Vistas to circle 'green' hotel

River walk, marina, dock envisioned

By Craig Wolf
Poughkeepsie Journal

 

Kathy McLaughlin/Poughkeepsie Journal Kathy McLaughlin/Poughkeepsie Journal Kathy McLaughlin/Poughkeepsie Journal Kathy McLaughlin/Poughkeepsie Journal Kathy McLaughlin/Poughkeepsie Journal Kathy McLaughlin/Poughkeepsie Journal Kathy McLaughlin/Poughkeepsie Journal Kathy McLaughlin/Journal Scenic Hudson is remediating pollution at part of the Long Dock property in Beacon, as the earth pile shows. This is in preparation for finalizing a deal with a developer for a $30 million project centering around a hotel. The red barn will be preserved to house a community boat-building project.

BEACON -- Ned Foss wants to build a hotel like no other.

Other waterfront hotels exist, perhaps even a few on peninsulas like Beacon's Long Dock, but not many. There are a few that use ''green'' building methods, but not the full green assortment that Foss intends. There may be a few that permit some sliver of public access, but how many surrender the privacy of a piece of riverfront real estate to the public for strolling beside the water?

''We're going to have to rethink a lot of traditions,'' said Foss, interviewed last week by phone at his office in Delmar, near Albany. ''It really hasn't been done before.''

Foss plans to build a $30 million hotel, conference center and restaurant complex on part of a 23-acre site that did not exist as land before the 19th century. There was a dock, some filled land, and even a hotel. In time, entrepreneurs dumped more fill alongside the dock to create new land, a railroad spur and industry.

It's called Long Dock, a squarish peninsula with a panoramic view of the Hudson River that can be awesome and lonely, where the night lights of Newburgh paint streaks across still waters on a summer's night, or giant ice cakes snap and crack on a winter's day.

But with a railroad station behind it, Long Dock is just a two-minute walk away from civilization.

Group buys up land

It was this blend of nature at the front door and public access at the back door that led Scenic Hudson Inc. to this site.

A 10-year process began with the nonprofit group's involvement in a state search for land that might be made into parks. It continued with Scenic Hudson assembling about $3 million in land; the group bought a discontinued oil depot, a salt storage business and a metal salvage yard.

Foss and the Poughkeepsie-based Scenic Hudson are close to finishing a development agreement to undertake the project.

''We have a handshake, but we're working out all the details of the lease,'' Foss said. ''But it's complicated, something more than a real estate transaction.''

''I have to convince my investors that, you know, despite the fact that we're achieving a lot of public goals, it's still going to work as a development.''

The prime design rule is a doughnut with a hole. The development goes in the hole; the parkland surrounds it, stretching to the water.

Development can cover about nine acres; 14 will be parkland. The hotel will have about 90 rooms, with a possible second phase. About 170,000 square feet of space will be built, mostly two-story on stilts to create parking and protection against flooding.

''The unchangeable principle of development is that our hotel conference center will be at the interior; and if a person is walking around a shoreline, at no point will they feel, 'Oh, gee, I'm not supposed to walk there,' '' Foss said.

Foss faces major hurdles. The first is persuading investors to buy into a unique hotel concept with unusual conditions that hardly typify hotel development.

''Thirty percent of the cost is going to be unusual costs,'' Foss said. That includes elements like environmentally sound, but not necessarily cheap, building techniques, like solar power and geothermal heating-cooling systems. And, 80-foot deep pilings will be needed to reach solid ground.

Leasing deal to be arranged

Neither Foss' company, CGI & Partners, nor his investors, whom he declined to identify, will own the property. Rather, they will lease it at regular market rental rates, and will pay taxes on the developed portion.

''Scenic Hudson cannot subordinate their interest in the land... the way a private developer could,'' Foss said. ''Scenic Hudson cannot take that risk.''

His funders are an investment group in New York that has done several billion dollars in work the last few years, Foss said.

''They believe, as we do, there really is growing interest in this kind of enlightened development,'' he said.

Foss and Scenic Hudson are reaching out to find subsidy to cover about $8 million in costs the private market likely won't.

Ronald Coan, president of Dutchess County Economic Development Corp., said several programs are under review, including potential Industrial Development Agency financing, for part of the costs and the federal New Markets Tax Credit program.

''It is a very innovative, interesting project,'' Coan said. ''We will be whatever help we can in making it go forward. It will be a very notable development in the Beacon waterfront and in important element in the revitalization of the overall Beacon area.''

One feature Foss plans is a non-motorized marina, aimed at human-powered and wind-powered craft, in the mini-harbor at Long Dock's western end. A docking area for power boats is being contemplated on the north shore, as the plan would displace the Dutchess Boat Club from its leased space in the mini-harbor.

Sloop club seeks grant

An 1860s red barn near the mainland is to become home for community boating programs, including a boat-building project.

Offie Wortham, treasurer of the Beacon Sloop Club, an environmental and boating nonprofit group based nearby, said he's writing a grant proposal to assist this aspect.

''It's modeled after one down in New York City,'' Wortham said. ''It's to teach youth in the area how to build boats and get them involved in the river, and the whole environmental thing.''

Wortham said Scenic Hudson and Foss have impressive green-building plans.

''I think it's great,'' he said, ''especially the fact that the hotel is going to be powered by alternative energy. It's the first alternative large place like that in the country.''

Margery Groten, who works on Scenic Hudson's land preservation staff, said community input has been important in deciding how to proceed.

The key question: How it can be successful and still serve the local community? How it can be inviting and draw on the larger tourist industry?

What Scenic Hudson learned from those who offered views was that ''they were hoping it would be a balance, that it would not just be for outsiders.''

Foss figures that if all goes well, and the funding comes through as planned, the doors of his hotel should open sometime in 2005.

CHRONOLOGY
BEACON LONG DOCK

1991: A committee working with the state Department of Environmental Conservation identifies some priority sites for potential state acquisition. Among them is Long Dock in Beacon, a 26-acre area on the Beacon waterfront. A 400-unit housing development had been proposed.

March 1994: Developers propose a huge multi-use project including retail, museum, aquarium, housing and a marina.

December 1996: Scenic Hudson Inc. confirms interest in buying 21 acres on the Beacon waterfront ''to promote appropriate development and ensure access to the Hudson River.'' Pollution is discovered. The for-profit developers' interest has waned.

June 1997: Scenic begins holding community meetings to solicit input on development and preservation options. Scenic has hired Cavendish Partnership as consultant. Scenic now owns 19 acres.

March 1999: Dia Center for the Arts announces it will locate a modern art museum in the former Nabisco printing plant south of Scenic Hudson's Long Dock property. Also, Central Hudson Gas & Electric announces it will pay a pollution fine in the form of a $1 million trail from Long Dock past Dia to Dennings Point State Park.

June 2000: Scenic receives letters of interest from developer candidates.

February 2001: An additional 4 acres is bought from Beacon Salvage, completing land assembly process and bring total to about 23 acres.

October 2001: Scenic confirms Ned Foss, Albany-area developer, likely choice to do the project.

August 2002: Negotiations for final agreement in works; Foss solicits architectural firms' interest.

August 2002-Fall 2003: Design, planning, permitting and financing go forth.

Fall 2003: Construction to begin.

Early-mid 2005: Hotel facilities to open.