Waddington To Save St. Lawrence Hotel
BY DICK STERLING
WADDINGTON - A group of Waddington area citizens have, once again, stepped to the plate in
hopes of making the village a better place to live. The Clark House Preservation (CHP),
LLC, a group formed from the ranks of the Waddington Redevelopment Association, hopes to
acquire ownership of the former St. Lawrence Hotel in the village's downtown. The eventual
plan is to totally restore the hotel.
James S. Thew, Operating Manager for the group, made a presentation to the Waddington
Village Board on Monday and came away with the unanimous approval of the board, which will
include a written letter of intent. "We're not sitting back on this. We want to move
forward. We realize there's a lot of work to do, a lot of bridges to cross, but we're
going to move ahead as aggressively as we possibly can," said Thew.
Mayor Elizabeth J. Phillips said she stands behind the group 100 percent. "I'm just
thrilled. I never wanted to see the old hotel come down. It's a fixture that's been part
of Waddington for as long as anyone can remember. Why would we want to lose it? I think
the committee to save the hotel is wonderful. They're working hard and showing that they
really care about Waddington. We will certainly pledge our support," said Phillips.
Thew's presentation to the Waddington Village Board of Trustees was precise and complete.
"CHP has been organized to obtain fee title to the former St. Lawrence Hotel
property, which is currently owned by REO Management Services Inc. Our committee is a
non-profit organization created to stabilize and preserve the former hotel."
"CHP will attempt to gain ownership of the property only if the following conditions
are satisfied:
* St. Lawrence County forecloses on the property, absolves the current tax liability, and
conveys the property directly to CHP for a nominal fee.
* The Village of Waddington revises the assessment on the property to a nominal value of
$100, until such time that the structure is preserved and becomes occupied or is conveyed
to another party.
* The Village of Waddington suspends sewer and water rent until such time these utilities
are in service at the property."
"The restoration of the structure will require significant financial and time
commitments," Thew told the board. "It is our intent to obtain grants and
donations to stabilize the structure in 2003, which would include repairing the
foundation, installing a new roofing system, and preserving the Main Street facade. Upon
stabilization of the structure, CHP will begin renovating the interior of the structure.
We anticipate the project will take three to five years to complete."
CHP has applied for a not for profit status, which is imperative for the group to obtain
grants. Thew said that the organization is beginning to prepare an application for some
private foundation grants. "We're going to knock ourselves out to raise the initial
$100,000 to $150,000 to get this thing started," said Thew.
He added that he has spoken with St. Lawrence County Treasurer Robert O. McNeil. "He
felt that there shouldn't be a problem with absolving the taxes and foreclosing. I don't
think the current owner will present any problems. They haven't had anything to say up to
this point," said Thew. "I realize that this whole thing is contingent on the
county. Now that we have the backing of the village board we can begin to talk with the
county."
Thew concluded his presentation by thanking the village board. "We certainly
appreciate all of your support. The only way this will work is by everyone working in
unison. This project will take some time. It will be a learning experience for all of us.
But it's going to be a lot of fun. I look forward to the challenge."
Mayor Phillips said that the Waddington Redevelopment Association has come a long way in a
short period of time. "When they started many people thought that they were overly
aggressive. But I think they've mellowed, and they certainly work hard for what they
believe in, which is the good of Waddington. We're more than happy to work with them.
We'll help them as much as we can. I hope they maintain their drive and continue to fight
for the people of this community."
News 1-7 ras Waddington
Publication: Ogdensburg Journal Category: LOCAL News
Pub. Date: 01/07/2003 Pub. Page: 7
Used with permission