Concord Resort Hotel
Encyclopedia
The Concord Resort Hotel was a world-famous destination for visitors to the so-called Borscht Belt
part of the Catskills, known for its large resort industry in the 1950s, '60s, and '70s. Located in Kiamesha Lake
, New York
, the Concord was the largest resort in the region until its closing in 1998. There were over 1,500 guest rooms and a dining room that sat 3,000; the resort encompassed some 2000 acres (8.1 km²).
According to the Concord Resort & Golf Club Website, the hotel is now
There are currently 42 guest rooms and the website indicates that more rooms will be built as well as amenities not related to the golf course (i.e. swimming pool, tennis courts, etc.) The "Monster Golf Academy" is under the direction of PGA
Professional Todd Barker. The former hotel portion, though, was completely demolished in 2008 and the site remains vacant.
The Concord was used several times a year by the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs for live fire training. Because of its size, relative isolation and heavy type 1 concrete
construction
, it was ideal for firefighter
training.
In 2010, financial disputes between the owners led to a legal settlement, splitting property between the parties. Entertainment Properties Trust REIT
won 1500 acres (6.1 km²) of the Concord site from developer Louis R. Cappelli
, who retained control of 116 acre (0.46943576 km²). Monticello Raceway
owner Empire Resorts
announced plans to explore development of a racino
-resort on the property in partnership with Entertainment Properties.
On May 5, 2011 the owners of the Mohegan Sun
casino in Uncasville, Connecticut announced a competing joint venture with Cappelli Enterprises Inc. to build a $600 million racino on the site of the former hotel. According to the statement, the new resort will include a 258-room hotel, 75000 square feet (6,967.7 m²) casino with 2,100 video lottery
terminals, five restaurants, a harness racing
facility and grandstand, and a simulcast facility for pari-mutuel wagering.
Borscht Belt
Borscht Belt, or Jewish Alps, is a colloquial term for the mostly defunct summer resorts of the Catskill Mountains in parts of Sullivan, Orange and Ulster counties in upstate New York that were a popular vacation spot for New York City Jews from the 1920s through the 1960s.-Name:The name comes from...
part of the Catskills, known for its large resort industry in the 1950s, '60s, and '70s. Located in Kiamesha Lake
Kiamesha Lake
Kiamesha Lake is a hamlet in the town of Thompson in east-central Sullivan County, New York, United States. The zip code for Kiamesha Lake is 12751....
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, the Concord was the largest resort in the region until its closing in 1998. There were over 1,500 guest rooms and a dining room that sat 3,000; the resort encompassed some 2000 acres (8.1 km²).
"...home of the World Famous "Monster" Golf Course rated by Golf DigestGolf DigestGolf Digest is a monthly golf magazine published by Condé Nast Publications in the United States. It is a generalist golf publication covering recreational golf and men's and women's competitive golf. Condé Nast Publications also publishes the more specialized , and Golf World Business. The...
as one of America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses" which "features full service pro shop, driving range, overnight accommodations, meeting rooms, restaurant and bar, large catering and banquet facilities, individual and corporate memberships, golf school, and a PGA professional staff for all golf instruction programs."
There are currently 42 guest rooms and the website indicates that more rooms will be built as well as amenities not related to the golf course (i.e. swimming pool, tennis courts, etc.) The "Monster Golf Academy" is under the direction of PGA
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
Professional Todd Barker. The former hotel portion, though, was completely demolished in 2008 and the site remains vacant.
The Concord was used several times a year by the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs for live fire training. Because of its size, relative isolation and heavy type 1 concrete
Portland cement
Portland cement is the most common type of cement in general use around the world because it is a basic ingredient of concrete, mortar, stucco and most non-specialty grout...
construction
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
, it was ideal for firefighter
Firefighter
Firefighters are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous fires that threaten civilian populations and property, to rescue people from car incidents, collapsed and burning buildings and other such situations...
training.
In 2010, financial disputes between the owners led to a legal settlement, splitting property between the parties. Entertainment Properties Trust REIT
Real estate investment trust
A real estate investment trust or REIT is a tax designation for a corporate entity investing in real estate. The purpose of this designation is to reduce or eliminate corporate tax. In return, REITs are required to distribute 90% of their taxable income into the hands of investors...
won 1500 acres (6.1 km²) of the Concord site from developer Louis R. Cappelli
Louis R. Cappelli
Louis R. Cappelli is a real estate developer most active in Westchester County, New York. Cappelli has constructed, designed and developed more than twenty million square feet of mixed use, retail, residential, office, medical and parking facilities throughout the northeast, with a portfolio value...
, who retained control of 116 acre (0.46943576 km²). Monticello Raceway
Monticello Raceway
Monticello Gaming and Raceway is a harness racing track, and home to a relatively new racino, in Monticello, Sullivan County, New York. It is off Exit 104 of Route 17 , on New York State Route 17B....
owner Empire Resorts
Empire Resorts
Empire Resorts is a company that owns the Monticello Raceway racino in the Catskill Mountains from New York City.Headquartered in Monticello, New York, Empire is 78.6% owned by Kien Huat Realty Sdn Bhd of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.-History:...
announced plans to explore development of a racino
Racino
A racino is a combined race track and casino. In some cases, the gambling is limited to slot machines, but many locations are beginning to include table games such as blackjack, poker, and roulette....
