main street campus project an experien6al hospitality...
TRANSCRIPT
MainStreetCampusProject
AnExperien6alHospitalityTrainingCenter&Incubator
MARKProjectInc
Contact:PegEllsworth
AstheSouthernTierandtheCatskillscon4nuestogrowthetourismeconomy,high-
qualitycollege-levelhospitalityprogramswillbeessen4altomaintainingaskilled,innova4ve
workforce.Theidealhospitalityeduca4onmustincludesustained,comprehensive,structured,
andwell-supervisedinternshipandfellowshipopportuni4es.Findingandsupervisingsuch
placementsforstudentsisoBenchallenging.Inaddi4on,typicallodginganddiningfacili4es
understandablycannotplacethementoringofinternsatthecenteroftheirenterprise.Whatif
� of �1 6
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.
� of �2 6
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.
� of �3 6
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.
� of �4 6
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.
� of �5 6
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.
� of �6 6