The proposed project is a massive, ultra-luxury resort and high-density “residences” on the former Blackhead Mountain Lodge property in Round Top, NY, a hamlet abutting Catskill State Park. It involves constructing at least 87 new buildings—including a 91,000-square-foot lodge and a wastewater treatment plant—and reengineering the mountainside, rerouting ponds and streams into a giant water basin. There will be 264 guest bedrooms—the former resort had only 22. In peak season, 700-800 people will be on site, including staff. (The population of Round Top is only 663 people.) At least 73.2 acres of land will be “physically disturbed” and more than 11 acres of forest will be cut down. The chairman of the Cairo Planning Board has informally shared with us that it will likely be operated as a Six Senses hotel and residencies, or similar ultra high-end brand. Think of it as an exclusive subdivision for the world’s wealthiest people. Guests will have everything they need on site—they won’t visit Main Street, Cairo. These developers promote their projects as sustainable and in touch with nature and the “local community.” But don’t be fooled: This plan will extract Round Top’s most precious resources—water, nature, views, ancient mountains, peace and quiet—for maximum profit, while leaving the people who actually live here worse off.
The location is the former site of Blackhead Mountain Lodge, which abuts Catskill State Park and residential properties in Round Top, NY. It is 102 acres of land on three parcels. Currently the land use is approximately 6% buildings and roads; the applicant proposes to triple that number and develop approximately 70% of the property in total.
This redevelopment proposal for the is almost entirely brand-new construction that will replace green space. These are some of the proposed structures and land-use changes:
- 87 new buildings that will be approximately 320,000 square feet in total
- 91,500-square-foot lodge that will be 40 feet tall. It will have a spa, dining for 300 people, hotel rooms, and a bar
- 264 guest bedrooms in total—a 25% increase from the original application which had 212 bedrooms
- 127 lodging “units” spread across about 90 individual structures that range in size from 1,200 to 4,200 square feet. These are not glamping tents—they will be luxury chalets. 43 of these units will be sold for separate, individual ownership to be held “in fee simple.” They will come with HOA fees and can be rented out; similar “branded residences” start at $2.7 million. According to a 2022 industry report, these “residential projects” are an increasingly popular investment strategy for high-end hotel developers. Think of it as a dense subdivision of investment properties that each cost thousands of dollars a night to rent!
- 200-300 full-time staff, depending on the season, with on-site staff housing
- 288 parking spots
- A helicopter pad for guest transportation (May 2024 UPDATE: The helipad has been removed because it is not allowed per Cairo zoning laws)
- 4 existing buildings (the former Blackhead Mountain Lodge and Maassmann’s Restaurant) will be converted into operations facilities, staff housing, and a staff cafeteria
- An on-site sewage treatment plant that will discharge into local streams, including the Shingle Kill, which feeds into the only source of drinking water for Cairo
- At least 11.5 acres of forest will be cut down. According to the NY Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), this “intensive tree clearing” involves “significant natural communities”
- Adding 3.1 acres of water storage by re-engineering existing ponds and streams into a giant detention basin. Such proposals to modify streams “are not likely to meet DEC permitting standards.” Further, the DEC states this action will involve “a significant amount of earth work, yet the applicant did not include a stormwater pollution prevention plan or details on where the spoil disposal locations will be located.”
- Tennis courts, walking trails, a “destination restaurant,” a “destination bar,” pools and other amenities (only the spa and one restaurant will be accessible to non-guests)
To get a sense of the enormous scale of the project, compare images of the existing land survey to the proposed site plan. Both of these images were submitted to the Cairo Planning Board on December 21, 2023. In total, 73.2 acres of land will be “physically disturbed.” Look closely to see how all of the existing ponds will be re-engineered into an expanded “water feature.”
Content and visuals in this section are sourced from the Save Round Top organization, and more information can be found at their web site https://www.saveroundtop.com/.