BY JEFF CHUDZINSKINorth Country This Week

MASSENA -- Despite being given over six months to correct numerous code violations at the former Woodlawn Hotel, located at 40-42 Woodlawn Ave., the New York City based property owner is seeking an extension of timeline from the village.

Code Enforcement Officer Aaron Hardy brought the matter before the village board on April 15, telling trustees Ye Nanhai, Flushing, wanted more time as work had not begun on the property despite promises to take corrective action.

Hardy told trustees that despite the request via email, it was likely in the village's best interest to not grant an extension and wait until the May board meeting to see if Nanhai would make any progress.

He recommended the board honor the given timeframe to see if Nanhai would come through on the plan.

Mayor Greg Paquin was critical of the request, saying the village was "pretty generous with our timeline."

"I think we even said we’d extend it through May and even into June 1. In my opinion, nothing’s changed,” he said.

The former hotel has been an eye sore for many years, leading village officials to see bids to remove the structure last year.

From collapsed walls to major holes in the roof, along with broken windows and infestations of wild animals, the structure is in significant disrepair, according to village officials.

Previous attempts to secure the structure have also come undone in recent months, as a board to secure an exterior door had fallen off.

Broken windows and holes in the roof have also allowed birds and other animals to enter the structure, along with significant amounts of water from rain and snow.

Hardy previously said multiple interior walls were severely damaged and collapsing due to the water damage.

To combat the effects, Paquin and trustees previously said they wanted Nanhai to patch the roof to keep the elements out, even if just temporarily with a tarp.

Multiple floors, as well as exterior components of the house were also in severe disrepair, officials said.

Two bids were received to demolish the structure, with Republic Services coming in at $81,425, while JEDA Environmental Services bid $93,825.

Following the unveiling of the bids, trustees opted to table the idea to demolish the structure in December 2024, opting to let Nanhai move forward with repairs and a redesign of the structure.

Originally, ideas were thrown around that included a restaurant, while another option was to turn the property into a duplex.

In the end, Nanhai secured stamped engineering prints to move forward.

“He’s got a set of prints. It’s getting the exterior buttoned up, getting it sided, getting the windows. That would at least begin the process of getting the thing secured. They said finish time is May ‘25 if there’s no extreme weather,” Hardy previously said.

Trustees will again assess the project during next month's meeting, at which time they could take action to begin the demolition process again.