Sarah Trafton is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media Greene County Industrial Development Authority Executive Director Rene VanSchaack says development in the county has been impacted by the pandemic in both positive and negative ways. A hotel developer was talking to the development authority about the former Quality Inn site near the New York State Thruway, but the deal fell through. VanSchaack attributed the change of plans to the virus. Hotel developers will not be doing projects for the next three to five years, VanSchaack said. Across the street from the Quality Inn site, the IDA is also working on developing an additional 60 acres. Columbia Memorial Health in January announced plans to build a medical plaza there. The new plaza would not replace the Greene Medical Arts Center in Jefferson Heights, also owned by Columbia Memorial. “[The plaza] would definitely help serve as a catalyst,” VanSchaack said. “You put a nice medical center there and other things would pop up.” Other parcels on the property would still be available for other businesses, he said. Generally, there is more interest to invest and revamp existing hotels and motels, VanSchaack said. “On a somewhat positive note, what we are seeing in Greene County is a trend of downstate investment,” he said. Some examples of this are the Astoria Motor Court, Carl’s Rip Van Winkle Hotel, now under the name Camptown Lodge, and Indian Ridge Campground, he said. A proposal to renovate the former Agway on West Bridge Street in Catskill into an apartment building is under review by the village planning board. Development of another proposed hotel, Mr. Cat, at the corner of Main and Bridge streets in Catskill, has been slowed, Village President Vincent Seeley said. “I have spoken with the owner [Ben Fain] and he assured me that the project is still in flight, but has slowed due to COVID,” Seeley said. “The goal is a late 2021 opening.” Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.