heiden hotel

Sullivan hotel fire deemed suspicious

By Adam Bosch

May 20, 2008 - Times-Herald Record

SOUTH FALLSBURG — Owners of the Heiden Hotel sought to tear down the old Borscht Belt-era structure, so last month they consulted with the Fallsburg Fire Department to have it burned. Fire officials told them it would cost $23,000. Then they never heard from the owners again.

The 3.5-story hotel burned to the ground early Sunday morning, prompting police and fire investigators to call the blaze suspicious. Fallsburg police said they're seeking an interview with the hotel's owners.

"We haven't turned up anything yet, but we're going to be following up with the owners," Fallsburg Detective Travis Hartman said.

Hartman said the investigation will be difficult because the hotel burned so completely that little or no evidence is left. Aside from the owners' desire to raze their hotel, the fire is also being deemed suspicious because there was no electricity running to one of the bungalows behind the hotel, which also burned to mere ashes. There was electricity running to the main building, fire officials said.

The Heiden Hotel was purchased by Concord Estates Condominiums LLC in 2006, the same group that owns the neighboring Raleigh Hotel under a different corporate name. The corporations were formed by Congregation Khal Bnei Zion of Brooklyn. Mendel Lerner, a development partner who has represented the groups at Town Board meetings, said the owners were away and unavailable to be contacted. Lerner didn't think the owners had even been told of the fire yet.

Fallsburg fire Chief Jim Smith said the wood and stucco hotel was 80 percent gone by the time firefighters arrived at 1:15 a.m. Sunday. They fought the blaze for six hours, and it rekindled several times later that day and yesterday. Smith said the fire appeared to have started in the old entertainment section of the building, which was loaded with old mattresses.

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