Group. One other tenant, New York State United Teachers, shares the building. A Beltrone official declined to discuss any plans for the space.

Kevin Bette, President of First Columbia, said Blue Shield would be the only tenant in the 80,000 square foot building.

The new location will give the insurer more parking, as well as more conference and training space.