Concord Resort Hotel

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The Concord Resort Hotel was a world-famous destination for visitors to the so-called Borscht Belt part of the Catskills, known for its large resort industry in the 1950s, '60s, and '70s. Located in Kiamesha Lake, New York, the Concord was the largest resort in the region until its closing in 1998. There were over 1,500 guest rooms and a dining room that sat 3,000; the resort encompassed some 2,000 acres.

According to http://www.concordresort.com/, the hotel is now "home of the World Famous "Monster" Golf Course rated by Golf Digest as one of America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses" which "features full service pro shop, driving range, overnight accommodations, meeting rooms, restaurant and bar, large catering and banquet facilities, individual and corporate memberships, golf school, and a PGA professional staff for all golf instruction programs." There are currently 42 guest rooms and the website indicates that more rooms will be built as well as amenities not related to the golf course (i.e. swimming pool, tennis courts, etc.) The "Monster Golf Academy" under the direction of PGA Professional Todd Barker.

The Concord is now used several times a year by the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs for live fire training. Because of its size, relative isolation and heavy type 1 concrete construction it is ideal for firefighter training.

[edit] Concord timeline

(excerpted from CONCORD TEARS DOWN TO BUILD UP):

1935 --Russian immigrant Arthur Winarick took possession of The Ideal Plaza in Kiamesha Lake in settlement of a debt. This marks the beginning of what would become the Concord Resort Hotel.
1950s -- With a reputation for sumptuous kosher dining and top entertainment, the hotel becomes one of the top vacation spots in the Northeast. Winarick's daughter, Clara, and her husband, Raymond Parker, take over the hotel operation. The hotel is passed on to Raymond's sons.
1960s -- The decline of the Catskills resort industry takes hold, as city dwellers move out to air-conditioned homes in the suburbs and affordable air travel makes vacations to more exotic locations possible.
1985 -- With mounting debt, Grossinger's is sold for $9 million. Attempts to reopen it fail. It's later sold again in foreclosure.
January 1997 -- Albany lawmakers reject a casino referendum, which Concord owners were banking on heavily.
February 1997 -- Concord files for bankruptcy protection. Sullivan County, owed more than $8 million in taxes, is the resort's largest creditor.
January 1999 -- The hotel sells at a bankruptcy foreclosure auction for $10.25 million, to a prtnership led by Joseph Murphy with Westchester developer Louis R. Cappelli as a silent partner. Cappelli later buys out Murphy.
March 2000 -- Cappelli and the publicly traded Reckson Strategic Venture Partners announce a plan to redevelop the Concord as a world-class resort.
October 10, 2000 -- Cappelli and his partners break ground and begin demolition.
Reported by Concord Hotel: What It Looked Like Inside The Hotel in 2005: December 2004 Concord sold by RSVP Reckson Strategic Venture Partners/Cappelli, which purchased it out of bankruptcy, to Empire Resorts. Empire owns Monticello Raceway as well as Mighty M Gaming, which operates the "racino" at the Monticello Raceway. It's been reported that Empire hopes to locate a casino at the Concord.