Geoffrey Wilson | Poughkeepsie Journal

Patrick Oehler, Poughkeepsie Journal

The Culinary Institute of America is regularly ranked among the top culinary schools in the world.

Instruction on its Hyde Park campus is sought by the most talented chefs hoping to follow in the footsteps of icons like Anthony Bourdain and Charlie Palmer, as well as countless others who went on to run their own kitchens and eateries.

But the stately campus is also one of Dutchess County’s most popular tourist destinations. Many are attracted by the school’s student-staffed eateries and award-winning brewery. Others come for individual cooking classes offered to the public.

And soon, the school may offer visitors the opportunity for extended access to the culinary experience.

The CIA has plans to create a high-end resort on the north end of its campus along the Hudson River.

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The $98 million project, created in conjunction with real estate development firm Nolan Reynolds International, would include a 162-room hotel, eight villas, a restaurant, spa, event barn and other amenities, according to a preliminary proposal shared with the Town of Hyde Park. A rendering published in the Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council's 2019 progress report depicts a multistory main building and what appears to be a swimming pool, fire pits and an outdoor dining area.

Courtesy photo

Nearly $2 million in funding has already been earmarked for the project by the state Regional Economic Development Councils.

However, exact details of the development, including a timeline for when construction would begin or end, are nebulous. Developers have yet to submit a formal proposal to the town, and representatives of both the school and the development firm have been reticent to discuss plans.

While officials believe the hotel could be a boon for tourism, the project also faces several hurdles. A past attempt by the school to create a hotel on campus failed to materialize.

The development would need to earn approvals from the Town of Hyde Park Planning Board, while also working with the Town of Poughkeepsie for sewage treatment. It would also face competition from other multimillion dollar, mixed-use developments that are planning hotel components, including one across the street from the CIA’s campus.

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Culinary Institute of America campus from above

Mary Kay Vrba, president and CEO of Dutchess Tourism, said while northern Dutchess “doesn’t quite have the hotel space that could be supported by local tourism,” with historic sites and Rhinebeck’s walkable shops in the vicinity, it could reach a saturation point for accommodations.

"We're not quite at that point, though we are approaching an area of concern," Vrba said.

Representatives for the school declined to comment on the development beyond a press release announcing the school's partnership with Nolan Reynolds International.

"As the Hudson Valley continues to be a top food and beverage travel destination with the CIA at the core, the demand for more top-tier hotel and resort-style accommodations and conference space has increased exponentially," President Tim Ryan said in the release. "NRI is uniquely suited to collaborate on this world-class hotel that will enhance the overall experience of visitors to the CIA and the region, while further supporting the local economy."

NRI Representatives initially agreed to an interview before rescheduling and eventually declining to comment.

Patrick Oehler/Poughkeepsie Journal

Ballroom, classes among details proposed

Neither the CIA nor developers have submitted a formal proposal for the project to the town, according to Hyde Park Supervisor Aileen Rohr.

However, meetings between developers and the town included an early proposal for a high-end boutique hotel, with amenities including a ballroom, a spa, a café and a greenhouse.

"I can't really speak to the timeline as there are so many unknowns at this point," Rohr said. "But projects of this size and potential impact require an extensive review process, where applications are circulated to all involved agencies for their input."

The hotel will also offer cooking classes and other programming, according to the Regional Economic Development Councils. Already, the school offers periodic classes to non-students, and events, such as weddings, can be arranged to be held on campus.

A release from the school states the development will be located on the north side of campus, and Rohr said it will be north of the Maritje Kill, a tributary that runs through the campus and into the Hudson River. It's unclear how the development would impact trees and plant life that cover that portion of the property.

Rohr added that building access points over the kill would be a costly factor to development.

Peter Carr and John Meore/The Journal News

"For the hotel to be accessible from the CIA campus, they would need to build a bridge," she said.

Another potential issue — Rohr called it "preliminarily, the most formidable hurdle" — is the town's lack of a sewer system.

