Site plan
NEW PALTZ – The Turk Hospitality Group unveiled plans to expand their brand in the Hudson Valley by adding Wildberry Lodge, a large complex featuring a full-service spa and a studio for yoga and meditation.
Steve Turk, co-owner and operator of the Turk Hospitality Group, has
high hopes for this new endeavor and what it could do for New Paltz.
“I think it will be an asset for the area’s economy, bringing at least 130 to 140 jobs,” Turk said. “It will send tourists coming in to the village, business district, restaurants, orchards, and galleries.”
The lodge will also potentially create 145 full-time jobs when it is expected to open two-and-a-half years from now.
In addition to the spa and studio, the Wildberry Lodge will come with a fitness center, two large event facilities, an on-site restaurant and a butterfly conservatory.
The idea for the lodge came up after meeting with New Paltz residents and municipal leadership to figure out their desires for a future resort. A design firm from Seattle, Washington then flew in to meet with the Turk family to come up with a plan using ideas posed from the meetings.
Turk: “… an asset for the area’s economy”
“A Napa-style destination meets New Paltz in the greater Hudson region,” described Turk. “The Wildberry Lodge project will not only enhance tourism, but it will also serve as an artistic, educational and environmental landmark.”
One attendee was skeptical, however. Michael O’Donnell, president of the New Paltz Board of Education, wanted to see how the project would affect the district budget.
“I’m here mainly to see the numbers for the PILOT to see how it will affect the school budget and voting,” O’Donnell said. “I want to see whether or not this will be beneficial or detrimental to taxpayers.”
As SUNY New Paltz alumni and natives of New Paltz, Turk and his wife and co-owner Shelley, maintain a strong sense of enthusiasm for the community.
“Shelley and I were born in this community,” he said. “We both understand what the right thing to do means for our community.”
The Turk Hospitality Group has maintained a presence in the Hudson Valley for decades. They currently own and operate the Rocking Horse Ranch Resort in Plattekill, which will celebrate its 60th anniversary this Memorial Day weekend, and SplashDown Beach Waterpark in Fishkill, which they acquired in 2004. The former attraction was ranked number nine in the world among top hotels for families by TripAdvisor this year.
