West Endicott Eyesore: Red Carpet Inn Finally Being Torn Down

Demolition crews have started the process of removing an abandoned motel in West Endicott.

The old Red Carpet Inn on West Main Street near the En-Joie Golf Course had languished in recent years, becoming a neighborhood nuisance as redevelopment efforts failed.

Broome County acquired the property for $600,000 last February. A New Jersey man, Rakesh Shroff, had bought the vacant motel in 2019 with plans to renovate the building.

Gorick Construction was hired to demolish the place, which had been condemned by the town of Union because it was deemed to be structurally unsafe.

The town is providing some money to help cover the cost of clearing the site.

Broome County Executive Jason Garnar told WNBF News the place was "a key eyesore" that needed to be removed.

When the place first opened as the 61-room Royal Coachman Motel in April 1963, it was hailed as "ultramodern." News accounts described it as the first "all-electric" lodging place in the Southern Tier.

Over the years, the property declined through a series of owners who operated the motel under various names.

The place lately had been targeted by vandals and arsonists. Garnar had said he wanted the building gone before the Dick's Sporting Goods Open gets underway next month.

The site should be completely cleared by the time tournament events start on June 17.

VIDEO: A final visit to the Red Carpet Inn before the demolition crews began work on May 8, 2024.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.