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Owner of Old Silo seeks support for ambitious project

9/23/2016

By Tom Marshall
Senior Advocate writer

Old Silo Golf Course owner Stephen Howard hosted a meeting of local leaders last Thursday to seek public support for an ambitious project called Walnut Grove.

He envisions a development that will include not only the nationally recognized golf course, but any one of a number of additional features, including, but not limited to, nostalgic dining, a golf school, swimming pool, tennis, lodging accommodations, a bourbon experience and possible distillery, an activity center, executive housing, senior housing, water park, stables, archery/sports fields, community-based agriculture, retired thoroughbreds, retreat cabins, walking/biking trails and footgolf.
The projected budget range is $21,990,000 to $29 million, but Howard said it could be completed in phases.

The first phase would include lodging, a swimming pool and efforts to be included along the state’s Bourbon Trail, possibly with the addition of a local distillery.

A cross section of about 25 community leaders attended the meeting, including Mt. Sterling Mayor Gary Williamson, state Rep. David Hale, industrial authority/chamber of commerce director Sandy Romenesko, tourism director Tracy Pearce, Gail Wright, director of the Gateway Area Development District, and local finance and development representatives.

Howard said the project is more than just about saving the financially struggling golf course, but creating a destination that will appeal to visitors everywhere.

“We want it to not just be a local project, but a regional, state and national opportunity,” Howard told those in attendance.
Howard, local businessman Vance Evans, whose family owned the farm where Old Silo is located, and Geoff Dunn of The Advocacy Group, said they were holding the meeting to establish the viability of such a project and seek public support.

They said they want the public’s input into what the community’s needs, wants and desires are for the community.

“We want you to think about what Mt. Sterling can be above and beyond other counties,” Evans said.

In order to make the vision a reality, there are several steps to be completed, according to promotional materials presented to the audience.

First would be improvements to the golf course with the help of national golf course professionals. Davey Golf, a golf course maintenance, consulting and management firm, has reportedly expressed interest in being a strategic partner.

Legendary Marketing has also expressed interest in being an integral part of promoting the new vision, Howard said.
Next, significant updates to the clubhouse would be made in order to accommodate a dining experience unique to the area. Evans’s grandparents, Winfred and Nina Alley, owned and operated the Well-Come Inn in Mt. Sterling for decades. Discussions are taking place on how to bring back this nostalgia and create an experience that is uniquely Mt. Sterling’s, promotional materials say.

Other amenities, starting with a pool and lodging, are among the amenities being considered.

The group estimates the addition of lodging accommodations at $5 million to $7 million.

“It is our desire to create the finest lodging experience east of Lexington to the mountains of West Virginia,” promotional materials say.
Dunn noted that the golf course is located just off Interstate 64 within 30 minutes of many major local attractions, where the development could become a major draw.

Two of those attractions the community has underutilized to its advantage, the men said, are the proximity to Cave Run Lake and the Red River Gorge. Both continue to draw considerable tourism, of which Mt. Sterling needs to capitalize, they said.

Another priority, the men said, would be getting Mt. Sterling recognized as the first stop coming east on the famed Bourbon Trail. They discussed the possibility of locating a small batch bourbon distillery to increase the attraction.

Promotional materials state that Proof Media Mix would be instrumental in this branding initiative.

The proposal drew some support from those in attendance.
“It could be a dream come true,” Pearce said.
Local businessman Jack Razor said he can envision the community becoming a regional business center and hub for distribution with the addition of more activities for its citizenry.
He said the proposal is one of the best ideas for the community he’d seen in some time.

“Something like this could be the start of it,” Razor said.
Hale offered his support and said he really likes the idea of the community becoming another place to visit for those who enjoy the Red River Gorge and Cave Run Lake.

“I really see great opportunity to incorporate them both,” he said.
Dunn said the group will be meeting individually with local community partners to talk specifics about the project.
After meeting with them, Dunn said the group would like to formulate a plan that can be 50 to 70 percent complete by the first of the year.
“We want to make sure the community is behind it and what we have here,” he said.

Dunn said the group will also being going after tourism and economic development money from the state.