Officials Urge Judge to Delay Shutdown of Doral Arrowwood

WESTCHESTER, NY -- On Monday, January 6th, State Senator Shelley B. Mayer, Assemblyman Steve Otis, Rye Brook Village Mayor Paul Rosenberg, Westchester County Legislator Nancy Barr, and Blind Brook-Rye Union Free School District Interim Superintendent Colin Byrne wrote a letter to the Honorable Gretchen M. Walsh, Supreme Court Justice of the State of New York, to express their acute concerns about the shutdown. Judge Walsh is overseeing the Doral Arrowwood Resort, U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee, etc. v. DCCA, LLC, et al case relating to certain financial elements of the shutdown.

The letter outlines several areas of concern, including: 
275 employees who will soon be out of work on January 12th; 
Almost $2 million in combined annual tax revenue at risk for the village, town, school district and county; and
Need for orderly shutdown, site maintenance and security plan for the 114-acre estate. 

The letter is signed by Senator Shelley B. Mayer, Assemblyman Steven Otis, Rye Brook Village Mayor Paul S. Rosenberg, Westchester County Legislator Nancy E. Barr, and Blind Brook-Rye Union Free School District Interim Superintendent Colin Byrne. The letter states: 
“As officials representing the communities and citizens deeply impacted by the imminent shutdown of The Doral Arrowwood Resort, we write to express our acute concern about the shutdown. First, it will put 275 employees out of work. Second, it will result in serious site safety and maintenance concerns. Third, it will result in a significant tax impact, with almost $ 2million per year in taxes currently paid to the local school district, village, town and county. We bring these issues to you because this is the only court proceeding that we are aware of that is relevant to this property. It is our plea that you will persuade the relevant parties to reverse or modify their decision and keep the property operational for an additional 3 months, so that those impacted have time to respond and adjust to this sudden economic blow.”

To read the full letter, click here. 

State Senator Shelley B. Mayer said, “I am deeply concerned about the drastic action to shut down The Doral Arrowwood Resort with only a few weeks notice given to the 275 employees, many of whom have been there for over 10 years. The parties seem to have failed to consider the far-reaching implications of their actions, including $600k in annual tax revenue for the Village of Rye Brook and over $1 million in annual tax revenue for the Blind Brook School District. They have failed to provide adequate communication and notice to employees, local government officials, and the surrounding community and residents. I urge Judge Walsh to try to persuade the relevant parties to extend the timeline for the shutdown so that the Village of Rye Brook and the Blind Brook School District have time to effectively react and modify their operations to reduce the impact of the tax loss.” 

Assemblyman Steve Otis said, “Doral Arrowwood has been a vital part of Rye Brook for decades. To close the business with limited notice and without explanation deprives everyone the necessary information to understand viable options and find better solutions. Employees, local taxpayers, as well as the village and the school district, need to be involved in conversations to explore alternatives and be in a better position to plan for changes that may come.”

Nancy Barr, Westchester County Legislator, said, "Given the tremendous impact that the sudden closure of Doral will have on workers, homeowners and taxpayers, particularly in Rye Brook and the Blind Brook school district, I am hopeful that Judge Walsh will persuade the relevant parties to keep the property operational for at least an additional three months.  I appreciate the support of the other elected officials in the area, and, in particular, I thank State Senator Shelley Mayer for making this a priority."

Paul S. Rosenberg, Rye Brook Village Mayor, said, "The closing of Doral Arrowwood will be a tremendous loss for the Village of Rye Brook not only in tax revenue, but in services available to the community. Doral Arrowwood has served not only as a resort and conference center, but also as a place of refuge during large storm events."

Colin Byrne, Superintendent of the Blind Brook-Rye Union Free School District, said, "The Blind Brook School District feels terrible for all of the dedicated workers who are losing their jobs due to the situation at Doral Arrowwood. We wish them all the best and hope that they are treated fairly and appropriately. Although we are concerned about the closing of Doral Arrowwood, we are unsure what the financial impact of the closing will be for the school district. We will have a better picture of where we stand once more information becomes available about the future of the property."