As a young man John Nigro oversaw development and construction projects, including Westgate Shopping Center on Central Avenue, one of Albany's first shopping centers.  In more recent years he has proposed, designed. and built The Shoppes at Greenbush Commons, University Plaza on Western Avenue in Albany, Rensselaer County Plaza in East Greenbush, and the PriceRite Plaza on Route 9 in Queensbury.  In 2004, Nigro's company completed the Bethlehem Town Center, just south of Albany, which includes a Wal-Mart Superstore with a grocery, an Applebee's restaurant, a Wendy's restaurant, a branch of Charter One bank, and 1,800 parking spaces spread over 75 acres.  A Lowe's home improvement warehouse store also anchors the shopping center.  In July 2004, Malta Associates LLC, an affiliate of Nigro Companies, purchased The Shops of Malta, a 122,000-square-foot shopping center in the Saratoga County suburb of Malta, which is anchored by a Price Chopper Supermarket. Nigro is a director and past co-chair of the Strategic Initiatives Committee at The Center for Economic Growth, an Albany-based business development group. He played a key role in securing the $6.2 million state grant for a two-gate addition to the Albany International Airport, which was pivotal to luring Southwest Airlines.  Other focuses of the committee have been the Rensselaer Rail Station, the Watervliet Arsenal, and the revitalization of Albany's waterfront.  He is a trustee and vice chair of Siena College and a board member of the Albany Symphony Orchestra, the Capital Region Youth Tennis Foundation, and the New York Racing Association. John Nigro is a former board member of  Albank Financial Corporation (now Citizens Bank), and the National Savings Bank (now Key Bank). He is the recipient of the J. Spencer Standish Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by the United Way of Northeastern New York, the Hudson Mohawk Association of Colleges and Universities Higher Education Service Award, the Equinox Quasar Award for Corporate Support, and the YMCA President’s Award, and he is a Capital Region Business Hall of Fame Inductee.