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By Malerie Yolen-Cohen

Special to Newsday

A weekend in Saratoga Springs is an immersive experience in many ways. You can feel the warm, bubbly, effervescing mineral waters at the Roosevelt Baths and Spa, cheer on your favored horse at the Saratoga Racetrack, dance to the music at Saratoga Performing Arts Center, eat at a local landmark or spend the weekend at a boutique hotel. 

Saratoga Springs is built around two industries: spring/mineral water and thoroughbred horse racing. A New Deal era State Park promotes mineral water soaks and free gallons of fresh spring water. And you’ll find horse sculptures, equine sidewalk posts and racing colors everywhere you look.

Saratoga Springs was the country’s very first spa resort town. For eons, this area was sacred ground to the indigenous Iroquois Nation, due to the water’s healing properties. But health seekers started coming in droves to “take the cure” in 1802, when entrepreneur Gideon Putnam learned about the restorative powers of carbonated waters himself. He built a guesthouse across from Congress Spring, and the rest is history.

No Victorian resort was complete without horse racing. So, in 1863, Irish immigrant John Morrissey opened the Saratoga Racetrack. Mentioned in Carly Simon’s song, "You’re So Vain," the track is so distinctive, it served as film sets for "The Horse Whisperer" and "Seabiscuit" among many others.

WATCH A HORSE RACE

The racing season at Saratoga Racetrack, the nation’s oldest thoroughbred horse racing course, runs from July 14 through Sept. 5. Sure, you’ll pay dearly for tickets and lodging during that time, but come weekends from end of June through mid-July and you can still get a feel for the ponies as they train. Enter Gate 21 for the Whitney Viewing Stand — a solitary Adirondack-style elevated platform that can hold about a dozen viewers.Sign up for the NewsdayTV newsletter

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EXPLORE A STATE PARK

Saratoga Spa State Park encompasses 2,300 acres containing bathhouses, two golf courses, two museums (The Dance Museum and Hall of Fame and Automobile Museum), pools, tennis courts, the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) and the Gideon Putnam Hotel.

Saratoga Spa State Park is also where you’ll find several springs with faucets. You can’t miss these special fountains — there are generally lines of people waiting to fill their empty 5-gallon bottles with clear Saratoga Spring Water. Join the crowd, even if all you want is a splash from your hands for a taste.

Enjoy a 40-minute effervescent soak at Roosevelt Baths and Spa in Saratoga Spa State Park. Indulge in the strange but pleasant sensation of a warm and tingly effervescent soak in the mineral water that gave the Spa City its name. You can settle into a deep bathtub in a private room for 40 minutes for only $40. 

CATCH A CONCERT

The Lumineers open the Live Nation Concert Series on May 29, in a summer jammed with greats at Saratoga Performing Arts Center. The Doobie Brothers, Zac Brown Band, Steely Dan, Dave Matthews Band, Black Keys, Rod Stewart and Goo Goo Dolls are just the start. If Classical is more your thing, there’s the New York City Ballet and Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center on tap. 

VISIT A MUSEUM

Wander through three floors of Saratoga Springs History Museum in Congress Park, (like the racetrack, built by John Morrisey in 1870 as a men’s gambling house) to discover why Saratoga Springs was called “American’s Baden-Baden.” Purportedly, the third floor is haunted. In addition to learning about the history of horse racing in Saratoga, a 2020 update of the Racing Museum and Hall of Fame offers visitors an opportunity to call one of the more iconic horse races in history, just like a professional announcer. Car lovers will want to visit the Saratoga Automobile Museum, located in the former Saratoga Natural Mineral Waters Bottling Plant, which covers the history of auto racing and “custom coach” industry in New York. The impactful New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center focuses on and pays tribute to New York State’s contribution to the country’s military history from the Revolutionary War to present through engrossing exhibits.

GRAB A BITE

Most agree that 15 Church tops the list for fine, inventive “New American” cuisine. Mains run the gamut of Filet Mignon to Singapore Street Noodles. And even the ordinarily staid side, Broccoli Rabe, ups its game with cherry peppers, roasted slivers of garlic and Pecorino.

