New York State Pavilion
Location: New York
Year: 1962
Cost: $14 million*
An oddly-shaped shell of a building in Queens defies modernity. The $14 million structure was created by Philip Johnson and Richard Foster for the 1964 New York World’s Fair. The concrete and steel New York State Pavilion was to be reused. Instead, Men in Black and Iron Man 2 used it as a backdrop. It slipped into worse ruin until the NYC government agreed to rehabilitate it for $14 million. It should finish in 2021. The Pavilion will likely become a refreshed event place the town can be proud of after repair. After spending so much on its renovation, let’s hope it’s taken care of.
New York State Pavilion
Penn Hills Resort
Location: Pennsylvania
Year: 1944
Cost: Unknown
Creating the flourishing, upscale Penn Hills Resort in the Pocono Mountains from a modest bar must have cost France Paolillo a lot. It became a 100-room hotel in the 1960s after opening in 1944. It had a ski resort and a large, well-kept golf course. It was luxurious and ideal for young couples on vacation. Unfortunately, Paolillo died at 102 in 2009, taking the resort with him. Penn Hills shuttered weeks later as it became evident the resort was bankrupt. Fire destroyed most of the once-glorious edifice in 2017, leaving only a wedding bell-shaped pool and overgrown foliage. Although most of the resort remains an eyesore, certain areas have been removed for more urgent purposes. Golf club house demolished in 2017 for ForEvergreen Nature Preserve.
Penn Hills Resort