"They would need to secure their plan for sewage treatment through the Town of Poughkeepsie, which provides sewer treatment for the Culinary Institute of America," Rohr said.

Interest in food drives visitors

Vrba noted the hotel would be one of the few Dutchess hotels to offer, what appears to be, a riverside view. But a view of a well-cooked steak may be a bigger draw for visitors.

Dutchess Tourism conducted a study, released in March 2019, in which it asked visitors why they were visiting the county. Of more than 4,000 who responded to the survey, more than a quarter of them said they specifically came to visit the CIA.

Overall, tourists to Dutchess spent more than $164 million on food and beverage alone in 2018.

"Food is the number one thing people spend their money on when they come here," Vrba said.

Vrba also said the addition of the hotel would make the Marriott Pavilion, a conference center on the CIA campus that opened in 2014, a more compelling venue.

"It's a draw for people to hold conventions and meetings in the area," she said.

As an alumna of the CIA, Nicky Davis, of Newburgh, felt the hotel could be a major draw for the school, and that guests might stay overnight in the hopes of getting "the full experience."

Peter Carr and John Meore/The Journal News

"I think a lot of people would love that experience because so many people do the tours and want to eat at the restaurants, why not stay the night?" she said.

John DeLong, a Hyde Park resident, said the development would likely be a benefit to the town.

"Any development that's good for the town is worthwhile," he said. "It would be a boon to the town and the area."

State funding for the development

The hotel was one of 105 projects in the mid-Hudson Valley to receive funding through the state Regional Economic Development Councils.

In December, the REDC announced the project would benefit from $1.9 million for promoting workforce development and sustainability. The school received an additional $175,000 to renovate two of its restaurants, Post Road Brew House and Ristorante Caterina.

In a statement, the Mid-Hudson council touted the project's potential benefits:

"The Hyde Park hotel project will drive tourist dollars to the Culinary Institute of America, a longstanding institution for developing the nation’s food and beverage industry, complimenting the 2019 REDC strategy to support New York State’s $175 million workforce development initiative. We look forward to the project’s contribution to the Mid-Hudson region’s economy and the programming it will offer to the Dutchess County community."

Developers for the hotel presented details on the project to the Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council last fall.

According to the council's 2019 progress report, the development will focus on sustainability in its design. The hotel will use solar power to offset greenhouse gas emissions and use LED lighting to reduce energy costs, per the report.

The development will also bring a "significant number" of full-time jobs to the area, providing access to skilled positions for workers in "low-income environments," according to the report.

Peter Carr and John Meore/The Journal News

Past projects and new competition

The CIA isn't the only college interested in bringing a hotel to the region. Vassar College is hoping to incorporate a hotel in a mixed-use proposal on its Town Poughkeepsie campus.

The idea of a hotel development on the CIA campus isn't new.

The school pursued the possibility of building a 138-room hotel on the north side of campus in 2010, first with Hyatt and later with Marriott, according to Journal archives.

The project's approval expired in 2016 and the proposal was not resubmitted, according to the Dutchess County Department of Planning and Development's 2016 major project report.

Since that time, other developments have moved in to potentially attract tourists to the area.

The $300 million Hudson Heritage project, located about two miles south of the CIA at the former Hudson River Psychiatric Center, would primarily serve as a self-contained walkable community, with housing and retail. But, the project also boasts a 150-room hotel.

Just across the street from the CIA, plans for the $500 million Bellefield at Historic Hyde Park feature two boutique hotels, a culinary marketplace and a culinary research and development center.

In 2018, Thomas Mulroy, chief executive officer of T-Rex Capital Group and part of Bellefield Development Partners, touted the development as a complement to the school, citing internship and job opportunities from culinary businesses at Bellefield.

"The region is the breadbasket of the tri-state area, and with it being right across from the Culinary Institute of America, it almost made too much sense," Mulroy told the Journal at the time.