The town of Long Lake has been named the sole beneficiary of any proceeds earned by the expected sale of a 36,600-acre property in the central Adirondacks previously owned by Saratoga socialite Marylou Whitney.
The town announced the news in a release issued Saturday.
"It is totally unexpected, amazing, and will provide incredible opportunities for our community that will have a profound and positive impact for generations to come," said Long Lake Supervisor Clay Arsenault.
The property, known as Whitney Park, is one of the largest privately owned tracts of land in the park.
Whitney originally owned about 50,000 acres of land in the Adirondacks. In 1997, she sold about 15,000 acres to New York state for $17 million. That property is now known as the William C. Whitney Wilderness Area.
Environmentalists have been urging Gov. Kathy Hochul to add the remaining 36,000 acres to the Forest Preserve, but since Whitney's death in 2019, her husband, John Hendrickson, said he was not interested in selling any remaining acres to the state.
Hendrickson believed the state had mismanaged the Whitney Wilderness Area. In 2020, Hendrickson listed the remaining 36,000-acre property for $180 million.
Hendrickson later considered subdividing the property and selling portions to developers, though that plan did not come to fruition. According to the town of Long Lake, the property is now listed for more than $100 million.
It's unclear how many interested buyers the property has attracted since it was originally listed in 2020. According to a press release, Hendrickson's estate will continue to manage the marketing and sale of the property. Once it is sold, the proceeds will then be gifted to the town of Long Lake.
“My colleagues and I will treat this gift with the respect it deserves," Arsenault said. "Even though it may take several years for Long Lake to receive funds, we will immediately start thinking about how we will manage this gift in a way that is responsible, transparent, and faithful to John’s memory."
