By Dana Williams
In the letter, which was forwarded to the Herald by Alfano’s office, the officials argued that the “continued delay relating to the demolition and redevelopment of the Courtesy site has seriously damaged the credibility of the ongoing process.”
The letter also stated, “The people have spoken loudly on this matter, and it is clearly time for the Courtesy Hotel to shut its doors forever.”
Civic leaders and residents have repeatedly criticized Murray and the Hempstead town board for adopting the town’s Urban Renewal Plan, which blocked the sale of the problematic Courtesy to developer Trammell Crow Residential and is expected to delay the closure of the hotel for several years.
Trammell Crow has proposed the construction of a $66 million, 176-unit luxury apartment complex on the 2.7-acre Courtesy site, and has been in contract to purchase the hotel from its owner, Bruce Zwelsky, since March 2006. According to the URP, however, the proposal exceeds the town’s density limits, and Trammell Crow and town officials have been unable to reach a compromise. Before the Skelos-Alfano letter on Monday, the latest news was that Zwelsky is looking to reopen the nightclub inside of the Courtesy. While residents have been demanding for more than a decade that the town must act expeditiously to rid the area of the Courtesy, the chance that a nightclub might open was way beyond what the community could tolerate.
In their letter, Skelos and Alfano urged Murray to approve the redevelopment of the Courtesy site, saying that West Hempstead residents “can no longer afford delays and deserve nothing less.”
Comments about this story? DWilliams@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 205.
