Aneesa Waheed, the owner of the highly successful Tara Kitchen, is expanding her brand with a new day spa to open in Downtown Schenectady.
/edit as of Oct. 2023, there is still construction on this location.
Waheed saw a future business in the old weigh station at Van Guysling Avenue and Clinton Street. She recently signed paperwork to buy the property to make it into a Moroccan-style spa, according to the Daily Gazette. Not to be overshown by the new Tara Kitchen location she is soon opening in Guilderland.
Hammam, a traditional spa in the Islamic world, was intended for Lafayette St but logistics just didn’t work out. It seems as if everything happens for a reason because the building looks perfect for the future she has planned.
Schenectady County Metroplex Development Authority became the owner of the property and turned down a couple of plans from others that wanted to own the property.
Waheed has to comply with a lot of historical regulations, including how to proceed with updating the exterior and interior, as well as the inability to have an elevator (it will still be handicapped-accessible). As soon as papers are signed, we’ll be able to see what parts of the building’s history she decides to bring through with the construction.