Vacant Lake George Motel on Hold as Seasonal Worker Housing

SteamboatPhoto byCatia DombaxeonUnsplash

The village of Lake George in New York's Adirondacks draws thousands of tourists every summer, and the businesses those tourists need workers, but only for a few months a year. A derelict vacant motel in the middle of town was slated to become temporary worker housing under a grant of $10 million dollars for a revitalization project.

There is fear by local business people that the motel will instead become home to asylum seekers, such as those transported from Texas to New York City by the Texas governor.

Even though a county emergency order would prevent any kind of lodging from being used to house asylum seeking migrants without the express authorization of the board, opponents say that the state could override that if they wanted to.

For now the project is on hold. It's possible the motel will be purchased by a private developer as worker housing. Until then, it remains a derelict motel in the middle of a tourist town.