SALAMANCA, N.Y. — The first of 28 new upscale cabins being constructed in Allegany State Park this year are starting to take shape on Parallel Trail.
The first 14 cabins are being built on Parallel Trail on the Quaker side of the park and come with all the amenities. They include an indoor bathroom with a shower, a kitchen with running water and two bedrooms.
Later this year, when the Quaker cabins are completed, the crews will move on to the Red House side of the park, where the 14 cabins will be built off Bova Road.
The $2.1 million public-private cabins project is designed to add to the lodging options in the park, according to Brad Whitcomb, Allegany Region director of the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, who visited the site last week.
The new cabins are designed to appeal to people who want a little more in their cabins — like running water with a bathroom and shower.
The 10 light-colored Fancher Cabins, which are located a short way on state park Route 3, were constructed more than 10 years ago as an alternative to the standard green cabins on a trail where you had to walk to the washhouse. They were larger, with a kitchen and dining room and living room area; two bedrooms; and an indoor bathroom with toilet, sink and shower. They were a hit from the start.
Park officials are convinced they’ll have no trouble renting the additional upscale cabins, based on the number of people who have tried unsuccessfully to rent the Fancher cabins up to nine months in advance.
While the cabins will be maintained by a private staff hired by the owners, ASP Partners LLC, a Westchester County lodging and management company, the reservations will continue to be taken through state park’s rental offices and online at www.ReserveAmerica.com.
The company responded to a request for proposals and bid on the $2.1 million upscale cabin project, and received a $420,000 grant from the Empire State Development Board.
Last fall, some Parallel Trail cabins were demolished to make way for the newer, upscale cabins. The company began clearing land for building the cabins and for infrastructure and utilities.
Construction on the second 14 cabins in a meadow along Bova Road in the Red House area will begin sometime in the fall.
They can be booked up to nine months in advance and cost $695 a week, or $173.75 for a night.
Two years ago, state parks officials sought to combine an attraction that included a zipline and new cabins in a similar public-private partnership. The project did not work out.
