Jehovah Witness volunteers will occupy Warwick Motel up to three years
WARWICK — The sign outside the Warwick Motel on Overlook Drive, just off Route 17A in the Village of Warwick, reads: "Closed to the Public."
The motel's website states: "No Vacancy for the next year - motel completely booked."
And a call to the office ends with a message that says you can't leave a message because the mailbox is full.
The good news for Warwick Motel owner Hari Godhwani is that the entire motel has been leased, depending on exercising extension options, for anywhere from one to three years, to The Watchtower Tract and Bible Society.
New HQ to open in 2016
In 2009 the society purchased a 253-acre site in Sterling Forest and plans to move its world headquarters from Brooklyn to Warwick.
The Warwick Motel, like the Hampton Inn in Newburgh, which the Society purchased in March, and other local properties, will be used to house short-term Jehovah Witness volunteers working on the Watchtower's almost 1 .5 million-square foot new Headquarters in Warwick.
Most of the volunteers are members of regional building committees from all 50 states. The governing body of the Watchtower Tract and Bible Society expects the project to be completed in 2016.
According to a report in The Brooklyn Eagle, the cost of the project, greatly subsidized by volunteer labor, will be $11.5 million.
And sales of the current Brooklyn properties will exceed $1 billion.
'The right time'
After being closed for two years as the result of a fire, Godhwani purchased the damaged building and after a complete renovation, reopened the motel in 2009 with 22 rooms.
"This offer came along at the right time," he said. "I was very busy with other projects and couldn't be there all the time."
Although this limits the availability of overnight stays for visitors, Mayor Michael Newhard explained that the motel, a private business, has a right to lease the units long term.
Warwick Valley Chamber of Commerce Executive Director suggested that in addition to very good local B&Bs there are also motel facilities available in nearby Greenwood Lake.
- Roger Gavan