Hattie’s has been a beloved Saratoga institution since 1938, when Hattie Moseley Austin, in possession of the best fried chicken recipe this side of Louisiana, opened her shack with “but $33 in the bank.” Although Hattie passed away in 1998, her spirit lives on in the little restaurant that remains wildly popular.

Fans of fresh beer and good pub grub should plan a meal at Druthers Brewing Company, right in town, the down-an-alley-setting allows for lots of outdoor seating off busy Broadway.

OVERNIGHT STAY

First built in 1877, the Adelphi Hotel was a town landmark in the early days of thoroughbred racing. Nearly 140 years later, it reopened after a five-year top-to-bottom renovation, as the swankiest, and most sumptuous, place to stay in the center of town. Summer rates from $550 per room, during Race Weeks from $650-$1,200.

The Spa City Motor Lodge, restored and improved within the bones of the former rickety Downtowner Motel, is a relative bargain here. It sits right on Broadway, in the midst of shops, restaurants and steps from Congress Park. The enclosed pool area is now a gathering place, with plenty of seating, and Nitro Coffee on tap 24/7. Summer rates from $260, Race Weeks from $385.

The Saratoga Arms, classic 31-room inn with wraparound veranda and updated, antique-filled rooms, is yet another option on Broadway in the thick of town. Summer rates from $500, Race Weeks from $780 includes complimentary breakfast, snacks and soft drinks.

If you prefer traditional and iconic, book at the Gideon Putnam Hotel. Built in 1935 within the Saratoga Spa State Park, this Grand Dame hotel has gone through several renovations. It remains a lasting part of Saratoga Springs hospitality. Summer rates from $360, Race Weeks from $530 per night.

The Saratoga Showcase of Homes is back this fall, celebrating its 25th year, and executive director Barry Potoker said it will not disappoint.

With a lineup of some of the area’s high-end homes, Potoker said it’s the perfect event to get people out to enjoy all that Saratoga has to offer.

The 2021 Saratoga Showcase of Homes is being presented over two fall weekends: Oct. 9, 10 and 11; and Oct. 16 and 17.

Tickets will also be available at any showcase home during tour hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., or can be purchased online at www.saratogashowcaseofhomes.com. The site includes an interactive map of home locations.

“Last year with the pandemic, we had to pivot and have the showcase as a TV show special. It was so important to us to be able to honor this tradition in its 25th year, and so we are so happy to be able to bring it back as an in person event, which is the best way to really show off what these spectacular homes have to offer,” said Potoker.

This year’s edition has 13 homes on display from 12 builders in Saratoga County.

Participating builders include The BDC Group, Beechwood Homes, Bella Home Builders, Belmonte Builders, Bonacio Construction, Caruso Builders, Kodiak Construction, Kohler Homes, McPadden Builders, R & M Homes, Trojanski Builders and Witt Construction.

The show is produced by the Saratoga Builders Association, a nonprofit, specialized professional trade organization that has donated over $1.3 million to local community charities over the past 24 years through the showcase event.

“Through this event we have been fortunate enough to give back to some very special charities,” said Potoker.

Proceeds from the Saratoga Showcase of Homes benefit Rebuilding Together Saratoga County and Habitat for Humanity of Northern Saratoga, Warren and Washington counties.

There are also other special events in the works to help commemorate the special anniversary. Potoker said each showcase ticket holder will receive a free tote bag at the first home they visit.

Hundreds of those in the real estate industry also take part in an awards ceremony where they honor all different aspects of the homes on display.

The event, Potoker said, takes about 300 volunteers to bring it together. He said they did run up against some challenges with builders waiting on materials and labor, challenges that were felt across the industry.

“We did have some lag time with supply chains for materials, and of course the labor market has been tough. So, with all that, we are especially grateful to be at this point. People love it and we are so happy to do it,” said Potoker.

Tickets are $25, available at all Adirondack Trust Co. branch locations, Curtis Lumber in Ballston Spa, Saratoga National Bank on South Broadway in Saratoga Springs and Roohan Realty on Broadway in Saratoga Springs.

