The Peru Gazette

Plattsburgh’s downtown is not ready yet,” said the hotel developer I invited to Plattsburgh some 30 years ago to walk downtown’s streets with me.

The developer concluded our walk and conversation by saying, “When your downtown has a critical mass of retail, dining, and entertainment, then you will not have to invite a hotel developer to walk the streets with you, instead, a hotel developer will come to you.”

Three decades later, after our downtown has achieved that critical mass of retail, dining, and entertainment, adjacent to a gorgeous lake, a hotel developer has come to us, ready to plunk down $35 million to build a fine hotel on a piece of property few would otherwise want.

One would think the city and the Common Council would jump for joy as a hotel anchor for our promising downtown, on land next to the wastewater plant, is a God send.

Alas, that is not the case.

I was mayor of Plattsburgh for a decade, from 1990 through 1999, a period of great tumult and change as our Air Force base closed and Route 3 continued to suck the life from our downtown. I was frantic in keeping our downtown vibrant and intact against those long odds.

Times and circumstances change, however. The same chain stores we have on Route 3 are found almost everywhere in America, as urban sprawl continues its unappealing appetite.

Yet, all the while, the Lake City’s downtown slowly built a critical mass of fine dining establishments, entertainment venues and unique retail shops…all “local” …the kind of shops tourists seek, by foot, as they can motor to a Wal-Mart anywhere, and not enjoy a lake front such as ours.

It is a powerful combination as there is so much to do. By the way, we named our community “The Lake City” during my tenure to turn our attention to our biggest asset and that name stuck for only one reason, because it is true. The Lake City only needs a hotel close to its shore to cement that title.

I went on to be a mayor of another community, Saranac Lake, and the same hotel developer came to us with a plan for another $35 million investment on the shore of Lake Flower. Of course, in this day of rabid social media, we encountered the same arguments against its building from the same types of naysayers, but we prevailed and the hotel is a beautiful success story and we are better off with its addition of top-notch lodging and venue space.

What were some of the common arguments from the naysayers? Here are a few of them with their answers edited for the Lake City:

What does the city gain?

In addition to the purchase price, the city gains downtown accommodations which will bring tourism, guests, and customers to downtown businesses.

What does the city lose?

Vacant, unused land; land that is adjacent to a sewage treatment plant and has no other foreseeable use.

What if the hotel goes bankrupt?

It will keep operating, as the mortgage lenders will keep it operating to get their loans paid or will sell it cheap to another operator to get as much of the loan paid off as possible. That is how it works in the hotel industry. The city has no liability and will continue to collect tax money.

How will the hotel stay in business in the “off months,” Columbus Day to Memorial Day, the low season?

Just like hotels in Lake George and on Route 3, hotels primarily depend on summer business so that their average vacancy rate gets into the 65% threshold and higher. However, this Downtown hotel is uniquely positioned for winter revenue-generating operations.

What are some of those winter revenue-generating operations?

Weddings, Plattsburgh State hockey packages, college visitors and conferences, card shows, yoga classes, Local craft exhibitions, wine tastings, Christmas packages with Santa, chess tournament, maple syrup festival, beer fest, local farm tours, arts show, celebrity chef-taught cooking classes, local corporate events, kids clubs, cocktail mixing master class, talent shows.

Does Downtown need a hotel to be truly successful?

Yes. Yes. And Yes. It is one of the top anchors of any successful Downtown.

I believe Plattsburgh has achieved that critical mass of retail, dining, and entertainment, and that is why a hotel developer came to us and is willing to risk his $35 million (not ours) on this proposition.

Together, the downtown businesses and the hotel can build upon the base already created and make the hotel a community center and our downtown even more vibrant.

Plattsburgh has nothing to lose and everything to gain. The Common Council must grab that elusive golden ring on this go-around, a reward our downtown has rightly earned and do it now.

— Clyde Rabideau served as mayor of the City of Plattsburgh from 1990 to 2000 and as mayor of Saranac Lake from 2010 to 2022