Thread: Businesses hit hard as NYC hotels house more migrants, less tourists: 'Ghost town'

Businesses hit hard as NYC hotels house more migrants, less tourists: 'Ghost town'



Story by Elizabeth Heckman • 52m ago

February 20, 2023

A New York City business owner said Monday that ever since migrants were placed at a hotel near her café, this has resulted in fewer customers.


View on Watch


Wattle Cafe owner Ana Ivkosic joined "Fox & Friends" to discuss how the migrant crisis has affected her business and the lack of tourists has made the neighborhood feel like a "ghost town."

Ivkosic said small-business owners like herself felt "blindsided" by the decision to place migrants at the "world's largest" Holiday Inn, located by her Manhattan café. She said her business relies on tourists for steady traffic, but now the hotel has become the "world's tallest migrant facility."


MIGRANTS ARE ‘DRINKING ALL DAY,’ ‘HAVING SEX IN THE STAIRS’ IN TAXPAYER-FUNDED NEW YORK HOTELS: WHISTLEBLOWER






NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 08: The Holiday Inn in the Financial District is seen on February 08, 2023 in New York City. Mayor Eric Adams announced that the city will open a new migrant relief center at the Holiday Inn in the Financial District. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) Michael M. Santiago© Michael M. Santiago


"All of a sudden, a lot of the revenue that we were relying upon from the tourists has essentially disappeared," said Ivkosic, adding that business owners did not know this would happen.

Ivkosic questioned if there is a more cost-efficient location to place the migrants as her cafe is located in the Financial District, which she described as the "most sought-out" real estate in New York.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Ivkosic said she reached out to her city councilman Christopher Matt for a solution so businesses and livelihoods are not negatively impacted.

"Ultimately, we would like to make sure that we can work with the council and with the city to see how we can. Pivot and try and address the lack of tourist money that is coming through our local community."


View on Watch

More videos

• 
  

While many New Yorkers are struggling to pay rent in the Big Apple due to skyrocketing prices, the migrants receive free $190-a-night rooms at the four-star Holiday Inn until May 2024, according to court documents.

If the hotel reaches full capacity, it could cost the city $93,500 per day, based on the average room rate, and about $2.8 million in per month to house the illegal migrants in New York City.

The Financial District Holiday Inn went bankrupt in 2020 and was struggling to book rooms for more than $100 per night, but it is now making nearly twice as much from the city by housing the migrants.
Fox News' Aubrie Spady contributed to this report


https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/new...97a5c0288e4e95

well Trump & Mark told every one this is happen & you did not listen - next time listen now look at out city it look like hell get Trump Back & I don't care about his Pass it his Tax get him back & fast