HOTEL PLANS ARE FIRMED UP,
PRESENTED TO VILLAGE BOARD
Evening’s Presentation Includes Parking Plan
COOPERSTOWN – BTP Cooperstown LLC this evening is submitting a formal application to the Village Board to replace the one-story former TJ’s Restaurant at 124 Main St. with a high-end hotel and restaurant serving tourists and long-term guests.
At this hour, Altonview Architects of Cooperstown is presenting the village trustees with architectural drawings and models; perspective renderings; a photomontage depicting both sides of Main Street; a traffic and parking impact study; and historical and architectural precedents.
The hotel will consist of 22 units with a total of 31 sleeping rooms. The first-floor restaurant will seat approximately 120 patrons and there will be a rooftop bar and restaurant.
Thomas Lagan, representing himself and his partners, Perry Ferrara and Bob Hurley, advised the board all three principals have numerous business and personal ties to the community. He indicated they intend to employ local residents in building and operating the hotel and will purchase materials and services locally, to the extent possible.
The owners wish to create an upscale building that clearly reflects the look and feel of America’s most perfect village. The rooms will be marketed to both short-term visitors and extended stay guests such as medical and graduate school students, business and professional people, and new residents transitioning into the community.
Here are project highlights:
• 124 Main Street will become a 22-unit, 4-story plus rooftop terrace, high-end residential hotel and restaurant.
• The first floor will feature a hotel lobby, an open terrace facing the rear of the lot, and a restaurant with 120-person dining capacity. The existing first floor front setback of six feet will be retained, providing a small area for several outdoor tables in the summer.
• The second and third floors will each contain eight units (three 2-bedroom and five 1-bedroom) and the fourth floor will contain six units (three 2-bedroom & three 1-bedroom), for a total of 22 units and 31 sleeping rooms. These three floors will extend to the property line on the south and will overhang the first floor by 30 feet to the north.
• The seasonal-use rooftop terrace will house a 16’ x 24’ swimming pool, a bar / dining area, restrooms, and a small fire pit. The parapet is set back to minimize visibility from Main Street.
• As a residential hotel featuring apartment-style units with full kitchens, living rooms, and separate bedrooms, in addition to the on-site hotel amenities, the facility will offer visitors a unique option in the heart of Cooperstown, enhancing the Village’s reputation as a tourist destination.
• The hotel units will be marketed to both short-term, primarily weekly, guests during the summer season, as well as to extended stay residents such as medical and graduate school students during the rest of the year.
• The property to the west, 134 Main St., has been purchased by the applicants, to enable full use of the existing shared driveway. The existing cellar access stairway at the southeast corner of 134 Main will be covered with a removable grating to allow vehicles unobstructed use of the full driveway width.
The owners hope to start construction in September 2015, with a projected completion date of early June 2016.