The Long Dock Beacon Hotel and Executive Conference Center
Partnership and Development Team
It is worth noting that at the conclusion of an exhaustive search for a suitable developer Foss Group Beacon was selected by Scenic Hudson as the only development group with both strong enough environmental credentials, development experience, subsidized financing expertise and sophisticated knowledge of working with the nonprofit sector to undertake this landmark project.
Members of Foss Group Beacon have led, participated in or consulted on projects including: five major real estate conversion projects in Prague, Czech Republic; design, approvals and/or construction supervision of 8 projects; office, mixed-use, multi family projects; and numerous public private financings.
In the past three decades, Foss Group principals have served on the boards of directors of a dozen not-for-profit corporations in inner cities, in the arts, and in land conservancy, both in the United States and internationally. Currently, FGB member, Matthew Rudikoff, serves as Co-Chairman of the Dutchess County Hospitality Industry Council and as Board Member of Hudson Valley Fresh, the region’s leading Community Based Agriculture support nonprofit corporation.
The Scenic Hudson Land Trust, Inc.
The Scenic Hudson Land Trust (“SLHT”) is a New York State not-for-profit organization which works to protect and restore the Hudson River as an irreplaceable national treasure and a vital resource for residents and visitors. A crusader for the valley since 1963, Scenic Hudson is the largest environmental group focused on the Hudson River Valley.
Its experts combine land acquisition, support for agriculture, citizen-based advocacy and sophisticated planning to create environmentally healthy communities, champion smart economic growth, open riverfronts to the public and preserve the valley’s beauty and natural resources. Based in Poughkeepsie, 30 minutes north of Beacon, Scenic Hudson used its sophistication to acquire and secure development covenants for many thousands of acres north and south of the Long Dock site.
Doral Arrowwood Conference Center Associates
Doral Arrowwood (“DAW”) will be the hotel and conference center operator and the predevelopment technical services provider. In selecting DAW as the LDB operator, a determination was made that the executive conference center model was the ideal program for LDB because of its revenue generating capability suitable to LDB’s location and amenities. Since 1986 they have operated the 300,000 square foot Doral Arrowwood Conference Center in Rye, NY.
DAW has proven itself to be among the nation’s most innovative and successful executive conference center operators. Its expertise and existing business sales and operating systems will assure LDB's year-round and week-long success. A new destination hotel in a tertiary market such as Beacon will only prosper with the high Monday through Thursday occupancy that comes from conference business (Arrowwood's midweek occupancy is consistently over 90%). This high midweek occupancy, combined with regional weekend/resort/tourist demand on weekends, supplemented with regional traveler occupancy throughout the week will assure Beacon’s success.
