Gideon Putnam on track to reopen May 1

PHOTOGRAPHER: File Photo

The Gideon Putnam, seen in the background, should reopen on May 1.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Gideon Putnam hotel at Saratoga Spa State Park is set to reopen May 1 after being closed for nearly four months because of a water main break.

The hotel closed Jan. 15 after the building’s basement flooded, damaging the facility’s heating and electrical infrastructure and resulting in the evacuation of 60 guests.

The reopening date was delayed three times by Delaware North, which operates the hotel for the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

“We had to pump out hundreds of thousands of gallons of water and clear areas of the basement that were covered in over two feet of mud,” said Paul Jeppson, east regional vice president of Delaware North’s parks and resorts business, in a prepared statement. “It took time to assess the true scope of the damage to the utilities and infrastructure and how long it would take to replace the boilers, electrical switch gear and other components of the hotel.”

Delaware North decided to use the closure as an opportunity to renovate the hotel’s guest rooms, bathrooms, corridors, restaurant and lobby.

All 124 guest rooms were outfitted with new carpeting, paint and blinds, as well as renovated bathrooms.

Putnam’s Restaurant also received new carpeting and other enhancements, and areas throughout the lobby were painted and restored.

Glen A. White, a Delaware North spokesman, said 70 of the hotel’s 94 employees were laid off as a result of the water main break.

White added that 40 events were canceled or rescheduled due to the closure.