Catskill, NY – The Greene IDA began work on a 60-acre business park on Route 23B in 2017, acquiring eight parcels, completing an environmental impact statement, and mitigated sensitive archaeological areas in order to attract new businesses. The IDA is pleased to announce the first tenant, Bell Jar Holdings Co. in the Exit 21 West business park.
Bell Jar Holdings acquired a 1.7 acre parcel with plans to rehabilitate the existing garage on the site and add a 1950’s diner as a second building. The new owners plan to convert the garage into a gourmet food market and will feature the best locally made foods and home goods the region has to offer. Next to the food market they will place the 1950’s diner opening as a bar serving local beers and cocktails. The new owners, Dennis Kanuk and Rhianon Jones expressed, “We look forward to creating a welcoming space for locals and visitors alike to get a taste of the best the Catskills and the Hudson Valley have to offer.” Additional land is available in the park and is being prepared for future development.
The IDA’s vision for development extends to its Exit 21 East site, as well. Demolition of a former hotel was completed in 2019 preparing the site for redevelopment. The IDA is constructing a new access road, will extend water and sewer lines, and is getting the site ready for three pads. One of the pads is dedicated to a new 80-room upper midscale hotel. The IDA recently signed a term sheet with Windsor Hospitality Management and Southern Realty & Development to construct and operate a Hampton Inn by Hilton, which is to include a fitness center, saltwater pool, business center, and conference room.
Jayesh Modhwadiya, Principal of Windsor Hospitality emphasized, “We are thrilled about working with the Greene County IDA to bring a high quality, professionally managed hotel to this outstanding location. We look forward to hosting visitors of all kinds and to serving as an amenity for the wide range of guests who enjoy Catskill and its surrounding events and attractions.”
John Joseph, Principal with Southern Realty & Development added, “This project is an important step in Windsor-Southern’s growing hotel investment and development platform. We are extremely bullish on this location in Catskill and believe wholeheartedly in the long term growth of the Hudson Valley lodging market.”
“We are quite pleased with the hotel agreement,” notes Patrick S. Linger – Chairman of the Greene County Legislature. “We had a goal for this property and the overall design of the business park, so we strategically positioned it for a mid upscale hotel to be developed. In the interest of our local economy, we wanted a hotel on that property that will pay dividends for years to come. An upscale hotel will attract more development to these parcels. Great work was done by all in partnership to make this happen. Patience, and investing in our future continues to serve us well.”
Stewart’s Shops also signed a contract to purchase land in the Exit 21 East business park to relocate and build a new retail store. Stewart’s new store will be located at the current location of the Greene County Tourism Center. The Tourism Center will be demolished to allow Stewart’s to build at that location and the current Stewart’s will be renovated to accommodate the new Tourism Visitor Center, essentially swapping spots. The IDA has set aside funds to assist in the construction of the new tourism center and Stewart’s will be donating the existing building.
“We’ve been working in partnership with the Greene IDA on this project over several years,” said County Administrator Shaun S. Groden. “It’s great to see the hard work paying off. “We are especially grateful for the generosity of the Stewart’s organization, and their support in relocating our Tourism Center.”
Deputy County Administrator of Economic Development, Tourism & Planning Warren Hart said, “Locating the new Greene County Tourism Center on the current Stewart’s property enables us to grow, allowing us a much larger more professionally designed space that will provide better access and parking for visitors. The tourism visitor center is a heavily used building and the rework of the traffic pattern on both sides of Rt. 23B will make going to and from all of these locations safer and easier.”
Real Estate Representative for Stewart’s Shops, Chuck Marshall added, “Partnering with the Greene County IDA on the relocation of a legacy store is a glaring example of creating a winning situation for Stewart’s, the residents of Greene County, and our customers. Stewart’s wins by being able to expand its footprint to meet the growing needs of the Catskill community with food to go, gasoline service, and the addition of electric vehicle charging. The residents and businesses of Greene County win by relocating the tourism center and ensuring that the information vital to the tourist industry remains available to visitors. Finally, the Stewart’s customer benefits from having those expanded offerings conveniently accessible to them. Stewart’s is excited about the opportunity and looks forward to working with the stakeholders on making this a reality.”
Eric Hoglund, Chairman of the Board of the Greene IDA reinforced everything with, “We should see shovels in the ground early spring 2023 and lots of construction activity at both sites. We are also actively looking for a restaurant for the Exit 21 East site to complete that park. Both of these parks are meeting our goals of attracting a diverse mix of business types and employment opportunities for local residents as well as needed new local property tax revenue.”
More information can be found about the Greene IDA, its projects, and sites at www.GreeneIDA.com.
