Jared Kushner’s planned Albania resort stokes fear and hope in coastal town

Through binoculars, ornithologist Jon Vorpsi spies flamingos and pelicans that pause along their migration routes on a hook of protected land on Albania's southern coast.

Vorpsi fears the sight may soon end if Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner proceeds with plans to build a tourist resort in the area near the town of Vlora, loved by locals for its quiet pine forests, olive trees and walking trails, and where cows saunter along the deserted windswept beaches.

Kushner announced the plans last month, part of a wider investment by his Affinity Partners in the Balkans that includes another project on a nearby island in Albania and a third in a former army headquarters in Serbia's capital Belgrade.

Kushner, a former top aide to Trump when he was president, set up the investment firm after stepping down from the job in 2021.

The projects may boost local...