Construction and Expansion Update

Except for the all-suite floor, all guest rooms in hte Tower opened last week, and all were booked for the Tim McGraw concert last Thurdsay. Work on the luxury VIP suites on the 20th floor continues, as crews have installed much of the wall covering and some of the floor coverings on the floor. Some of the suites have two-wall fireplaces and balconies overlooking the Central New York coutnryside. A marble-tiled stairway provides private access from the suite floor to the 21st floor, home of the resort's exclusive French restaurant. Up on hte 21st floor, an elliptical bar is in place, as are some fo the wall and floor coverings. The paid-membership restaurant will have semi-private booths seperated by heavy, gathered drapes, as well as small private dining room, a board room, and a game room. Floor-to-ceiling windows and spacious outdoor terraces offer panoramic views as far as Onieda Lake on a clear day. Down on the Tower's third floor, work continues on the new fitness center, which will be open to hotel guests and to paid members. The 65-foot lap pool and roomy hot tub are tiled, and gold undulating light fixtures have been installed over the pool. A 7-foot-high glass and tile wall conceals the service entrance to the pool area. Workers also are finishing up the locker rooms, a seperate stretching room, and the fitness room, which will feature flat-screen televisions and a full range of exercise equipment. When the fitness center opens, the current fitness area in the spa will be renovated into much-needed spa treatment rooms. Crews began erecting the frame for the ne SaVon store in Verona Beach last week. Pump stations, complete with canopies, are in place, and the parking lots and driveways have been shaped and blacktopped. The design of both the store and the site will allow for more convenient traffic flow and will triple the number of gas pumping stations available. The location also will offer deisel fuel. The new store will replace the existing location on Route 13, just south of Sylvan Beach, when it opens next spring.