HYDE PARK — Dutchess County could become the summer home of the New York Philharmonic.
In addition to building upon the region’s already rich arts legacy, the oldest symphony orchestra in the nation could boost tourism.
The Manhattan-based orchestra is considering a 339-acre parcel on Route 9 across from the Culinary Institute of America for its summer residence, said Hyde Park Supervisor Aileen Rohr and Joe Gaudio, a partner with T-Rex Capital Group of Stamford, Conn., which owns the land.
Rohr said Hyde Park is competing with Olana in Hudson, the state historic site and estate where Hudson River School painter Frederic Edwin Church once lived.
The New York Philharmonic has been around since 1842 and performs 180 concerts a year. It does not have a summer residence.
Katherine Johnson, a spokeswoman for the philharmonic, said in an email, “We cannot comment or confirm anything at this time.”
Plans being discussed for the property include a performance pavilion similar to Saratoga Performing Arts Center north of Albany, a 150-room hotel, restaurants, a residential property, and farming fields that would provide food for the restaurants.
Gaudio said the project carries a price tag of “several hundred million dollars” and would likely take three to five years to complete. A portion of the property would come off the tax rolls because the New York Philharmonic is a nonprofit organization, Rohr said.
A previous owner of the property secured town approvals for development that included residential and commercial property with a hotel, but financial challenges prevented the project from completion. Any new building plans would require Planning Board and Town Board approvals.
The philharmonic is conducting a feasibility study of Dutchess County expected to be complete in a “couple of weeks,” Gaudio said.
“I think anything that we can do to promote culture in our region is a draw for everyone,” said David Greenwood of Millbrook, who with his wife, Nan, has seen the New York Philharmonic perform often. The Greenwoods are also Hudson Valley Philharmonic subscribers.
Local officials said the New York Philharmonic would add to the region’s draw as a tourism attraction.
The proximity of the property to Metro-North train service and several tourist destinations — including the Walkway Over the Hudson and the President Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum — played a role in the philharmonic’s interest in the area, Rohr said.
The property is also a short drive from the Bardavon 1869 Opera House, The Chance and the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie — all of which host live music — as well as the Hudson River and the shops and restaurants of Rhinebeck.
Chris Silva, executive director of the Bardavon, which manages and presents the Hudson Valley Philharmonic, said there would be no competition between the orchestras because the Hudson Valley Philharmonic does not have a summer season.
“It would be great to have the New York Phil in Dutchess County,” Silva said. “They’re the New York Phil. They’re one of the greatest orchestras in the world.”
Silva added: “It seems odd that they would make that huge an investment up here when both Bethel Woods and (the Saratoga Performing Arts Center) are so close and have a history with classical music.”
Bethel Woods Center for the Arts is in Sullivan County.
“As we understand it, the New York Philharmonic is in the very early stages of a discussion with a developer for a potential site across the street from the CIA’s Hyde Park campus,” said Stephan Hengst, director of communications for the CIA. “We would certainly consider them a great potential neighbor and a welcome addition to the Hudson Valley community.”
State officials put the New York Philharmonic in touch with county officials regarding their search for a site. Officials with the orchestra then began to work with Ronald Hicks, the county’s deputy commissioner for strategic planning and development.
On the possibility of the philharmonic setting up shop in Dutchess, Hicks said, “I think it would be tremendous.”