Maybe it will be a Best Western again, maybe a Ramada.
But it’s great news:
Closed since November 2018, the crumbling, vandalized, and otherwise wrecked Inn at Cobleskill was sold Wednesday to the owner of the Grand Roosevelt Ballroom, a Westchester County event and catering space that boasts of a “world of classic elegance unlike any other.”
Mohammad Jan’s vision for Cobleskill’s ex-Best Western is more modest, but maybe even more welcome; Cobleskill Supervisor Werner Hampel, who helped pull together the sale, said Mr. Jan plans to restore all 70-plus rooms, the restaurant and pool, and the bowling alley.
“Since I’ve been supervisor, I’ve been pounding the table for a hotel,” said John Leavitt of Carlisle after Mr. Hampel asked the Board of Supervisors to support a plan that would waive $453, 331.13 in back taxes over time as long as Mr. Jan meets certain to-be-determined project milestones.
“It’s a no-brainer. It’s something we really need,” Mr. Leavitt said. “We need a hotel.”
Supervisors’ vote to sign a promissory note with Mr. Jan’s Royal Hillside LLC—a written handshake to pay, said County Attorney Mike West--was unanimous.
That’s the first step, Mr. West said.
Mr. Jan now has 60 days to finalize a mortgage.
If he’s successful, the county will forgive the promissory note—and formalize a timeline of project milestones that will include getting a demolition permit for interior work, getting a building permit, and getting a certificate of occupancy.
As Mr. Jan hits each milestone, a portion of the back-taxes will be forgiven, Mr. West said.
There will be no PILOT and the hotel will be reassessed annually.
Mr. Jan will still be responsible for paying back $27,000 in Village of Cobleskill taxes by the end of the month and school taxes in the fall; town taxes have already been “rolled into” the county bill.
“He will be responsible for all future taxes,” said supervisors’ chair Bill Federice, “and he’s not off the hook for the back-taxes. As long as he meets milestones, that payment will be deferred.”
Only if the project is completed will the back-taxes will be forgiven.
“If we just threw it out there for a tax auction, maybe they’d just demolish it and sell the land,” Mr. Federice said.
“We sorely need a hotel,” and the business that comes with it.”
There’s no time schedule nailed down yet for the project, Mr. Federice said, but time was of the essence for supervisors—who meet again Friday.
Noah Bank of New Jersey, which owns the hotel and has foreclosed on owner Cobleskill enterprise LLC—is being taken over by another bank Friday.
Without the agreement from supervisors by the close of business yesterday—Wednesday—Mr. Jan would have lost his $200,000 deposit and the hotel.
“Friday will be too late,” Mr. Federice said.
With the promissory note, Mr. West said, the county still controls the site—and “our destiny.”
Cobleskill Code Enforcement Officer Mike Piccolo said he’s thrilled.
When Mr. Jan toured the old hotel we “didn’t pull any punches,” he said.
“We told them what it was, what it could be. If they need to work in phases, we’ll work in phases. We all want to see this succeed.”