Plans for High Peaks Resort move forward

By GEORGE EARL, Enterprise Staff Writer
LAKE PLACID — The public hearing for a large-scale revamping of the former Hilton on Main Street, now the High Peaks Resort, closed with only a few questions asked by adjacent property owners and concluded with a seemingly content audience Wednesday.

The Lake Placid-North Elba Joint Review Board was generally pleased with the proposal to conceal the massive concrete building with structures that “hang off” the existing building to form what the Joint Review Board considers a more attractive retail and restaurant strip on Main Street. A variety of imitation material including stone, wood and “high grade” composite applications will articulate the various storefronts and restaurants. One of the materials, a kind of metal siding, did come under scrutiny by Joint Review Board Chairman Bill Hurley.

“I’d like to see samples of that material; my concern is that it will look out of style in a few years,” Hurley said.

Lane Hospitality purchased the building about eight years ago, and its officials said they were optimistic about moving forward on construction soon.

“We’d like to begin on the restaurant building soon so we can be done in time for the summer season,” said Bill DeForrest, president and CEO of Lane Hospitality.

The two-story restaurant will face the lake with 140 seats in the downstairs portion, called the Dancing Bears, and 125 upstairs. About 75 of those seats will be on an outside patio overlooking the lake.

“The view over Mirror Lake is going to be dramatic, and it will fill a need for more outdoor dining options in the village,” said DeForrest.

The four existing retail shops on Main Street will be replaced to create the restaurants as well as a spa and salon, according to DeForrest.