Castle Owner Tries To Cut Deal With NYC For Migrants Housing
The owner of the renowned Oheka Castle hotel and catering hall in Huntington, Long Island, Gary Melius, is requesting Mayor Eric Adams to consider using his financially struggling 115-room Quality Inn in Massena, St. Lawrence County, near the Canadian border, to house migrants. Melius’s representative reached out to the mayor’s administration weeks ago with the offer, but there has been no response yet. Meanwhile, the city is facing a housing crisis for thousands of migrants, some of whom were forced to sleep on cardboard outside a makeshift processing center in Manhattan.
Melius believes that his Quality Inn is an ideal option for accommodating migrants, as it is centrally located and has facilities like a kitchen, restaurant, and catering hall. He emphasizes that this arrangement would be mutually beneficial for him, the city, and the migrants. Despite the hotel’s occupancy rate being at 40%, with more than half of the rooms empty on any given day, the offer seems to have gone unanswered.
Melius clarifies that he will not be offering space at his high-end Oheka Castle to shelter migrants, as its rooms are priced between $400 to $1,200 per night, making it unsuitable for this purpose.
Hotel owners who provide space for migrants are typically paid with taxpayer funds at an agreed-upon rate. While Melius and his representative want to help the city by offering accommodation for migrants, there are challenges in finding suitable locations. Some hotels, particularly in upstate areas like Massena, are economically depressed and could benefit from the business of housing migrants. However, there has been resistance from local residents and officials who argue that their municipalities are not equipped to handle the influx of migrants.
As the migrant crisis continues, Mayor Adams and city officials are exploring various options, including using park sites and some suburban and upstate hotels to alleviate the shelter space constraints. The situation remains complex, with thousands of asylum seekers arriving in New York City since spring 2022, and more than 56,000 migrants currently in the city’s shelter system.
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