The Vernon, N.J. property that is currently the site of the Legends Resort & Country Club and was originally built by Hugh Hefner as the Great Gorge Playboy Club is set to be acquired by Liberated Energy, which plans to create a “vibrant, eco-friendly, 55-and-over retirement community.” In Egg Harbor, Wis., the Alpine Resort & Golf Course has been listed for sale after 96 years of ownership by the Berschinger family.
After ongoing legal battles and court-ordered evictions, two companies announced on April 2nd that they plan to jointly purchase the former Great Gorge Playboy Club property that is currently the site of the Legends Resort & Country Club, in Vernon, N.J., The Sparta (N.J.) Independent reported.
Liberated Energy, a Chester, N.Y.-based company that is publicly traded as The Go Eco Group, said in a press release that Libra Fund, LLC, a private investment company has entered into a preliminary agreement to fund a joint venture to acquire the property, The Independentreported. The letter of intent signed by the two entities for the agreement that has not been finalized states that the acquisition cost is not to exceed $12 million, The Independent reported.
The property includes the once-famous 618-room, eight-floor Playboy Club hotel that was built by the late Hugh Hefner as The Great Gorge Playboy Club Hotel in 1972, The Independent reported. In its heyday, the eight-floor hotel—which has a cabaret, ballroom, restaurant, a fitness center, indoor pool, jacuzzis and an Olympic-sized swimming pool outside—saw sold-out performances from performers including Frank Sinatra, Liza Minnelli, Sammy Davis Jr., and Sonny & Cher.
Liberated Energy says it now intends to renovate and develop an eco-friendly, 55-and-older retirement community within the hotel, The Independent reported. The goal, according to a press release issued by the company, is to create a vibrant, 877,000-sq.-ft. center with amenities such as restaurants, health and fitness, and retail shopping. Community tenants would be able to spend a majority of their income within the facility and surrounding attractions.
“We are aligned with the region’s natural and recreational assets that include year-round skiing and a waterpark at Mountain Creek, the Appalachian Trail, and the Wawayanda State Park,” Liberated Energy CEO Brian Conway said in a statement. “Adjacent is also the Great Gorge Golf Course, plus the $500 million Legoland Theme Park slated to open just miles away across the border in Orange County, N.Y., in 2020.
“We have brand-name retailers interested in opening within the first-floor concourse and have already pledged 150 parking spots for NJ Public Transportation to give our tenants direct access to New York City,” Conway continued. “With this partnership with the Libra Fund, we can complete our due diligence and make an offer on the property, of which we’ve agreed with the owner, Mr. [Hillie] Meyers, thus far.”
The announcement came as the remaining 40 or so tenants still living on the Legends property had until Monday, April 9th to leave, per a recent court order by state Superior Court Judge Robert Brennen, The Independent reported. In 2016, Vernon (N.J.) Township began cracking down on the remaining Legends residents after the township said it became aware of numerous zoning and code violations. About 33 units were being rented out by two shell companies set up by the late Eugene Mulvihill, former owner of the Mountain Creek and Crystal Springs resorts, prior to his death in 2012.
The two entities had been renting out units to Crystal Springs employees, according to the township, and the numerous violations, caused by inaction and negligence of the property owners, placed the residents in danger, The Independent reported.
According to the recent court order, after April 9, the owners of these remaining units will conduct a census and offer relocation assistance to evicted tenants, paid in the amount of $1,500 to each unit. The owners will initiate repairs and address all violations cited by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs and fire-code violations within 10 days of April 9, The Independent reported.
The rest of what remains of the largely derelict Legends property is owned by Hillie Meyers, President of Metairie Corp., which acquired the property in 1998, The Independent reported.
Hundreds of complaints and lawsuits remain pending by those who bought units as condominiums in the 1990s and those who bought units as timeshares in the 2000s, The Independent reported. Many of those individuals stopped paying maintenance fees on their units as the facility fell into neglect, and Meyers is suing to recover those unpaid fees.
In Egg Harbor, Wis., Fox6 News of Milwaukee, Wis., reported, the iconic Alpine Resort & Golf Course has been listed for sale after 96 years of ownership by the Bertschinger family, according to an announcement made by the family on April 4th.
The resort will continue to operate as usual through the sales process, Fox6 reported, and reservations will continue to be accepted for 2018. Additionally, officials said all reservations will be honored regardless of the ownership status.
The property was built in 1921 by brothers Paul and John Bertschinger and opened its doors the following year, Fox6 reported, and has since welcomed generations of families, friends and golfers from throughout the Midwest and beyond for more than 95 years.
According to the news release, resort ownership today includes siblings, cousins, uncles and aunts. Because of the complexity of how the ownership structure has been spread out over family members, along with changing interests, the family has decided to list the property for sale, Fox6 reported.
“As anyone who has started and maintained a family business knows, putting Alpine up for sale was a really hard decision to make,” Emily Pitchford, a member of the Bertschinger family and part owner of Alpine Resort & Golf Course, said in the release. “The resort, this town and our guests are so intertwined with the Egg Harbor community. Alpine has been a part of our family and the community’s family for almost 100 years.”
While the property is listed for sale, it’s still business as usual for guests planning to visit the resort, Fox6 reported. Alpine Golf plans to open its doors for the 2018 season on May 1 (weather permitting) and the rest of the resort is still scheduled to open on May 25.
“We look forward to a busy season and welcoming guests to our beautiful community,” Pitchford. “Guests can expect the same warm welcome and service as they always have.”
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