A planned major redevelopment at Toftrees Golf Resort took a notable step forward this week with the help of Patton Township’s Board of Supervisors.
At its meeting on Thursday, the board unanimously adopted a zoning ordinance change that will aid the development of the resort’s estimated $50 million expansion and upgrade project. The code changes will enable increased building height and residential dwellings in the area.
Reflecting the initial requests of the project’s developers, the approved zoning ordinance will increase the maximum building height from 50 feet to 75 feet on the resort property only. It also increases the number of permitted residential units within the Toftrees Planned Community, paving the way for the construction of 50 new homes within the 140,000-square-foot resort’s jurisdiction near the end of Country Club Drive.
Increased allowable building height will enable better stormwater management at the 50-year-old resort, Bob Poole, the managing member of resort owner State College Friends, LLC, previously told the board. It would also help increase the property’s green space and present a more efficient experience within the hotel for its guests and staff.
The proposed 50 residential units will be constructed separately from the hotel but within the Toftrees resort property. While no residential units currently reside on the property, planned dwellings are expected to help reduce the overall costs of the redevelopment project. Before the zoning ordinance received approval, the number of residential units within the overall Toftrees Planned Community — which contains several housing developments — was capped at 4,690.
At Thursday night’s board meeting, Tony Fruchtl, a PennTerra Engineering representative who’s working on the project, spoke in favor of the zoning code revisions.
“We looked at the ordinances proposed, and it seems to capture exactly what we were requesting and serves the purpose,” he said. “I think we had shown what this is going to look like and really think it will be a benefit to the Toftrees community.”
First unveiled last summer, the Toftrees resort redevelopment project seeks to expand and upgrade the resort’s facilities. Plans currently call for a conference center, an expanded meeting space, a 4,000-square-foot luxury spa, a restaurant, a private dining room, a new clubhouse for the golf course and 154 hotel rooms.
Once completed, the new hotel is expected to join Marriott’s Autograph Collection of independently operated luxury hotels, Poole said in September.
The redevelopment project would also significantly alter the property’s landscape. Sketch plans presented to the Patton Township Board of Supervisors called for a new pool, expanded courtyards, outdoor fountains and several purpose-specific lawns, including grass spaces reserved for events and weddings.
The project would demolish the existing 102-room hotel at 1 Country Club Lane and construct a new lodge in its place. Aside from the hotel, the resort currently boasts several event spaces, an 18-hole golf course and pro shop and The Field Burger & Tap restaurant, as well. Sketch plans show space for The Field in the new facility.
A summary of the project’s plans submitted last fall said the redevelopment would create an additional 137 full-time jobs for the resort, representing more than $7 million in annual employee wage compensation. The project would also necessitate nearly 400 temporary construction jobs that would generate approximately $26.4 million in labor income.
While some zoning hurdles are no longer a concern for the project, its developers aren’t yet ready to kick off construction just yet. The project must still receive approval on a final land development plan, among other needs. A timeline for plan submission, and the redevelopment project as a whole, remains unclear for now.
In October, the redevelopment project received a notable boost in the form of a $2.5 million state grant through Pennsylvania’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program. The funds will support selected demolition, infrastructure improvements, utilities, landscaping, lighting and other site work.
StateCollege.com editor Geoff Rushton contributed to this report.