-resort on the property in partnership with Entertainment Properties.
On May 5, 2011 the owners of the Mohegan Sun
Mohegan Sun
Mohegan Sun, located in Uncasville, Connecticut, is the second largest casino in the United States with of gaming space. It is located on along the banks of the Thames River. It is at the heart of the scenic foothills of southeastern Connecticut, where 60 percent of the state's tourism is...
casino in Uncasville, Connecticut announced a competing joint venture with Cappelli Enterprises Inc. to build a $600 million racino on the site of the former hotel. According to the statement, the new resort will include a 258-room hotel, 75000 square feet (6,967.7 m²) casino with 2,100 video lottery
Lottery
A lottery is a form of gambling which involves the drawing of lots for a prize.Lottery is outlawed by some governments, while others endorse it to the extent of organizing a national or state lottery. It is common to find some degree of regulation of lottery by governments...
terminals, five restaurants, a harness racing
Harness racing
Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait . They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, although racing under saddle is also conducted in Europe.-Breeds:...
facility and grandstand, and a simulcast facility for pari-mutuel wagering.
Concord timeline
- 1935 – Russian immigrant Arthur Winarick took possession of The Ideal Plaza in Kiamesha Lake in settlement of a debt. This marks the beginning of what would become the Concord Resort Hotel.
- 1950s – With a reputation for sumptuous kosher dining and top entertainment, the hotel becomes one of the top vacation spots in the Northeast. Winarick's daughter, Clara, and her husband, Raymond Parker, take over the hotel operation. The hotel is passed on to Raymond's sons.
- 1960s – The decline of the Catskills resort industry takes hold, as city dwellers move out to air-conditioned homes in the suburbs, affordable air travel makes vacations to more exotic locations possible, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964Civil Rights Act of 1964The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a landmark piece of legislation in the United States that outlawed major forms of discrimination against African Americans and women, including racial segregation...
allows the Jewish clientele of the Catskills resorts to choose other, previously exclusive domestic resorts for their vacations. - 1985 – With mounting debt, Grossinger's is sold for $9 million. Attempts to reopen it fail. It is later sold again in foreclosureForeclosureForeclosure is the legal process by which a mortgage lender , or other lien holder, obtains a termination of a mortgage borrower 's equitable right of redemption, either by court order or by operation of law...
. - January 1997 – Albany lawmakers reject a casino referendum, which Concord owners were banking on heavily.
- February 1997 – Concord files for bankruptcy protection. Sullivan CountySullivan County, New YorkSullivan County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 77,547. The county seat is Monticello. The name is in honor of Major General John Sullivan, who was a hero in the American Revolutionary War...
, owed more than $8 million in taxes, is the resort's largest creditor. - January 1999 – The hotel sells at a bankruptcy foreclosure auction for $10.25 million, to a partnership led by Joseph Murphy with WestchesterWestchester County, New YorkWestchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
developer Louis R. CappelliLouis R. CappelliLouis R. Cappelli is a real estate developer most active in Westchester County, New York. Cappelli has constructed, designed and developed more than twenty million square feet of mixed use, retail, residential, office, medical and parking facilities throughout the northeast, with a portfolio value...
as a silent partner. Cappelli later buys out Murphy. - March 2000 – Cappelli and the publicly traded Reckson Strategic Venture Partners announce a plan to redevelop the Concord as a world-class resort.
- October 10, 2000 – Cappelli and his partners break ground and begin demolition.
- Reported by Concord Hotel: What It Looked Like Inside The Hotel in 2005: December 2004 – Concord sold by Reckson Strategic Venture Partners/Cappelli, which purchased it out of bankruptcy, to Empire Resorts. Empire owns MonticelloMonticello, New YorkMonticello is a village located in the Town of Thompson in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 6,512 at the 2000 census. It is the seat for the Town of Thompson and the county seat of Sullivan County...
Raceway as well as Mighty M Gaming, which operates the "racinoRacinoA racino is a combined race track and casino. In some cases, the gambling is limited to slot machines, but many locations are beginning to include table games such as blackjack, poker, and roulette....
" at the Monticello RacewayMonticello RacewayMonticello Gaming and Raceway is a harness racing track, and home to a relatively new racino, in Monticello, Sullivan County, New York. It is off Exit 104 of Route 17 , on New York State Route 17B....
. It's been reported that Empire hopes to locate a casino at the Concord. - January 2008 – Outside of the golf course, the resort remains an abandoned ruin.
- April 2008 – Demolition begins in the new Concord hotel / Racino. The $750 million project is expected to be completed in a time line of five years.
- May 2011 - Owner enters into a joint venture with Mohegan Sun casino to develop a new $600 million Concord resort.