Say sayonara to the Sayonara Motel in North Amityville

A problem-plagued motel property on the South Shore is being cleaned up.
The Sayonara Motel along Route 110 in North Amityville was purchased within the past two weeks, and developers are moving quickly.
The motel was shut down shortly after a fire broke out in December 2014, killing a man. The vacant building then burned to the ground in October 2018. The lot has been essentially untouched since.
Officials with the Babylon Industrial Development Agency say they started considering buying the lot at the start of this year to create a space that spurs economic development. The agency bought the site earlier this month for $700,000.
"We're doing our due diligence right now but we're exploring some of the things that may be able to fit that model of what we're looking for, like office spaces," says Thomas Dolan.
Asbestos warning signs have been posted around the work area. It is because of the asbestos that the Babylon IDA is getting assistance from National Grid to cover about one-quarter of the cleanup cost.
The $140,000 clean up should be completed within 10 days. Babylon IDA officials say they have reached out to local universities and business leaders about what would best serve the area and encourage economic development.
Babylon IDA officials say some of the options right now include an incubator-like space for small businesses, but they are open to other ideas.