Planners see preliminary plans on new Boulevard hotel project

by Dan McClelland

The village and town planning board at its meeting late last month saw some preliminary plans for a new hotel proposed on the old Oval Wood Dish Corp. former warehouse site next to the town hall at 124 Demars Blvd. Proposed is a 90- to 100-bed branded hotel.

Appearing before the board that evening was Mike Dunyk of Washington Street Partners LLC of Syracuse. Mr. Dunyk is also one of the partners in Joe Gehm’s Syracuse-based Lahinch Group which is tackling the $30 million plus Oval Wood Dish apartment development on the other side of the town hall.

The young entrepreneur was hoarse that evening, jokingly blaming it on the games in March Madness the nights before.

Mr. Dunyk provided the board with the draft architectural sketch for discussion purposes only that night, that is shown above.

He also provided a project overview:

“The North Country Regional Economic Development Council has identified an accommodations development as a ‘priority project’ for Tupper Lake.

“The site consists of 18.8+/- acres. Within that acreage, is a 2.4+/- acre concrete foundation that remains from the former Oval Wood Dish factory’s warehouse that burned many decades ago. The proposed hotel can be developed on the existing foundation promoting sustainable development with little to no disruption of the surrounding land. Following principles of new urbanism and smart growth, the proposed hotel can be positioned with incredible visibility along NYS Route 3 with parking behind the building all of which will be located on the concrete pad site.

“There is currently no hotel with indoor corridors in this sub region of the Adirondacks, which is a limiting factor on the region’s ability to capitalize on the state’s ongoing investment in Tupper Lake’s DRI, The Wild Center, and the Adirondack Rail Trail. The hotel will increase the ability of the Wild Center to capitalize on tour bus travel and to hold conferences.

“The hotel will be connected to the Adirondack Rail/Trail and Adirondack Scenic Railway hub at the Junction train station by both Demars Boulevard and the community connector Crossroads of the Adirondacks Trail. The hotel will add value to the Adirondack Rail/Trail construction by ensuring a pleasant visitor accommodations experience necessary to convert recreational benefits of the rail/trail to economic benefits.”

The plan showed an entrance to the proposed hotel on the east side of the elevated parcel, which for years has been screened from public view by a fence that was donated to the community by the late Roger Sullivan, president of O.W.D. Inc.

A pool and hot tub that the new accommodations will offer are enclosed in the building itself, Mr. Dunyk said in answer to a question from Planning Board Member Andrew Chary.

He also asked about access wide enough for firefighting equipment to be staged on premises and off the state highway and the developer pointed to the space on site where they could easily set up in emergencies.

The hotel would be three stories high but lower in elevation than the Adirondack Park Agency’s 40 foot maximum elevation, according to the developer.

The facility’s mechanical equipment would be stationed on the roof of the hotel.

A dumpster enclosure would also sit in the back corner of the parcel.

Jan Yaworski, another member of the planning board, asked about the availability of landscaping and lighting plans and Mr. Dunyk said they haven’t been developed yet.

At her insistence, he also said any lighting would be dark sky compliant, in keeping with the community’s dark skies policy to accommodate the observatory.

“You are here tonight to give us your conceptual thoughts on your project?” Planning Board Chairman Shawn Stuart asked him, and he replied that was his intent for their initial meeting.

Mr. Stuart asked about the time frame for the development and Mr. Dunyk said construction would begin sometime after the closing on the site purchase.

Mr. Chary, looking at the preliminary architect’s sketch, wondered about the presence of trees between the new hotel and Demars Blvd. and Mr. Dunyk noted he wasn’t sure about that at this point in their planning.

Asked about the existing foundation of the old warehouse still in place, he said they plan to use some or all of it for the hotel’s foundation, if possible.

“So you are here tonight to share some of your thoughts with us and then you will return later with a more detailed plan?” the chairman asked the developer.

He said that was his purpose that evening.

“That’s great. I think it’s a great plan. At hotel on the Boulevard would be fantastic,” he told the developer.

“-And there’s a lot of space there to do it!” he added.

“Would your new hotel host a bar and restaurant?” he asked him. Mr. Dunyk said that would be up to the hotel chain that locates in their new building.

The plan is to draw a national brand hotel to their project, he told the planners.

The building, Mr. Dunyk said, would be 18,000 square feet in size, adding that multiple hotel chains desire structures of that size. “The brand, at this point, is still to be determined.”

It was noted the hot tub and pool will be enclosed in a solarium type wing of the hotel.

Mr. Stuart asked for comments from his board members and Andrew Chary said he understood the shape of the hotel planned was rectangular and “stiff,” making for a loss in aesthetics but which makes for maximum use and probably an important part of their mission to make the hotel sustainable 12 months of the year.

“I’m hoping some of the articulations you are planning on the building” will make it attractive and make up for its less than attractive overall shape, he told Mr. Dunyk. “-And give the building some texture!”

“-And I’m sure your parking plan will be appropriate for your building size,” he said adding: “Thank you for investing in Tupper Lake!”

Mr. Stuart wondered how the franchise process worked. “Do you find the brand to be there and does it create its own version of what will sit there?”

The developer said “there can be some latitude with the brand” and what it will accept for its new hotel. He said he and his partners want to keep the Adirondack theme prevalent in any final hotel product.

“You know you see those cookie-cutter Holiday Inn Expresses. We want it to look very Adirondack instead!”

Mr. Stuart asked him when he would return with final plans and Mr. Dunyk said shortly after the hotel brand is selected, “which we hope will be very soon!”

By their informal comments, the board members welcomed the project and said they looked forward to his next presentation to them.