Month: July 2023

Longfellows Resort To Be Transformed Into Much Larger ‘Brookmere’ Destination Spot

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This is a rendering of what the new Brookmere resort will look like.
SpringCity Development

By Paul Post

One of the area’s leading contractors is diversifying into the Spa City’s hospitality industry with the acquisition of the former Longfellows , which will be rebranded as the Brookmere hotel, spa and restaurant.

 SpringCity Development, a subsidiary of Saratoga Springs-based Bonacio Construction, plans a $30 million overhaul of the property, which includes its $4.9 million purchase from business partners Steve Sullivan and David Powers. That occurred in January.

 Located at 500 Union Ave., near Saratoga Lake, Longfellows  had been a destination for dining, special events and large-group gatherings for many years.

 “It’s been a wonderful business for its entire history,” Bonacio spokesman Larry Novick said. “We’re looking to continue working with what draws people to the Saratoga region and the wonderful location the current property holds. A portion of the existing building will be demolished and replaced in order to accommodate a larger room count (from 50 to 88 hotel rooms). We’ll also be reconfiguring the restaurant and ballroom components.”

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Construction Of ‘White Pines’ Business Park In Stillwater Is Under Way In Luther Forest

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This is a rendering of White Pines Business Suites being constructed in the 62-acre Luther Forest Business Park in Stillwater. The site will feature 30 boutique suites. Courtesy Forest Ridge Development LLC

By Christine Graf

Construction is underway on the White Pines Business Suites in the Luther Forest Business Park in Stillwater. 

The suites are located in a 62-acre business park located on Shenandoah Drive, less than one mile from Global Foundries. The park is owned by Forest Ridge Development LLC.

White Pines Business Suites is the first of the seven proposed buildings at the business park where developers have received approval to build 750,000 square feet of customizable co-warehousing, distribution, manufacturing, and office space for small and medium-sized businesses.

The facility will feature 30 boutique suites, each measuring 30×50 feet. Each suite will also have a 14×14 foot overhead door. Franco Construction of Ballston Spa is the contractor for the project. 

“The units are 1,500 square feet, but we do have the flexibility that if someone needed 3,000 square feet, we could make that accommodation for them. So, we are flexible in terms of their size,” said Jeffrey Chouinard, principal at Forest Ridge Development.

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Group Is Building A Facility For Pickleball Courts That Will Have Lessons, Leagues

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This is the logo for the Legacy Pickleball Club, which is building courts in Ballston Spa.
Courtesy Legacy Sports Holdings

By Christine Graf

New York-based Legacy Sports Holdings has announced plans to open an indoor and outdoor pickleball facility in Ballston Spa. 

Located at 4 McCrea Hill Road, Legacy Pickleball Club will be situated on four acres of property that the company purchased for $2.7 million. The site includes a 20,000-square-foot warehouse, one previously occupied by Mullin Moving and Storage. 

The warehouse will house eight  indoor pickleball courts, a locker room, a lounge area with a bar that serves beer and wine, and a pro shop. Legacy Pickleball Club will have both indoor and outdoor courts.

The location was chosen after plans to construct Legacy Pickleball Club on Route 9, across from the Malta Drive-In, were abandoned. The facility would have been located adjacent to  townhouses that are being built by builder Anthony Caruso. 

Michael Xirinachs, Legacy Pickleball Club general manager, said there was also some concern about being located so close to a residential neighborhood.  In some parts of the country, homeowners are lodging complaints about noise generated by early-morning pickleball players. 

“The group didn’t want to spend $4 million, build it, and end up in litigation with the duplex owners. So, we made the executive decision to forgo that piece of land and look for another location,”he said.

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Saratoga Showcase Of Homes Tour Scheduled For Two Weekends In October

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The 2023 Saratoga Showcase of Homes tour is planned for two weekends this fall.

Celebrating 27 years, the 2023 Saratoga Showcase of Homes Committee announced the event  will be presented Oct. 7-8 and Oct. 14-15.

The tour of new homes will feature a lineup of homes from some of the top builders in the region.

Sponsors and award-winning builders committed to this year’s event include Belmonte Builders, Degraff Bloom Custom Builders, Kodiak Construction, R & M Homes, the BDC Group, Whitbeck Construction and Witt Construction. 

There are seven builders and nine  locations. New to the tour this year will be two homes in Lake George.

In addition, the group’s commitment to workforce development will continue with a student  exhibition and a BOCES tiny house on display at the Degraff-Bloom showcase home.

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Meet The Chef: Rafferty Handles All Duties At Inn At Saratoga

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Mike Rafferty is the executive chef at the Inn at Saratoga in Saratoga Springcs.
©2023 Saratoga Photographer.com

By Paul Post

 Mike Rafferty’s culinary heroes include the likes of Julia Childs, Gordon Ramsay and Wolfgang Puck.

 These are some of the celebrity chefs who inspired his career as a young kid, growing up in the Saratoga Springs restaurant scene. But a legendary BOCES culinary instructor who trained countless local students, stands out above all others.

 “My favorite was Chef George Hoffis,” Rafferty said. “He was a great guy. He taught me everything. I started working when I was 14 so by the time he got hold of me I knew a little something. He knew I was interested so he took me under his wing and guided me through this crazy business.”

 The lessons Rafferty, now 55, learned as a Saratoga Spring High School student are still paying dividends in his current position as head chef at the Inn at Saratoga, the Spa City’s oldest continuously operating lodging house, built in 1843, which takes guests back to a charming bygone era.

 “I’m hands-on,” he said. “I’m working the line on a constant basis, plus doing all the administering, managing staff, creating menus, ordering, inventory and I do all the banquets. I’m not a paper chef as they like to say.”

 The key to running a successful kitchen is simple: “Getting everything organized and having a very clean work environment,” Rafferty said.

 He stays up with the latest trends by watching cooking shows on television and poring through magazines such as Bon Appetit. 

“And I’ve been doing this so long that sometimes I bring back recipes from 20 years ago,” Rafferty said. “I am totally 100 percent responsible for the menu. We change it three times per year—fall and winter, spring and summer and a special one for track season, the busiest time of year. Our beef brisket is very popular. The recipe is from the owner’s (Robert Israel) great-grandmother. We cook it Jewish style. That’s very popular. Our lamb dish is taking off now, too. It’s served with roasted sun-dried tomatoes, spinach and Kalamata olives. And our stuffed sole, stuffed with crab meat served over risotto is also a top seller.”

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