GREENPORT HOTEL PROJECT ADVANCES

Mike McCagg

ccSCOOP News

03-07-10 - 8:45 p.m. - On March 23, the Greenport Town Planning Board will hold a public hearing on the hotel and entertainment complex proposed for the former V&O Press Building on Route 66 on Greenport.   After months of meetings and discussions over potential pollutants at the former industrial site, the Greenport Planning Board indicated at its February meeting that many of its concerns had been met and agreed to hold a public hearing on the site plan and subdivision proposal. It also agreed to send the project to the Columbia County Planning Board for review.

The public hearing will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Greenport Town Hall on March 23. According to Greenport Planning Board Chair Don Alger, the County Planning Board is expected to meet on March 16 and may take up the project at that meeting.

While saying he was pleased to get to this point after seven months of review, developer Harbalwant Singh nonetheless remained conservative in his comments about the project. "There are so many challenges yet," Singh explained. "The DOT review will take time. We're working with the IDA on various packages." Singh said no agreement has been reached yet with the IDA on any incentives for his project, but he is seeking in general terms a tax abatement package. 

The biggest obstacle Singh had to overcome to move the project forward was assuring the Greenport Town Board about remediating potential hazardous contaminants on the site. To answer the board's concerns, Singh presented an environmental management plan that identifies which hazardous materials may be present at the site and outlines the steps that will be taken to remediate the site once contaminants are identified. The plan calls for a representative of Labelle Associates to be on the site throughout the construction process. The Albany-based firm will provide weekly updates to the Greenport Planning Board and Code Enforcement Office about contaminants found on the site and measures taken to deal with them. Town Engineer Paul McCreary and Planning Board had repeatedly pressed Singh to develop a plan for potential contaminants at the site. A preliminary report found several types of metals on the site and asbestosm all consistent with the previous use of the site as a metal pressing operation.

The plan for Greenport Crossing includes a 100-room hotel with a 52,000-square-foot entertainment center and a separate retail facility. The hotel would include a restaurant and conference rooms, which could be used for weddings and parties as well as for meetings. The attached two-story entertainment center would include a bowling alley, an indoor play area, a climbing wall, a laser tag facility, an arcade, and a sports bar. The plan also calls for a 200-foot by 200-foot section of the property to be subdivided to accommodate a gas station and convenience store. According to Singh, the subdivision is necessary for financing the project.