The Inn on Schroon Lake is one step closer to becoming a reality for owner Julia Pitkin Shantz after it received priority project  status from the NCREDC.

And the Seagle Music Colony, which also applied for funding for its Centennial Celebration in 2015 and campus improvement, also received priority status. You can read the press release here.

“I am thoroughly delighted, over the moon, that we received priority status,” Julia Pitkin Shantz told Schroon Laker today.

“This puts us closer to being able to break ground on the project in 2014.

The Inn on Schroon Lake will feature 30 hotel rooms, an in and outdoor restaurant, 5 luxury suites, a swimming pool and a boat dock. It will be built on the large, expansive waterfront of the old Woods property.

The council estimates 23 full time jobs will be created as a result of the project.

“Last year we applied forpriority project status and received no recommendation. We had no idea if we would succeed this year. There were a lot of really good projects. You never know.”

Julia says what may have appealed to the NCREDC in granting priority status is that her proposal targets one area the North Country  -- and Governor Cuomo -- has made a priority: new tourism infrastructures.

“New York State is looking for more ways to make the North Country a tourism  destination.

“While Schroon has some wonderful B&Bs there is no huge supply of hotel rooms for people to stay.”

Julia will have to wait until December to learn if and when the funding is approved.

The Inn on Schroon Lake is a $4.019 million dollar project, which will be funded by $3.2 million in private funds and $819,000 in public funds.

The grant application was for 20 per cent of construction costs for the first year. (Construction on the project will take two years – allowing for Julia to apply for another round of funding).

Ideally, if everything goes to plan, Julia hopes to break ground after Labor Day of 2014.

The Regional Economic Development Council initiative is a key component of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s transformative approach to State investment and economic development.

The Councils are public-private partnerships composed of local experts and stakeholders from business, academia, local government, and non-governmental organizations

From the report:

Description

The project will restore an 1883 lodge into five  luxury suites, and build a new 30 room inn  and restaurant on Schroon Lake’s waterfront.

Regional Benefit

The project will create a tourist destination  facility in an eastern Adirondack community  that depends on tourist traffic for its economic  well-being, but has no quality hotel rooms  to retain travelers in the community. The  project will create significant direct jobs during  construction and upon completion, and will  indirectly support the existing and new jobs in  the independent shops, restaurants and service  establishments in the community.

Vision Addressed

Activate tourism as a driver to diversify our economies.

Strategy Addressed

Put in place tools to attract private investment which will drive demand to revitalize and diversify communities and create  a climate that will allow entrepreneurs to  flourish.