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Today's Poll: Should another hotel complex be built in Batavia?

By Howard B. Owens
Howard B. Owens

The new hotel will be heavily subsidized by taxpayers.

The land was made shovel ready by taxpayers -- land intended for industrial use, meaning better paying jobs than hotel service jobs.

GCEDC may provide tax incentives.

So shouldn't taxpayers have a say in it?

Jan 19, 2011, 8:54am Permalink
Jessica Moscicki

Agree 100% with Jim! Personally has anyone every tried to get a hotel when there has been events in Batavia? Because I had when there was some sort of hockey something going on and there was not a open room ANYWHERE in Batavia.

Jan 19, 2011, 8:55am Permalink
bud prevost

The addition of a brand new hotel means one or two existing hotels will go out of business. The old Treadway comes to mind immediately. That facility has seen better days. I'm all for the hotel, but adamantly opposed to any tax breaks. It isn't as if this is necessary to the area. You give company A a break at the expense of company B,C,and D.
Jim, there won't be more tax money generated. It will simply be siphoned away from one of the older hotels and funneled through this new project. With occupancy rates between 40-50% annually, I don't see where this windfall of hotel guests is going to come from.

Jan 19, 2011, 8:58am Permalink
Peter O'Brien

<sarcasm>
Bud,
Its going to come from all the businesses that are going to send representatives to meet with our new Economic Development Coordinator! These guys will want to move their businesses to the sprawling metropolis that is Batavia! You can expect at least 20 new business representatives a week once we fill this new tax payer paid position! Isn't it Exciting!
</sarcasm>

Jan 19, 2011, 9:08am Permalink
Jim Burns

I have clients come into town here and I am embarrassed by the comments they have made about the hotels here. They are not very clean or at least consistently clean and I am told most are worn out. Holiday Inn Express has very strict franchise regulations so I bet that one will be constant and OK to put people up at. The low end hotels in town are another good reason a big company is not attracted to Batavia.

The standard floor plan for the Holliday Inn Expresses is four floors.

If the local gov rolls over on the taxes so no money is made then it is not worth it, especially if the land was slated for something else.

I have said it before, brining a big good company to Batavia is a long shot, like betting on lotto for retirement. Build up what is here.

Jan 19, 2011, 9:09am Permalink
James Lullo

Quick research shows that out of 10 Batavia Hotels
8 have 0 stars or unrated
1 has 2 stars
1 has 3 stars

Maybe the addition of this hotel will competitevely inspire one of these other ten hotels to bump its star value up, thereby attracting better customers, providing better services, better reviews, more taxes.

Just a thought

Jan 19, 2011, 10:08am Permalink
mike showler

why do out of state people the richest people get all the best kinds of benifits and tax breaks when us the poor batavians be denied the benifits

Jan 19, 2011, 11:43am Permalink
terry paine

I'm sorry Howard, I cant keep track of were the money they take from me goes (I never authorized it to be spend there). I vote for returning my money and letting the hotel company finance their own projects.

Jan 19, 2011, 12:35pm Permalink
doug smith

dont build in batavia....build it in leroy....we will take the jobs it will bring into town......we got the perfect spot for it......if walmart dont come...we will have a holiday...

is walmart coming to town....whats the news

Jan 19, 2011, 7:43pm Permalink

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