Original article from Saratoga.com
By Jennifer Farnsworth

Transforming Rip Van Dam and The Adelphi, in Saratoga Springs are the focus of a new redevelopement to unify the hotels into one large five-star Resort in Saratoga Springs.
The real estate developers and thoroughbred racehorse owners, Michael Dubb and Larry Roth recently gained the city’s approval to begin their $50 million five-star Resort in Saratoga Springs which involves transforming Rip Van Dam and The Adelphi. They intend to renovate and expand the Rip Van Dam building on Broadway and have it connected to the Adelphi building, with the goal of reviving a piece of the luxury grand hotel era that made Saratoga a playground for the wealthy in the 1870s.
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A team of local builders, architects and support staff have been hired by the developers to start working on the Resort in Saratoga Springs. The general contractor is Bonacio Construction of Saratoga Springs, while the layout was overseen by The LA Group Landscape Architecture & Engineering, who also spearheaded the approval process. Design plans are being handled by Dominick Ranieri Architect of Schenectady.
Located in the center of downtown Saratoga Springs, this 200,000-square-foot development transforming Rip Van Dam and The Adelphi would convert both the Adelphi Hotel and former dilapidated and neglected Rip Van Dam hotel just around the corner, on Broadway into a spacious resort with concierge services, massages, a ballroom and a restaurant serving 20-ounce, dry-aged porterhouse steaks. Pricing for one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments within the 84 studio will range between $2,000 to $5,000 a month and the existing 32-room hotel will double in size.
Michael Dubb described their vision, stating that Saratoga was a special place and this was a great opportunity to restore these buildings that had fallen into a state of disrepair, back to their splendor. Dubb also said, “One of the goals of the apartments is to cater to a market that might be there, that’s not there now. We want to give Saratoga the crown jewel in the center of town that it deserves.”
Larry Roth also gave more insights on how the idea to build a five-star Resort in Saratoga Springs originated. He mentioned that he called in his close friend, Dubb and asked that he work with him because of Dub’s work experience in building premier homes on Long Island.
Roth said, “He looked at it and had the same vision I did. It’s the best piece of property in Saratoga and we should develop it.”

Original article from Construction Review Online
By Barbara Mangiri

Real estate developers Michael Dubb and Larry Roth won approval Thursday night for their $50 million Adelphi hotel and apartment project in the center of downtown Saratoga Springs.
The 200,000-square-foot development would transform the Adelphi Hotel and neighboring former Rip Van Dam hotel on Broadway into a resort with concierge services, massages, a ballroom and a restaurant serving 20-ounce, dry-aged porterhouse steaks.
The 84 studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments will rent for $2,000 to $5,000 a month. And the existing 32-room hotel will double in size.
“This will keep us on target for [completion in] late spring 2023,” Dubb said Friday.
Dubb is founder of Beechwood Homes on Long Island and his business partner Roth is the former owner of Marchon Eyewear Inc., one of the world’s largest eye care companies.

Together they want to bring a five-star quality resort to the center of downtown Saratoga Springs by renovating and expanding the Rip Van Dam building on Broadway and connecting it to the Adelphi, which Roth and former business partners rebuilt for $28 million four years ago.
“Saratoga is such a special place. This is an opportunity for Larry and I to make an imprint, to be able to restore something that fell into disrepair to its grandeur,” Dubb said in March when he and Roth first described their vision.
The developers, who also are avid thoroughbred race horse owners, have hired a team of local builders, architects and support staff. Bonacio Construction of Saratoga Springs is the general contractor. The LA Group Landscape Architecture & Engineering oversaw the layout and quarterbacked the approval process. Designs are by Dominick Ranieri Architect of Schenectady.
Renovations to Salt & Char restaurant and the exterior of the Rip Van Dam began several months ago.
The city planning board granted site plan approval for the expansion on Thursday and the design review commission approved the building’s mass and scale last week. There are a few remaining administrative approvals needed and the city must complete its architectural review.
Dubb is not overly concerned about the volatile market for building materials over the past year. Between his experience constructing more than 10,000 homes around Long Island and Bonacio Construction’s background constructing large urban infill condominium, apartment and commercial projects, Dubb said he is optimistic they will find a way to build the project as efficiently as possible.
The developers have a vision of reviving a piece of the luxury grand hotel era that made Saratoga a playground for the wealthy in the 1870s. In those days, the massive Grand Union and United States hotels were the focal point of downtown, forming an area known as Millionaire’s Row where 20 of the world’s richest people would meet each summer to talk business.
“One of the goals of the apartments is to cater to a market that might be there, that’s not there now,” Dubb said in the spring. “We want to give Saratoga the crown jewel in the center of town that it deserves.”

