Do the Editors of the Trenton Times Read the Reporters of the Trenton Times?

Yet, any decision by City Council to proceed with the new management group and a new Wyndham franchise agreement will require an upfront, significant capital investment of at least $2 to $3 Million Dollars. The presentation by the Marshall Group at Council session this week all but admitted that this capital would need to be provided by the City of Trenton.

Would the closure of the hotel be a blow to the City’s fragile economy? Probably yes, but much less so than: the emptying out of 1 West State Street, as reported in The Times this week; the possible loss of 250 jobs at Hutchinson Industries, as reported in The Times this weekend; the impending loss of $6 Million in annual PILOT payments from the State of New Jersey, as reported in The Times; and the permanent removal from the City’s tax ratables of the Glen Cairn Arms site, as reported by The Times  and supported by its Editorial Board.

The Editors say, “Above all, the council should come up with a clear plan of the city’s objectives for the hotel.” I disagree. Our City Council members are not, and should not be, innkeepers. The decade-long attempt of the City of Trenton to own a hotel and conference center has not worked. Other cities throughout the country who have attempted the same thing (Baltimore being the nearest major relevant example) have had mixed, mostly negative experiences similar to Trenton’s.

The best and most desirable outcome should be the immediate sale of the Lafayette Yard property to private commercial hoteliers. Let them make a go of it.  If the Times Editors actually paid attention to their own reportage, I would hope they would come to the same conclusion.