Greenburgh Closes Chapter on WestHab, King's Inn Motel

GREENBURGH, N.Y. – With just one swing of the hydraulic excavator’s oversized claw, a storied era came to a close Friday in Greenburgh.

On the third day of demolition, just a single wall of the former WestHab shelter and King’s Inn motel remained, standing amid a pile of rubble. For the first time in 60 years, there is no building at 22 Tarrytown Road. And by the end of next week, the lot will be cleared, with all reminders of the building hauled away.

But with every ending comes a new beginning. Soon, a three-story housing complex, targeted toward low-income working families will be constructed.  

“It’s an evolution,” said Supervisor Paul Feiner. “It went from a sleazy hotel with drugs and prostitution years ago to a homeless shelter and now to workforce housing.”

Crews on Wednesday afternoon began demolishing the former motel and heralded WestHab shelter, once dubbed the “Waldorf of the homeless” by many in the neighborhood.

They will begin pouring the foundation of the 28-unit apartment building as soon as next week. The complex, expected to be completed in the summer of 2013, will feature of mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom units along with underground parking and a play area.

Already Feiner said he has been fielding emails from hopeful tenants looking to score a room in the building.

“This is the start of a new chapter for WestHab,” he said. 

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