Original article from Albany Business Review
By DONNA ABBOTT-VLAHOS

SARATOGA SPRINGS – Two thoroughbred racehorse owners are joining in a $50 million proposed project to link the city’s two historic hotels – the Rip Van Dam and The Adelphi – into one large luxury lodge.

Michael Dubb, founder of Beechwood Homes, said he is partnering with The Adelphi Hotel owner Larry Roth in the proposal to restore and expand the neglected and dilapidated 1840 Rip Van Dam Hotel into a 30-room spacious inn with concierge service, a gym and spa -- all of which will be linked to The Adelphi next door on Broadway.

“It’s in the heart of town,” Dubb said. “We are preserving and restoring the original façade and restoring the interior that is in disrepair. It really will be nice to bring back the Rip Van Dam building and the area of Broadway to its original grandeur.”

The Rip Van Dam will open with 15 rooms, larger than those in the 32-room Adelphi, by November. The old Italianate-style hotel, by then incorporated in to The Adelphi, will expand in the project's second phase -- an addition in the rear that will include the remainder of the rooms and and a complex of 90 luxury apartments with onsite parking for 100. Apartment dwellers, he said, will be able to share in the hotel amenities including an expanded ballroom and conservatory in The Adelphi -- and the distinctive menus at their restaurants Salt & Char and Morrissey's Lounge & Bistro.

Dubb and Roth also promised the Rip Van Dam will reflect the interior design and décor of The Adelphi – making for a seamless experience for guests. The Adelphi was fully renovated about four years ago.

“It will be beautiful,” Dubb said.

In recent years, plans to restore the Rip Van Dam have failed. The opulent hotel that once stood alongside other elegant 19th century resorts like the United States and the Grand Union hotels was purchased by Bruce Levinsky in the 1990s. He had an $11 million plan to renovate it into an upscale Ramada Plaza Suite.

When that didn’t happen, brothers James and Thomas D'Iorio, took over the site with a $45 million renovation plan for the brick building. But in their hands, the property fell into foreclosure. That was 2019 and that's when Roth stepped in to buy it.

Roth said he always wanted to buy the Rip Van Dam, because he thought he might want to add more rooms. He was also fearful that another hotel would move in.

"We are a boutique, exclusive, luxurious hotel," Roth said of The Adelphi. "My fear was it wouldn't be the same quality or same type hotel. When the property became available through foreclosure, I decided to buy it. I probably overpaid for it. But when you want something badly and you have a vision of what you could do, you sometimes have to pay a little more than you want."

He said he then brought in Dubb because he's a close friend and because of his work, building premier homes on Long Island.

"I asked him to develop the property with me," Roth said. "He looked at it and had the same vision I did. It's the best piece of property in Saratoga and we should develop it."

But when asked if a luxury hotel could survive a shaky, post-pandemic economy, Roth said it could and The Adelphi is proof. Though 2020 was tough, he said The Adelphi now has a 90 percent occupancy rate. He said the restaurant, Morrissey's, is also doing well. Because of that, he is expanding Morrissey's into the space once occupied by the hotel's other, now shuttered, Blue Hen restaurant.

Salt & Char, the Rip Van Dam's restaurant, is also getting an upgrade. It is currently closed and will be reopened in June.

Dubb said restorations, which have already begun, won't interrupt Adelphi guests as the work done by Bonacio Construction will be on the exterior and interior of the Rip Van Dam.

The expanded hotel and apartments, however, still need city approvals. If approved, Roth said the adjoining building is estimated to be open in the spring of 2023.

"It's going to be spectacular," Roth said. "It will be a great destination for the northeast -- three hours from Boston, three hours from Montreal, three hours from New York City and probably the same from Buffalo. We are very, very excited about the project."

