Cornell, Roosevelt Island Hotel Operator Trade Suits Over Lease

Cornell University is in the middle of two lawsuits over its decision to terminate a 65-year lease for property on Roosevelt Island that in 2021 became the site of the island’s first hotel, now known as the Graduate by Hilton.

The company that owns the property, Graduate Roosevelt Island Owner, filed a lawsuit Thursday alleging the university wrongly terminated the lease after Graduate halted hotel operations and missed a $52,000 utilities payment. Graduate says it has “acted in full compliance with Lease,” and it asks the court to declare the agreement is still in effect.

Cornell, however, says the company ...