What began as a small framing business in Saratoga Springs has become something much broader. Nearly four decades after Sonny Bonacio founded the company, Bonacio now brings construction, development, steel fabrication and property management together across a growing Upstate New York footprint. Through it all, the business has remained closely tied to the family behind it and to the communities where its projects take shape.
Founded by Sonny Bonacio in Saratoga Springs, NY, in 1988, Bonacio Construction began as a small framing business before developing into a privately owned, family-run construction company serving property owners, developers, businesses and local communities. Its work now spans commercial and healthcare facilities, residential buildings, mixed-use properties, retail and office spaces, restaurants, hotels and custom luxury homes. The company also has a strong focus on revitalizing historic buildings and redeveloping underutilized urban properties. Beyond Saratoga Springs, Bonacio serves the Capital Region, including Albany, Troy and Glens Falls, along with the Adirondacks, the North Country and other parts of Upstate New York. Its expansion into Rome, NY, in 2026 has further extended that reach, while the company is also licensed in Massachusetts and Florida.
Over nearly four decades, Bonacio has evolved into a broader organization with construction, development, steel fabrication and property management capabilities. Sonny, enterprise CEO, and Julie Bonacio, enterprise president, remain actively involved in daily operations alongside their three children: Luca, assistant project manager; Will, who works in estimating; and Gianna, project manager. “We began with a specific construction trade and grew into a general contractor and construction manager capable of delivering substantial, complex projects,” says Dustin Wetzel, president, Bonacio Construction. “Under the Bonacio umbrella, clients can access development expertise, preconstruction planning, estimating, construction management, general contracting, steel fabrication, millwork fabrication and property management.”
One of the company’s more distinctive offerings is its Precon Plus model, a data-driven approach that extends traditional preconstruction by giving clients access to development services before work begins on site. “It starts with traditional construction preconstruction—estimating, budgeting, scheduling, constructability reviews and procurement planning, and adds development services on an à la carte basis,” Wetzel says. “The owner selects the support they need, and we include that scope for an agreed fee within a traditional construction contract.”
“It starts with traditional construction preconstruction—estimating, budgeting, scheduling, constructability reviews and procurement planning, and adds development services on an à la carte basis.”
Depending on the project, those services can include pro forma development and financial modeling, market and sales-price feasibility, due diligence coordination, support through land-use approvals, and coordination of the design and permitting process. “For condominium projects, we can also coordinate with the owner’s legal counsel and consultants on the New York Attorney General offering-plan process,” Wetzel says. “We tailor the scope to the project and the strengths of the owner’s existing team.”
Bonacio Steel was formed in 2000 as a complement to the company’s construction arm and has since expanded into structural steel and miscellaneous metals, serving Bonacio projects as well as other general contractors, developers and homebuilders throughout the Northeast.
Based in Gansevoort, NY, the division brings design, engineering, fabrication and installation services together under one roof. By managing much of the steelwork in-house, the Bonacio team can become involved earlier in the process, helping coordinate schedules and keep projects moving efficiently.
Its capabilities extend beyond structural steel. Bonacio Steel also produces custom staircases, railings, canopies, mezzanines, gates and other architectural metal features across commercial, residential, healthcare, hospitality and equestrian projects.
Before taking on new development opportunities, Bonacio also looks closely at what a property and its surrounding community actually need. “Relationships with municipalities, employers and community partners help us understand where investment could make a meaningful difference,” Wetzel says.
Adaptive reuse remains an important part of that approach. The former Van Raalte Mill in Saratoga Springs is an early example of Bonacio identifying potential in an underutilized property and working through the financial and construction challenges required to make redevelopment viable.
Market Center and 19 Railroad Place offer another example. “The redevelopment brought a mix of residential and commercial uses to an underutilized downtown block, contributing to the activity and walkability of Saratoga Springs,” Wetzel says.
More recent projects such as The Adelphi Hotel renovation and expansion, Market Square in Glens Falls and MetLife’s new corporate office in Rome show the range of that work. “The Adelphi combines historic preservation with modern hospitality and residential uses,” Wetzel explains.
At Market Square, Bonacio rehabilitated three existing downtown Glens Falls buildings to create 18 apartments and ground-floor commercial space. “Market Square brings older downtown buildings back into productive use,” he says. MetLife, meanwhile, supports a longtime regional employer’s investment in its future at Griffiss Business and Technology Park.
Making Market Square feasible required several funding sources to work together, including New York State historic tax credits, the City of Glens Falls’ Downtown Revitalization Initiative funds, National Grid’s Main Street Revitalization and Clean Heat programs, and IDA support through a PILOT, along with sales and mortgage tax abatement. “Getting that structure in place was as important as solving the construction challenges,” Wetzel says.
The MetLife project involves a new corporate office at Griffiss in Rome, bringing together Bonacio Construction and Bonacio Steel to deliver a modern workplace on the site of a former Air Force maintenance building. “In both cases, the starting point is understanding what the property and community need. From there, we assemble the team and work through the design, construction and financial requirements,” he adds. “We want to build projects that work for the owner and contribute to the community over the long term.”
Alongside its commercial work, affordable housing has become another important part of Bonacio’s business, including projects supported by New York State Homes and Community Renewal. “That work addresses a significant need across the communities we serve and requires close coordination among the owner, design team, funding partners and construction team,” Wetzel says.
Looking ahead, Bonacio plans to continue growing as a regional construction manager and general contractor while expanding its development portfolio. “Affordable and market-rate multifamily housing, mixed-use development, hospitality and adaptive reuse remain important areas for us,” Wetzel says. “We are also interested in expanding our industrial and manufacturing work, where our steel fabrication, self-perform capabilities and leadership experience can be valuable.”
Central New York is also becoming a greater focus, with the company establishing a new office and prioritizing a series of projects across the region. For a business that began with framing work in Saratoga Springs, the footprint has expanded considerably, but its growth remains tied to the same regional relationships that have shaped Bonacio for nearly four decades.