Two racehorse owners want to transform one of the most prominent corners in downtown Saratoga Springs into a resort with concierge services, massages, a ballroom and a restaurant serving 20-ounce, dry-aged porterhouse steaks.

Beechwood Homes founder Michael Dubb is partnering with Larry Roth, former owner of one of the world’s largest eye care companies, on a plan to construct 90 apartments and 65 or more hotel rooms, creating a complex unlike anything else in the city.

They want to reimagine the northwest corner of Broadway and Washington Street by renovating the former Rip Van Dam Hotel, connecting the property to Roth’s Adelphi Hotel and constructing an adjoining five-story, 150,000-square-foot addition.

The proposed $50 million project seeks to revive a piece of the luxury grand hotel era that made Saratoga a playground for the wealthy in the 1870s. In those days, the massive Grand Union and United States hotels were the focal point of downtown, forming an area known as Millionaire’s Row where 20 of the world’s richest people would meet each summer to talk business.

“One of the goals of the apartments is to cater to a market that might be there, that’s not there now,” said Dubb. “We want to give Saratoga the crown jewel in the center of town that it deserves.”

Faith’s House to provide childcare and early childhood education programs for the children of backstretch families

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – The Belmont Child Care Association, Inc. (BCCA) today announced that its new childcare center serving families and children of the backstretch community at Saratoga Race Course is scheduled to open in summer 2021.

The 4,300-square-foot childcare center will be located on the Oklahoma side of the Saratoga backstretch. Funded by Michael and Lee Dubb, the facility will be named Faith’s House in honor of Faith Dubb, mother of BCCA founder and board chairman Michael Dubb.

Faith’s House will provide child care and early education programs for infants, toddlers and preschool-aged children. The center will be open seven days a week from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. to accommodate the schedules of backstretch workers and horsemen.

“All working parents deserve to know that their children are being cared for in a safe, healthy and enriching environment during the workday,” said Dubb, who is a prominent thoroughbred owner in addition to his work with the BCCA. “We are thrilled to extend this important program to the hardworking families of the Saratoga backstretch community, who provide a vital service to the racing community.”

The Saratoga facility will complement BCCA’s sister childcare center Anna House, which serves families of the Belmont Park backstretch. More than 1,000 students have participated in Anna House’s programs since its opening in 2003.

“Faith’s House fulfills a dream that the BCCA has been working on for over ten years. We are so excited to bring a winning formula in child care to Saratoga,” said Libby Imperio, BCCA President.

The anticipated summer 2021 opening coincides with the annual summer meet at Saratoga Race Course, which brings approximately 950 backstretch workers and their families to the Spa. The opening of the new center is contingent upon licensing approval from New York State and the New York State Office of Children and Family Services.

“The backstretch community is the foundation of the racing industry,” said New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) President and CEO Dave O’Rourke. “All of us at NYRA extend our sincere gratitude to Michael and Lee, and the entire BCCA staff for their continued dedication and commitment to increasing access to affordable and reliable childcare for families on the backstretch. I would also like to thank our facilities team for their work on this project. NYRA is proud to host this new center of childhood education.”

Faith’s House will be operated by Bright Horizons, an organization known for excellence in the child care industry which manages early childhood education programs at more than 1,000 child care centers.

More information about Faith’s House, including details on registration and enrollment, will be announced in the coming months. Individuals interested in further details may contact BCCA Executive Director Joanne K. Adams by phone at (516) 488-2103 or via email at jadams@belmontchildcare.org.

The Belmont Child Care Association works to provide a safe, supportive, and academically inspiring environment for the children of parents working in the thoroughbred racing backstretch area located at New York’s historic Belmont Park, Aqueduct Racetrack and Saratoga Race Course. For more information, visit BelmontChildCare.org.

[Distributed by NYRA on behalf of the Belmont Child Care Association]

As the Runhappy Travers Stakes contenders get ready to race for glory this weekend, prominent horse owner Michael Dubb and the Belmont Child Care Association (BCCA) is “Racing for the Children”. Their week-long virtual party kicked off Monday at noon, and will run through Sunday, Aug. 9, with all the proceeds going toward their mission of helping backstretch workers and their children.

