Baraboo may be home to a new, 80-room resort hotel with 30 villas owned by Baraboo Bluff Hospitality LLC, according to the Wisconsin State Journal. The proposed resort would be situated on 17 acres north of Devil’s Lake State Park.
Bluff Hospitality owner Gregg McArthur and project developer Martin Cowie will host a public information session on Tuesday to discuss the project proposal. McArthur currently owns two of three land plots that would be used for the new resort and is in the process of purchasing the third. City tourism is expected to benefit from the resort, with a planned shuttle service providing transport to downtown Baraboo.
The 30 villas would be 1,700 square feet apiece and come fully furnished, with kitchens, bathrooms, living rooms, three to five bedrooms and outdoor patios with fire pits and green space. Hotel rooms would include choices to accommodate couples, families and large groups. The project would also feature a “Big Back Yard” patio gathering area with several fire pits, a green space and a large pond. The space would be reservable for corporate gatherings, weddings, family reunions and other events.
Plans also call for a full-service restaurant and event center that could seat up to roughly 150 people, a fully catered small conference room, a large pool, a fitness area, a spa and a game arcade.
Cowie said the resort could generate as much as $700,000 of annual room tax revenue, which the city of Baraboo, Baraboo Area Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Baraboo Inc. would share. The property could generate a potential $350,000 annually in property taxes as well.
The project has faced some opposition, with some residents from Devil’s Lake and Baraboo Bluffs forming the Devil’s Lake Community Preservation Alliance and advocating that the area’s nature and wildlife be preserved.
