Team Chosen to Develop Belchertown School Site

Destination Resort Spa - the Quabbin Resort Development

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. October 14, 2008

BELCHERTOWN, MA, August 31, 2006. Bridgeland Development Massachusetts LLC is proud to announce the completion of a major step in the redevelopment of the former Belchertown State School site for the new Destination Resort Spa - Quabbin Resort Development. Top consulting, construction management and design firms have been secured from Chicago, IL to Boston, MA.

"I'm really excited about the team we've put together and honored that they are, in turn, very enthusiastic about this unique mixed-use project," said Paul T. McDermott, President of Bridgeland Development Massachusetts LLC. "We have some of the top consultants in the state that really know the ins and outs of District Improvement Financing (DIF), Massachusetts Environmental Protection Act (MEPA), Massachusetts Historic Commission (MHC) and many other areas of funding, conservation, environmental and historical issues that will certainly concern us as we bring this project carefully to fruition."

McDermott adds that the "team" really includes the local legislative body, directors of the Belchertown Economic Development Corporation (BEDIC), Town officials of Belchertown, and the Town departments that will be assisting the Master Developer and Project Team over the next three years.

The Team Includes:

Paul McDermott, President, Bridgeland Development Massachusetts LLC; Chicago, IL

Elizabeth Taras, Communications Director; Bridgeland Development Massachusetts LLC; Belchertown, MA

The IBIS Group, Inc.; West Chicago, IL

Legat Architects; Chicago, IL

Gilbane Building Company; Providence, RI

Carol R. Johnson Associates Inc.; Boston, MA

Ford Gillen Architects; Amherst, MA

McCabe Enterprises; Boston, MA

Epsilon Associates; Maynard, MA

Bacon & Wilson PC; Springfield, MA

Scibelli & Associates Consulting

Thornton Tomasetti; Boston, MA

Judith Nitsch Engineering; Boston, MA

Haley & Aldrich; Boston, MA

Vanasse Hangen Brustlin; Springfield, MA

Holmberg & Howe; Easthampton & North Chelmsford, MA

Special thanks go to the Directors of the BEDIC, Town Administrator Gary Brougham and Members of the Belchertown Select Board and other Town departments for their extra time and attention to this ambitious and exciting project. Bridgeland Development Massachusetts LLC will also be working closely with local legislators, Sen. Stan Rosenberg, Sen. Brian Lees, Rep. Tom Petrolati and Rep. Stephen Kulik.

The project, in concept, is an $85-$100 million mixed-use 100 acre development anchored by the Hotel Resort and Spa, a new construction health and wellness themed facility that will overlook the New England Small Farm Institute (NESFI) land, forested areas and the scenic Mt. Holyoke Range to the Northwest. The project will involve a combination of adaptive reuse and remediation of existing buildings, new construction and extensive landscaping and overall site improvements. New uses of property will range from the central hotel component to a wellness center, indoor and outdoor spa and recreation facilities, an equestrian complex, small business development opportunities, retail, restaurant and office components and enhanced park and recreation areas that all will be able to enjoy Quabbin Resort Development

Anticipated Facilities and Amenities:

o 200-300 room Hotel & Spa

o Conference & Banquet Center

o Hospital-affiliated Health and Wellness Center

o Sports Performance Center

o 200 Stall Equestrian Center

o Multi-Use Medical / Office Building

o Restaurants

o Boutique Retail Facilities

o Museum

o Recreational activities including miles of walking bicycling, horseback riding, and cross country ski trails, as well as canoeing, fishing, swimming, and tennis

In less than a year, two independent and comprehensive Market Feasibility Studies have suggested the Quabbin Resort Development, overlooking the Mt. Holyoke Range and the 400-acre New England Small Farm Institute, will be a favored destination of spa goers, families, equestrian enthusiasts, and those wishing to enrich and improve their lives in a variety of unique ways, both traditional and non-traditional.

Bridgeland Development LLC and BEDIC Directors signed a Memorandum of Agreement and a Purchase and Sale Agreement in May 2006 and a development plan is near completion for an early Fall 2006 closing. 272 acres of the former Belchertown State School campus were sold to the BEDIC in 2002 for the amount of $10. Since that time, several acres on the south end of Parcel B, as it is known, have been sold for local business. The remaining 156 acres will be home to the unique mixed-use development that will feature a 200 - 400 room resort hotel & spa, a Conference & Banquet Center, a 200-stall Equestrian Center, a 60,000 - 100,000 square foot hospital-affiliated Wellness Center and a Sports Performance Center as well as recreation and healing-focused businesses and attractions.

Demolition and remediation of the current site facilities is anticipated to start in Fall 2007 with new construction slated for the early Spring of 2008. A Grand Opening is expected in Summer 2009. A web site is currently being constructed. Tours of the site are available to media by appointment.