Tupper Lake, NY, Dec 19, 2011 — Next month, the Adirondack Park Agency will bring to a close its seven-year review of the Big Tupper resort proposed for Tupper Lake. Developers hope to build more than 700 luxury homes and condos, as well as a new ski lodge, equestrian center and marina. It's the biggest single project the APA has ever reviewed.

But as the process grinds to a finish, a growing number of critics say fundamental questions about the resort's environmental impacts still haven't been answered. As Brian Mann reports, even some members of the APA commission are asking whether state policies and regulations are adequate to handle such a massive and complex project.  Go to full article

Tupper Lake, NY, Dec 15, 2011 — In Ray Brook, the Adirondack Park Agency takes up the Big Tupper project for a final two-day review. A decision on the project is expected next month.

Commissioners will hear about possible conditions and requirements that could be folded into a permit, if the project is allowed to move forward. Brian Mann has details.  Go to full article

Tupper Lake, NY, Dec 14, 2011 — Thursday in Ray Brook, the Adirondack Park Agency resumes deliberations over the huge resort proposed for Tupper Lake. Developers hope to build more than seven hundred homes, mansions and condos over the next fifteen years.

A final vote on the precedent-setting project is scheduled for January. The debate over the Big Tupper resort has drawn national attention and it's also reshaped life and local politics in Tupper Lake.

Brian Mann sat down to talk with Paul Maroun who was elected mayor in November after campaigning on a platform of full support for the development. Maroun says he still has questions about how the project will be financed and when it will move forward. But he thinks the resort will revitalize his town's economy.  Go to full article

Tupper Lake, NY, Nov 21, 2011 — On Friday, the Adirondack Park Agency commission delved deep into the business plan for the proposed Adirondack Club and Resort. The APA will vote in January on whether to approve the massive project, which supporters hope will revitalize the economy in Tupper Lake. The development has been on the drawing table for years, with more than seven hundred condos and mansions, along with a marina, equestrian center and modern ski hill.

One part of the Park Agency's review involves determining whether the project will have negative economic impacts on the community. As Brian Mann reports, that effort is complicated by the fact that there are still a lot of unanswered questions about how the resort will be financed and built.  Go to full article

Tupper Lake, NY, Nov 18, 2011 — Yesterday was the first full day of public deliberations for the Adirondack Park Agency as commisioners consider a permit for the Big Tupper resort project.

The massive resort - with more than 700 homes, condos and mansions -- has developed into a flashpoint in debates over the Park's future and a final vote is expected in January.

On Thursday, commissioners heard testimony over a wide range of topics. But a key focus was the lack of comprehensive scientific data showing the resort's impact on wildlife.

As Brian Mann reports, specific concerns were raised about the construction of one new neighborhood that could displace amphibian species.  Go to full article

Tupper Lake, NY, Oct 18, 2011 — State officials are gearing up to make a final decision about the proposed Adirondack Club and Resort in Tupper Lake.

Over the weekend, members of the Adirondack Park Agency commission toured the site, which stretches from the Big Tupper ski area to the banks of the Raquette River. The goal was to give them a better feel for the landscape that would be changed if the massive and fiercely debated project is allowed to go forward. Brian Mann tagged along for the tour and has our story.  Go to full article

Tupper Lake, NY, Jun 13, 2011 — In Tupper Lake, the latest round of hearings into the proposed Adirondack Club and Resort has been focusing on economic questions about the project. Developers Michael Foxman and Tom Lawson hope to build hundreds of condos and mansions, along with a new ski area, marina, equestrian center and other amenities. The price tag for the project is roughly $500 million.

Some business leaders in the village say they're satisfied that the company has laid out a realistic plan for building the expansive resort. But some resort experts, state officials, and local government leaders in Tupper Lake say they still have questions about how the project will be financed and how enough buyers will be found for the new homes. Brian Mann has our story.  Go to full article

Tupper Lake, NY, Apr 22, 2011 — For seven years, developer Michael Foxman has been promising to build a massive new resort in Tupper Lake, worth roughly $500 million.

He's hoping to win final approval for the project from the Adirondack Park Agency this fall.

Many community leaders have embraced his vision as a way to revive a former logging and manufacturing town that lost seven percent of its population over the last decade.

But an investigation by North Country Public Radio, in partnership with the Adirondack Explorer magazine, found that significant doubts remain about the economic viability of Foxman's resort.

Over a period of weeks and dozens of interviews, we found that important questions remain unanswered about how the resort will be financed and marketed.

As Brian Mann reports, it's unclear when the project's elaborate infrastructure and amenities, including those at the Big Tupper ski area, will be built.  Go to full article

Tupper Lake, NY, Apr 22, 2011 — The story reported above by Brian Mann, in cooperation with the Adirondack Explorer, looks hard at the financial underpinnings of the big luxury resort project proposed for Tupper Lake several years ago. It raises complicated questions and concerns still on the table as the Adirondack Park Agency prepares for its final review, and decision.
Martha Foley spoke further with Brian this morning about the skepticism he found, and why these questions matters.  Go to full article

Tupper Lake, NY, Mar 17, 2011 — Hundreds of people packed the auditorium yesterday at LP Quinn Elementary in Tupper Lake for a public hearing on the future of the Adirondack Club and Resort.

Developers want to build hundreds of great camp mansions, condos and homes, as well as a marina and a new ski lodge.

The vast majority of those who spoke yesterday supported the project and called for the Adirondack Park Agency to allow it to go forward. Brian Mann has our story.  Go to full article