Plattsburgh's Waterfront to Set Sail

Hotel and conference center to be built on Lake Champlain

Story and photos by Patricia Fifield

Trees, tall grass, and abandoned buildings lined up along Plattsburgh's lakefront. It is hard to believe that behind the weeds and broken windows, a view of Lake Champlain and the Green Mountains sprawl along the gloomy waterfront. The waterfront area, off Dock Street, used to be owned by Canadian Pacific Railway and was used as a junkyard for many years. The junkyard was rarely used by the company so the New York State Government stepped in and purchased the land and made it available for sale and development.

"We need to recognize our greatest asset."


After environmental tests on the land were completed by the state, a developer took control and made plans for a hotel and conference center to be built. Christine Rotella, a member of Community Development, a program that revitalizes downtown Plattsburgh, helps small businesses get started, and is now working on the waterfront development. "We're trying to change Plattsburgh's face toward the water," she said. "We need to recognize our greatest asset." 

Hotel spot
The site of the proposed waterfront hotel.

The Plattsburgh waterfront is not developed and there are no hotels situated on the lake which is a large part of the city. The developer has two hotel choices in mind but has not made an announcement yet. "The developer should be submitting his plans to the building inspector at any time now," Rotella said. There are also plans to create a 3-acre public park and an expanded boat launch.

Funding for the development came from New York State. The first check of $500,000 was used toward utility installation and a large parking lot that was completed over the summer. Rotella explained that the parking lot would be used for hotel and public parking. According to the Press-Republican, Governor George Pataki gave a second check of $500,000 for more improvements on September 1, 2006.

Parking Lot
The parking lot for the hotel has already been built.

The construction of a hotel and conference center on Lake Champlain could boost the city's economy. A new hotel could benefit the city because it would create several job opportunities and may increase tourism to the area. Frequent visitor to the Lake Champlain area, Shari Henricks, said she would be "very excited" to stay in a hotel so close to the lake.  "Right now when I visit, I have to stay in the middle of everything on Cornelia Street," Henricks said. "I'd enjoy staying in a hotel with lake views and activities."

"I'll probably lose my lake view..."

Jason Rabideau, a resident of Dockside Apartments on Jay Street, said "I'll probably lose my lake view and traffic will increase if the hotel is built there, but it'll be nice to see something actually on the waterfront."

 

Do you think a waterfront hotel will benefit Plattsburgh?

 

The popular hotels in Plattsburgh, such as Holiday Inn, Comfort Inn, and Econo Lodge are all located on Route 3, close to Interstate 87. These hotels are convenient for travelers driving through Plattsburgh but this could be hurting the city's economy.

Hotel visitors stay miles away from Plattsburgh's waterfront and sometimes never have the chance to view Lake Champlain and the Green Mountains which may be a factor that could bring visitors back to the area.

Lake Placid has several hotels in the area that are either situated on Mirror Lake or Lake Placid. Hotels such as the Comfort Inn, Best Western, and the Hilton Lake Placid Resort all have lake views and activities such as swimming, kayaking, and jet skiing. According to www.travelocity.com, the rates for these rooms are from $109-$180 a night.

If the city invested in a hotel and conference center on Lake Champlain and offered activities and rooms with lake views, tourists who are looking for a fun and relaxing vacation may choose Plattsburgh.

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