The sign is down but the quandary remains. Answering the question of what to do with a condemned five-decade-old “welfare motel” could help revitalize the economic welfare of Kingston. ?City officials are issuing requests for proposals to seek ideas from developers on ways to redevelop the closed Kings Inn Motel, now fenced off in the heart of midtown Kingston on Broadway.
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The parcel is .78 acres and includes a 14,000-square-foot building. Â Â Â ?The motel, which opened in 1964 and was condemned and closed by city officials in 2007, had its two-story sign taken down last month. The property is near the Ulster Performing Arts Center and officials say that a mixed-use retail and restaurant complex could partner with the theater and help spur activity and investment in the heart of the city. Others have suggested creating affordable housing and studio space for artists. ?“The King”™s Inn site is in the heart of the midtown business district,” City Planner Suzanne Cahill said. Â “It is a large parcel when compared to properties surrounding it. We have a vision for reuse of the property for a commercial retail use and with other public benefits, like housing.”
She said that there is a consensus among members of the city-appointed King”™s Inn Review Committee and others that a mixed-use development is appropriate for the property.?But it is not likely to be easy or cheap. The two buildings on the site have undetermined degrees of asbestos and before they could be removed that problem would have to be remediated, said Kingston Fire Chief Richard Salzmann, who chairs the review committee.  ?The RFP document  “basically gives a framework for developers to work around,” Salzmann said. And while developers will be guided by city planner suggestions of what the future uses of the property will be,  Salzmann said the process “is relatively wide open” so developers can suggest their own ideas.?He said the RFP will also seek information on the finances of potential developers to ensure whoever is selected for the parcel had the financial strength to complete a project. Once RFPs are selected and screened,  public meetings will be held to allow public input.?Demolition of the existing structures are likely because city officials said any attempt to rehabilitate the existing rundown two-story motel would require installation of modern cooling and heating systems to comply with current building codes.
