main street campus project an experien6al hospitality...

MainStreetCampusProject

AnExperien6alHospitalityTrainingCenter&Incubator

MARKProjectInc

Contact:PegEllsworth

peg@markproject.org

AstheSouthernTierandtheCatskillscon4nuestogrowthetourismeconomy,high-

qualitycollege-levelhospitalityprogramswillbeessen4altomaintainingaskilled,innova4ve

workforce.Theidealhospitalityeduca4onmustincludesustained,comprehensive,structured,

andwell-supervisedinternshipandfellowshipopportuni4es.Findingandsupervisingsuch

placementsforstudentsisoBenchallenging.Inaddi4on,typicallodginganddiningfacili4es

understandablycannotplacethementoringofinternsatthecenteroftheirenterprise.Whatif

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TheKirksideMansion,MainStreet,Roxbury

afacilitycouldbedesignedwiththeexpressgoalofintegra4nglearninganddoing?The

programdescribedhereoffersSUNYandRegionalTradeSchoolfaculty,administrators,and

studentstheopportunitytobeonthegroundfloorofcrea4ngacurriculumandafacilitythat

willprovideinternshipandfellowshipopportuni4esinahotel/restaurantpurpose-builtfor

effec4veintegra4onofexperien4allearningateverylevelofopera4on.

ThePresentProposal:TosecurefundingforthePlanningPhaseoftheprojectdescribedbelow,

specificallytoassembleaworkingcommiQeeofSUNYandTradeSchooleducatorsandstudents,

alongwithexpertsfromthehospitalityindustry,andeconomicdevelopmentagencies,whowill

developacurriculumandliaisewithconsultantstoconductafeasibilitystudy,developan

architecturalandengineeringplan,createabusinessplanandbudget,anddesigncampaignsfor

marke4ng,publicrela4ons,andfundraising.

TheVision:Toprovideaqualityexperien4allearningprogramforSUNYandotherSouthern

Tierhospitalitystudents,designedtoproducesuccessful,innova4veentrepreneursfully

equippedtostartlocalbusinessesinSouthernTiercommuni4es.Italsoaimstoproduceapool

ofqualifiedandexperiencedentrepreneurialprofessionalstosupporttheexis4ngandgrowing

HospitalityindustryintheCatskills,HudsonValleyandSoutherTier.Thiswillfosterlongterm

sustainableeconomicdevelopmentthroughouttheen4reregion.

TheProjectandProgram:TransformthehistoricKirksideMansionintoaworkinghotel/

restaurantdrivenandoperatedbyFellowswithafullyintegratededuca4onalcomponent,

includingpurpose-builtfacili4esthatpromoteongoingeduca4on,collabora4on,innova4onand

mostimportantly,reallifeopera4onalexperience.

Selectstudentswillbeaffordedon-siteaccommoda4onswhiletheycompletearigorous,

immersive,paidFellowshipthatprovidesreal-worldexperienceinallphasesofthehospitality

industry;intheculmina4ngcomponent,Fellowswillbeassistedindevelopingspecificplansand

findingtheresourcesforlaunchingtheirownlocalenterprisesorplacementasanexperienced

professionalinthegrowingnumberofhospitalityenterprisesintheCatskills,HudsonValleyand

SouthernTier.

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Atthecenteroftheeduca4onalexperiencewillbetheacquisi4onoftheknowledge,skills,and

disposi4onsnecessarytobecomeleadersinthefieldofhospitalitywhoarecommiQedto:

1.Preservingtradi4onwhilepromo4nginnova4oninlocalagriculture,history,andculture

2.Becomingtheexpertsintheirfieldswhowillmentornextgenera4ons

3.Advancingthelocalandregionalcommunity’seconomicandsocialdevelopment

4.U4lizingandpromo4ngGreenTechnologiesinallaspectsofconstruc4onandopera4on.

TheProperty:TheKirksideEstateisonRoxbury’shistoricMainStreetandislistedonStateand

Na4onalRegistersofHistoricPlaces.ThesiteisuniquelysituatedadjacenttoKirksideParkon

theEastBranchoftheDelawareRivermakingthisidealfortourism.Itisinwalkingdistanceto

downtownbusinessesandtheRoxburyArtsCenter,aswellastotheeasternsta4onofthe

DelawareandUlsterScenicRailLineandtheworld-renownedRoxburyMotel.Thepropertyis

alsolessthanamilefromtheCatskillScenicTrailandShepardHillsGolfCourseandsevenmiles

fromPlaQekillSkiCenter,andashortdrivebringsvisitorstovariousotheroutdoorrecrea4on

andhistoricalaQrac4ons.

Overthepastdecade,Roxburyhasbecomeapopulardes4na4onforweddings,witheightlocal

venuesthatbringthousandsofgueststotheareaeachyear.Thesuccessandworldrenownof

theuniqueRoxburyMotelandthesoon-to-openRoxburyatStraQonFallshavealsocontributed

topudngRoxburyandtheCatskillsonthemapasatourismdes4na4on.Roxburyisalso

geographicallylocatedinanareaoftheCatskillsthatissteepedin150yearsoftheeconomy

beingdrivenbytourism.ThreehoursfromNewYorkCity,Roxbury,withKirksideasits

centerpiece,becomesthejewelofanevergrowinghospitalityindustry.

