The Roosevelt Hotel for the International Pakistan (PIA) will not be a shelter for migrants after New York City has ended the 220 million dollar lease agreement.
The decision comes amid increasing criticism about the use of American taxpayer money to accommodate asylum seekers.
New York City mayor Eric Adams announced the closure on Monday, noting a sharp drop in migrant expatriates and management efforts to manage the crisis. At its peak in 2023, the city received 4000 immigrants per week, a number that has now decreased to about 350.
The Roosevelt Hotel, a historical landmark in Manhattan, was closed in 2020 due to the financial losses from the Covid-19s.
In June 2023, the Pakistani government rented to New York City for a period of three years, and turned it into shelter. According to what was reported, the facility includes tens of thousands of immigrants across 1025 rooms, at an estimated cost of $ 200 a night.
Al -Fadl, mayor Adams, the closure of the strategy of response to emergency situations in the city. He said in a post on the social media platform X.
The hotel played an important role in treating about 75 % of the city’s migrant expatriates. Adams added: “Due to sound policy decisions and a successful emergency response, we are able to close this site and help more immigrants take the next step on their trips – while providing taxpayers millions of dollars.”
In February 2024, as part of its privatization strategy, the Pakistan government of Pakistan signed a FASA agreement with an American consortium led by Jones Lang Laql as an Americas (JL) to redevelop the drug. By August, the Council of Specialization Committee recommended a joint project as the most appropriate structure of transactions.
The Roosevelt Hotel, which was named after the former US President Theodore Roosevelt, was opened in 1924 and is located next to the Grand Central station. Once a symbol of luxury, the 19 -storey building underwent various royal changes, as PIA got full control in 2000.
With the end of the rental agreement now, the hotel’s future depends on the upcoming redevelopment plans.
