Is Jonathan Ehrenfeld Looking for Tenants or Waiting for Migrants to Fill Granite Ridge?

One of the reasons offered by Jonathan Ehrenfeld for considering a proposed immigrant detention center in Granite Ridge is an inability to find enough suitable tenants for the property to make money. On the surface, it sounds reasonable, if you can ignore the incredible downsides for the entire North East community, not to mention the likely damage to the Granite Ridge buildings and facilities, but once you start to think about it, some questions arise, foremost among them is, how much effort is Jonathan Ehrenfeld actually putting into the search for tenants?

Where is the advertising?

If you live in North East, Granite Ridge is pretty obvious as potential space for a variety of companies and functions, but outside of North East, who would put it high on their list of space available for lease, either short or long term? My guess is almost no one and that’s because there’s no readily apparent advertising trying to get the campus in the front of everyone for consideration.

If you have an apartment for rent or you open a business, you advertise to let everyone know you’re there and what you have to offer. If you have fully equipped, specialized facilities businesses could use to help get them started, you advertise those special facilities to attract attention. They won’t know you exist unless you make an effort to get yourself noticed.

Granite Ridge has a website and a Facebook page, but if you’re not already aware of Granite Ridge, you won’t see either one. Have you seen any advertising for office space on the property? Have you seen any marketing to bring sporting events or teams that might use the ball fields, weight room or basketball court? Are the four commercial kitchens being promoted for a catering service, bakery, restaurant or cooking school? Is the main building being shown as a base that, with some modification, could serve as apartments or even a small hotel?

Even in North East, how many of you know what’s available?

If you look at the photos in this article, you might be surprised at some of what’s sitting unused throughout the Granite Ridge campus. If you make it apparent to a lot of people, they start to think about it and ideas come to mind about someone or some company that might be a perfect fit. Why doesn’t Ehrenfeld do that?

If someone wants to start teaching classes and use the rooms in the former Ridge Library building, maybe even a regional college (hint, hint), are they available for rent? How much is the rent? For what period of time?

The former university bookstore would make a great specialty store or regional art gallery or daycare center, what would that cost to rent?

The Ridge Library building could also serve as a great place for a lecture series somewhat like Chautauqua or maybe the Jefferson Society, or maybe a comedy club, of course there’s a 100 seat theater that would work for that, too. Can that be rented?

The cafeteria could become a restaurant, kitchens are already there and North East could certainly use more eating options and it could double as dining facilities for a small hotel or high end apartments in the main building or visiting sports teams using the sports center.

There are conference rooms that could work for all sorts of organizations on a rotating basis or scheduled by appointment. Is that possible? How much?

Did I mention the classroom science labs or the area set up for the nursing school ready made as a physicians office with exam rooms and six bed hospital room?

A few weeks ago I had a wonderful opportunity to walk through the entire campus with property manager, Bill Unger. We walked all through the Ridge Library building, the sports center across the parking lot and through all of the old main buildings from end to end and on all of the floors. I was amazed at everything the campus has to offer and at the range of facilities sitting unused. It struck me that the only reason no one was actively trying to set up shop in at least some part of the property was either they simply did not know what was available or Granite Ridge wasn’t trying very hard to get the word out.

Marketing makes a huge difference

If Granite Ridge hired a professional video team to take a similar tour of the property as the one I had, but taking it under perfect lighting and with a well written narration describing every area in great detail, it would generate huge interest. Their phones would be ringing and their email would be full. If everyone in North East could watch the video, it would spark hundreds of ideas and potential business contacts.

A couple of billboards could be placed on Route 20 and I-90 and I-86 to alert travelers who have never heard of Granite Ridge to take a look at the possibilities for potential investment. After all, it was a sign on I-90 that attracted a Canadian company to decide to invest in a big new distillery in Harborcreek, why can’t that happen in North East?

Maybe Jonathan Ehrenfeld has already decided

Despite statements to the contrary, maybe Jonathan Ehrenfeld has made up his mind to go ahead with an immigrant detention center and renting to other tenants would simply be an inconvenient distraction or complication. Without a full court press to find other tenants to get a return on his investment, how can we believe otherwise?

Maybe if we all come up with ideas and generate a lot of serious inquiries, Jonathan Ehrenfeld will have to take notice and shelve any plans to turn this beautiful property into a detention center.

So, what are your thoughts?