By Paul Post
Ed Moore’s business suit is jeans and a flannel shirt, a bit atypical perhaps for a prestigious hotel owner and prominent civic leader.
It’s a simple reflection of his mindset for achieving success in both work and life.
“I still get my hands dirty, get in there and do what I have to do,” he said. “My father used to say a job worth doing is worth doing right. Whatever you do, do it good. When you do that, you lift people up.”
Moore has been a driving force in downtown Glens Falls’ revitalization since moving to Warren County full time from Staten Island in 1987.
“My wife, Linda, and I passed through here on our way back from Niagara Falls on our honeymoon in 1966,” he said. “We came back up in ’68 for a weekend and in 1975 I bought a piece of property and built a cabin on Schroon Lake, 50 years ago this coming September.”
Moore had a lucrative downstate career as an excavating contractor, but left it behind to make Warren County his permanent home.
“I was smitten with the area, the mountains, all the lakes, just the beautiful calming environment,” he said. “I decided to make a life change. I wanted to get out of that rat race down there, come up here and have a change of life. It’s worked out amazingly well.
To say the least.
He owns French Mountain Commons and Log Jam Outlet Centers on the Route 9 Million-Dollar Half Mile; Fairfield Inn & Suites near Exit 18; and the Sawyer’s building (leased to Sawyer’s Kitchen & Bath) on Glen Street hill opposite Cool Insuring Arena.
But the property he’s most visibly linked to is Queensbury Hotel, which he purchased in 2016 from a Connecticut-based investment group, bringing it back under local ownership for the first time since 2001.
Moore quickly set about restoring the hotel to its luxurious grandeur with a series of upgrades. In 2022, the “Q” celebrated completion of a $3.8 million renovation highlighted by a new Adirondack Ballroom capable of hosting up to 500 people for special events.
Plans are already under way for the hotel’s 100th anniversary in 2026, coinciding with America’s 250th birthday.
“We live in an historical area (a large painting of Cooper’s Cave from James Fenimore Cooper’s ‘Last of the Mohicans’ dominates the hotel lobby),” Moore said. “We’ll have an historical theme at the back entrance, telling the hotel’s history from when it was built, and 250 years of American history.”
Plans also call for another major addition, a rooftop bar expected to open next year, giving guests a bird’s-eye view of the city’s beautiful surroundings.
But Moore’s interests extend far beyond his own business holdings. Extremely civic-minded, he was personally involved with Crandall Public Library’s expansion, and creation of Wood Theatre, which sparked considerable retail and restaurant investment downtown; and he’s a founding member and vice president of the Adirondack Civic Center Coalition, which has revitalized Cool Insuring Arena since taking over its management several years ago.
Its main tenant, the Adirondack Thunder hockey team, has already had seven sell-out crowds this year and is averaging well over 4,000 fans per game.
The 46-year-old arena has undergone a series of major improvements, most recently highlighted by the addition of six luxury suites and the renovation of Heritage Hall event space.
But there’s more work to be done.
“We would love to renovate the whole front entrance and have a separate entrance with an elevator down to Heritage Hall for weddings and other catered affairs, would create another revenue stream,” Moore said. “Plus, the cooling system downstairs that takes care of the ice is in terrible shape. We need to fix that.”
One of his biggest concerns is maintaining momentum that’s lead to the city’s growth and resurgence during the 21st century’s first 25 years.
In December, Moore purchased the two-acre former TD Bank building and property on Maple Street, adjacent to Queensbury Hotel, for $1.2 million.
“The main thing really was just to secure the property,” he said. “Maybe we’ll put suites and hotel rooms there as an extension of the hotel.”
The site is directly across from City Park where summer concerts and numerous other events are held throughout the year.
“This park is a beautiful place,” Moore said. “It’s got to be taken care of. We need to keep it clean, decent, respectful and maintained in a proper fashion.”