New Gowanus hotels bring business, fear

With hotels popping up around Gowanus, some believe the area will benefit from the tourism and job creation, while others think it pushes out jobs in the industrial sector. With three hotels already

News 12 Staff

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Jul 6, 2008, 12:50 AM

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Updated 5,908 days ago

With hotels popping up around Gowanus, some believe the area will benefit from the tourism and job creation, while others think it pushes out jobs in the industrial sector.

With three hotels already in the area, and plans for six more in the canal zone, many employers will look for area residents to fill job openings.

"Hotels here have brought in service jobs that weren't here before," says Robert Gaeta, the manager of Hotel Le Bleu.

While managers say hotels will bring other business to the area, other people say the hotels are pushing out the kind of business that is the foundation of Gowanus.

"We can't work here anymore. They're pushing a lot of people out," says Brad Lander, a member of an advocacy group against the hotels.

"We need to preserve the manufacturing area in Gowanus, because all around the city we've got great manufacturing places that can't find places to locate," Lander says.