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June 30, 2009

New Plattsburgh hotel seen as sign of the region's strength

By DAN HEATH

PLATTSBURGH — Plattsburgh's newest hotel is seen as another sign of the area's stability in the current global economic crisis.

The new Hampton Inn and Suites on Route 3 in the Town of Plattsburgh was built by Patrick and Diane Akey in partnership with Montreal-based developers Angelo, Emmanuel and Annamaria Arduini.

The hotel, which has been open since June 16, has brought 35 new jobs to the area.

At the ceremonial opening Tuesday, Plattsburgh Town Supervisor Bernie Bassett said the hotel is another positive sign for the North Country.

"I have to believe we are growing more jobs than we are losing."

The Town of Plattsburgh, North Country and Champlain Valley represent quality, Bassett said, and Hampton Inn and Suites is another example of that.

"This is an opportunity to look around and say, 'Wow, they did it right.'"

County of Clinton Industrial Development Agency President Adoré Flynn Kurtz said the state legislation that regulates IDAs targets tourism as well as industrial development. That allows the local IDA to help businesses such as Hampton Inn with tax breaks and other incentives.

"In a time when many communities are dealing with the harsh realities of the economic recession, we here in Plattsburgh have yet another reason to celebrate," Kurtz said.

Plattsburgh-North Country Chamber of Commerce President Garry Douglas said Frank Akey and his family have been investing in the North Country for the past 50 years and the new hotel shows their commitment to continue.

"The Akeys aren't leaving; the Akeys are investing," he said.

The project was funded by Community Bank. Senior Vice President Nick Russell said the Akeys have been successful with other projects, such as Ponderosa restaurant and Microtel Inn and Suites next door.

The new hotel has 94 rooms, including 30 king studio suites. Those rooms are about 465 square feet and include a sofa, work desk, king-size bed and wet bar.

The rooms all have 37-inch flat-screen, high-definition televisions, microwave ovens and refrigerators. The entire building is set up for wireless Internet access.

The hotel includes a swimming pool and hot tub, with access to an outdoor patio for sun worshippers.

The two-story lobby features a combination of recessed and hanging lights and rich-hued hardwood furniture. It is used as a dining area for the free hot breakfasts served in the mornings and as a community room in the afternoons and evenings.

A meeting room has space for 50 people and can also be used for special events, such as wedding anniversaries.

The hotel plan received conditional approval from the Town of Plattsburgh Planning Board in February 2008, and construction began a few months later.

It is Plattsburgh's first five-story hotel, at a height of 62 feet. It required a height variance from the Town of Plattsburgh Zoning Board of Appeals because that's 22 feet higher than the zoning ordinance allows.

"The planning and zoning people in the Town of Plattsburgh have been very helpful," Mr. Akey said.

"They certainly looked after the welfare of the community, yet still allowed us to create some progress."

Mr. Akey said they also received a lot of cooperation from John Kanoza and Jim Cayea of the Clinton County Health Department.

Hampton Inn and Suites is part of the 10-brand Hilton family of hotels. Hilton has more than 3,300 hotels in 80 countries and territories, with more than 130,000 employees.

E-mail Dan Heath at: dheath@pressrepublican.com

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