TheKirksideEstatecomprisestwohouses,tobeownedbytheMARKProject,a501(c)3

communitydevelopmentorganiza4on.Thehousescanberenovatedtobringthemtocurrent

LEEDcer4fiedhospitalitystandards,aswellastointegratetheeduca4onprogramandto

becomeanexemplarofGreenTechnology,includingeco-friendlyhea4ng,energy-efficient

technologies,solar,andbestprac4cesinwastereduc4on.

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TheKirksideMansion:In1896,HelenGouldShepard,daughterofrailroadmagnateand

Roxburyna4vesonJayGould,transformedamodestfarmhouseintoamagnificentGeorgian

stylemansion,adjacenttothehistoricandhandsomeJayGouldMemorialChurch,alsoknown

asthe“StoneChurch.”TheMansionasitstandstodayhastwenty-onebedroomsand

seventeenfullbathroomsonthesecondandthirdfloors;onthegroundflooraretwo

bathrooms,anelevator,alivingroom,twodiningrooms,alargesunlitlibrary,andafull

commercialkitchen.Alloriginalmoldingsandarchitecturaldetailsremainintact.

TheMansionwillberenovatedinto“TheInnatKirkside,”withupdatedsecond-and

third-floorguestroomsandsuites.Thegroundfloorwillberedecoratedandthecommercial

kitchenwillbefiQedwithstate-of-theartequipmentandademonstra4onkitchen,whereguest

chefscanteachculinaryFellowsandbothcansharetheirexper4sewithgueststocapitalizeon

therisingtrendfor“culinary-vaca4ons.”

TheGuestCoQage:MissGouldalso

relocatedanotherprominentRoxbury

buildingtothegroundstoserveasher

summerGuestCoQage.Thisspaciousand

lovelybuilding,nestledinthepinesatthe

edgeofKirksidePark,isstructurallysound,

butinneedofrestora4onwhich,willprovide

lodgingforFellows.

TheGuestCoQagewillalsohouseafully-equippedsmartclassroom,allowingforteam

mee4ngsandformalinstruc4on,andalsoprovidingdistancelearning/mentoring,presenta4ons

byexpertsaroundtheregionandtheworld,andcollabora4veproblem-solvingwithfacultyin

thehomeins4tu4ons.TheMansionandGuestHousearealsoadjacenttotwosignificantpublic

proper4es,municipallyownedandoperated,thatenhancethehouses’loca4onimmensely.

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TheGuestCo9age

KirksidePark:LocatedontheEastBranch

oftheDelawareRiver,MissGouldhired

renownedlandscapearchitectFerdinand

Mangoldtodevelopthegroundsnowknownas

KirksidePark,whichwasdeededtotheTownof

Roxburywiththes4pula4onthatitremaina

publicparkinperpetuity.Theparkhasbeen

completelyrestoredtoitsturnofthecentury

splendor.Itislinedwithwindingpaths,beau4ful

gardensandrus4cAdirondackbridges,aswellashand-laidstonestreambankwallsontheeast

branchoftheDelaware.

TheKirksideParkBarns:Thetwolargebarns

thatwerepartoftheoriginalEstateandnow

partofthemunicipallyownedKIrksidePark,

haveundergonesubstan4alrestora4on.

Onepor4onoftheSouthBarnhasbeen

convertedintoabeau4fulpavilionstyle

gatheringspacewithpublicrestrooms,and

availablebyreserva4onforcommunityand

privateevents.

TheNorthBarnhasabrand-newfullyopera4onalandhealth-cer4fiedcommunity

kitchentoallowlocalgrowersandar4sanbakerstocreatevalue-addedproductsforresale.

Fellowswillthushaveaccesstotheseproductsandwillinteractonaregularbasiswiththe

agriculturalcommunity.

Ul4mately,KirksideParkiscompletelyintertwinedwiththeKirksideMansionandGuest

Housepropertymakingtheinseparableconnec4onbetweenlocalculture,produc4onculture,

andconsump4oncultureandfullyintegratedintoanexperien4aleduca4onalfacility.

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ThePavilionintheSouthBarn

KirksidePark,EastBranchoftheDelaware

ProjectOutcomesThisMainStreetCampusProject,whencompleted,willserveasamodelfor

interweavingexperien4aleduca4onwithlongtermsustainableeconomicdevelopment.

Placemaking,workforcedevelopment,entrepreneurialtrainingandsupport,andinnova4onall

playacri4calroleinbothopportuni4esandposi4veoutcomesforFellows.

ThegrandnessoftheKirksidemansion,coupledwithitsexquisiteandthoughpullydeveloped

surroundingproper4esmakethisMainStreetCampusades4na4onnotonlyforthoseseeking

culinarytourismbasedvaca4ons,butforworldrenownchefswhoareabandoninglargerci4es

foracloserconnec4ontotheirfoodsourceandabeQerwork-lifeexperience.

Properplanningforaprojectofthismagnitudeisamust.Theplan,whencompleted,willserve

asaroadmaptoasuccessfulandsustainableprojectthatwilltransformtheregionthrough

crea4veandinnova4veopportuni4esforeconomicgrowthandcapitalizeonthehistory,

culture,andagricultureoftheregion.

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