Story updated at 3:57 p.m. on Aug. 8, 2023.

BY JEFF CHUDZINSKI
North Country This Week

MASSENA — The owner of the Quality Inn hotel, located in downtown Massena, is lobbying state officials and New York City Mayor Eric Adams to house migrants at the struggling hotel.

There is only one catch. Gary Melius, owner of the hotel, owes over $385,000 in back taxes to the county on the property.

If Melius fails to pay the taxes in full by Thursday, Aug. 10, St. Lawrence County will foreclose on the property.

According to St. Lawrence County Attorney Steve Button, the county has sent at least fifteen certified notices to Melius, detailing what was owed to the state.

“We are required by law to send certified notice. We also sent many notices by first-class mail as well, with all certified notices having been received,” Button said.

Button told North Country This Week that the back taxes stretch back to 2020 but it was only recently that a representative for Melius reached out to the county, requesting forgiveness of the back taxes.

County officials are poised to move forward on the foreclosure if the taxes are not paid by Aug. 10, with the hotel scheduled to go up for auction in September if Melius fails to wire the funds.

As of presss time, county officials say Melius will not pay the taxes and the lienholder plans to make the payment on his behalf.

According to Button, this is the first step for the bank to protect the asset and decide whether to foreclose on their mortgage.

The debate over housing migrants is one that many counties have weighed in on, with some counties downstate passing executive orders to forbid hotel owners from housing migrants.

According to a New York Post story, Melius has lobbied the state and NYC Mayor Adams for weeks now, offering his “ideal” 115-room hotel as a way to house migrants.

City officials say they are still processing around 95,000 migrants, many of whom are inhabiting shelters in the city.

The Post story also says Melius has yet to receive a response from officials

“I keep trying. We could take 180 people. I don’t get it. It doesn’t make sense to me,” said Melius.

Melius told the Post that his hotel in Massena has an occupancy rate of about 40%.

He went on further, telling the post the hotel is in the center of town and that migrants “don’t need any transit once you get there.”

Melius went on further, detailing the kitchen and restaurant available on site.

Eyeland’s Restaurant currently occupies the space at the Quality Inn.

“This would be very good for me, it would be very good for the city and very good for the migrants. It’s a win-win,” added Melius.

If Melius were to convince the city to send migrants to Massena, he would receive taxpayer funds at an agreed upon rate, according to the Post.

While Melius has told city officials he can house migrants in Massena, he did tell the Post that his location on Long Island, Oheka Castle, would not be offered as an alternative to house them because the location is a top wedding reception venue.

Rooms at the Quality Inn go for an average of $120 per night while rooms at Oheka Castle go for anywhere from $400 to $1,200 per night.

To read the New York Post article, click here.