PARADISE TWP., Pa. - A brand new resort is in the works in the Poconos.
Supervisors in Paradise Township got their first look at it Monday night. It would include a lodge, villas, pools, and a shopping center. The location is right off of Route 611 in Paradise Township on Trinity Hill Road, just south of Mount Pocono.
Hawthorne Mount Pocono Resort is presented as a mixed-use facility consisting of a lodge, villas, pools, a spa and a shopping center near Route 611.
The Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau said the land has been sitting dormant for about the past 30 years. CEO Chris Barrett said he's excited to see that change.
"You have a lot of structures on the property existing that are dilapidated. There's a pool that's been filled in and dilapidated, so this is really a revitalization of that," said Barrett.
People got to take a look at the first renderings of that proposed revitalization, called the Hawthorne Mount Pocono Resort, at the Paradise Township Supervisors meeting on Monday night.
"This will be a totally different guest experience than anything that we currently have in the Pocono Mountains," said Barrett.
The unique part about the project is the developer, JSPA Realty LLC, designed it to have very few paved roads.
"When the guest arrives, they park their vehicle, and then they won't restart that vehicle until they leave. So technically, you could come on property and be escorted everywhere by electric cart," said Barrett.
The project was funded in part by a $500,000 Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant secured by State Rep. Maureen Madden. Barrett said it's just part of a growing amount of investment in the region, including a major planned expansion at the nearby Great Wolf Lodge.
"You're looking at an additional estimated $300 million in investment. So over the last five to 10 years we've had a tremendous amount of capital infused into the Poconos," said Barrett.
Capital that could keep the region in business for years to come.
"I'm really excited to see what the next phases are," said Barrett.
We spoke with the Supervisor Board Chair in Paradise Township, but he told us it's simply too early in the process to comment, with more meetings scheduled to discuss the development in February and March.