News10 ABC Sports Director Liana Bonavita spoke with Dubb about the new Saratoga Child Care Center that will open its doors next summer.

Mike Dubb and his Beechwood Organization spent 35 years building 7,500 downstate homes.

For the first time in his career, Dubb is starting to build homes in Saratoga Springs, less than three miles from Saratoga Race Course, the thoroughbred race track he has been visiting since he was 17 years old.

Dubb and Beechwood last week outlined details of the 53 homes they are building at the Oak Ridge development between the track and Saratoga Lake. Homes will range in size between 2,200 square feet and more than 6,000 square feet. They will be priced in the $850,000 to $2 million-plus range.

Now, Dubb is looking at other properties around the city for future projects.

He is convinced the Covid-19 pandemic will only increase the number of downstate New York and New Jersey residents who are interested in moving to or building a second home in Saratoga.

"I know people prior to Covid who were saying, 'I want a better life or I want a town and something not so dense as New York City and the surrounding suburbs,'" Dubb said. "Home has taken on a new importance with people because of Covid."

The founder of Beechwood Organization secured the remaining 53 lots at Oak Ridge from Jeffrey Snyder and Oak Ridge Development in April after looking at the 135-plus acre site on a whim in October.

"I really wasn't looking to develop in Saratoga," Dubb said.

The pastoral setting off Meadowbrook and Dyer Switch roads and the ability to construct four-, five- and six-bedroom homes with large porches, high-end finishes and garages tucked behind the houses caught his attention. Dubb sees the Oak Ridge by Beechwood project as a way to recreate what he describes as the "old Saratoga" architecture that exists along North Broadway and Union Avenue.

He expects the 53 homes will sell over the next three to four years, and he is not worried that the coronavirus pandemic and economic slowdown will jeopardize the project.

"Covid and the economic effects cannot take away the beauty and desirability of Saratoga," Dubb said. "We may lose some restaurants and hotels. A few individuals may struggle. Long term, Saratoga is too strong ... One or two economic rough years does not a town make."

Dubb, 64, started visiting Saratoga Springs as a teenager and became heavily involved in thoroughbred racing over the years. He is a seven-time leading owner at Saratoga Race Course and serves on the board of the New York Racing Association, the nonprofit that manages the track.

Dubb and Beechwood also are currently building a daycare center in Saratoga Springs that will be donated for use by children of the backstretch workers at Saratoga Race Course. They constructed and donated a similar facility at the Belmont Park thoroughbred track nearly 20 years ago.

Dubb, who has owned a home in Saratoga Springs for 10 years, remains bullish in the track and Saratoga Springs despite the fact that the pandemic is preventing Saratoga Race Course to operate without fans for the first time this year.

Last week marked the first opening day in 30 years that Dubb has not attended the races.

"The main thing is that the show must go on," he said. "We need the economy to keep going and we need to keep all of the people working."

Seven-time Saratoga leading owner Michael Dubb is the founder of The Beechwood Organization, Long Island's largest homebuilder which he operates with his son Steven. Dubb prides himself on attention to detail and building houses that feel like homes. Dubb, much like how he manages his highly successful racing stable, is on-site and hands-on in his design-build business.

These days you will find Dubb on the job in Saratoga Springs, a city for which he has had a growing affection. Dubb first visited Saratoga as racing fan. His passion for Thoroughbred racing began at Belmont Park when his was a teenager. As a young adult, he made his first drive to Saratoga Springs and he knew right away that this city would have a special place in his life.

"I had been a fan of horse racing starting with the races at Belmont Park from about the time I was 15 or 16 years old," said Dubb. "I had never heard of Saratoga. A friend said "Come up", so I went up in my van and I had never seen anything like it, and the feeling I got from Saratoga decades ago has never left me."

Recently, Dubb was approached to look at a unique and partially incomplete development called Oak Ridge. The development comprises over 150 acres, but as part of the master plan, the homes are to be clustered overall to only about 50 acres. The remaining one hundred acres of natural land has been preserved as open space, including trails that connect to walking trails throughout Saratoga. Dubb purchased the property and has now set upon finishing the project.