Manufactured Stone Updates the Exterior of a Movie Theater

Located in the New York state capital region of Saratoga County, the town of Clifton Park is a bustling community with desirable residential neighborhoods and growing businesses. One of the biggest areas for property and business development is the shopping, dining and entertainment destination of Clifton Park Center mall.

To give Clifton Park Center an updated look and increase retail offerings to meet the needs of this growing community, an expansion and remodel by owner DCG Development called for the addition of new businesses, including a Hilton Garden Inn, and the renovation of existing businesses, including Regal Cinemas.

Ledgestone in Rockaway by Ply Gem was selected to complete the exterior of the Regal Cinemas and to add an accent to the Hilton Garden Inn. To achieve the desired appearance, Ply Gem created a specially designed color blend from the Rockaway palette and used a unique mix of small, medium and large stones. “We wanted to maintain a degree of visual continuity with the existing development while promoting an independent image through color, pattern, texture and trim for the new theater,” says Virginia B. Martin, AIA, LEED GA, project architect with RLS Design Group.

Stone was a dominant feature of the existing development, so the design team sought a similar style with a modern edge to complement the look. Though a manufactured stone product had already been specified, supplier Erie Materials wanted to offer the architectural team a better variety of stone veneer profiles with a softened palette. “Diversity of the product line, quality of product and service are very important to us when selecting a building products manufacturer,” says D.J. Carstensen, architectural representative, Erie Materials. “This particular project presented a challenge in that we needed a variety of shapes and an alternative color blend. Ply Gem jumped on the situation and came up with a solution to provide exactly what we needed at a competitive price.”

Another challenge was the need for a quick turnaround. “This was a time sensitive project,” Carstensen adds. “But Ply Gem manufactured and supplied the product quickly so we could start the project and continued to supply product throughout so we could move forward without stopping construction.”

The resulting design of this commercial structure has exceeded expectations. “From the softened look to the contrasting colors, the stone really anchors the building and gives it a finished look,” says Matthew Abrams, project manager, Bast Hatfield Construction, the general contractor. “I had never worked with Ply Gem Stone before this project, but it turned out to be a great showcase of the product and our installation.”

Team and Materials

Developer: DCG Development
Architect: RLS Design Group
Supplier: Erie Materials
Installer: Bast Hatfield
Stone materials: Ply Gem Stone