Jun 03, 2025 —
A developer from Texas is set to purchase the 36,000-acre Whitney estate in the heart of the Adirondacks. The property was formerly owned by Saratoga socialite Marylou Whitney, who died in 2019 and left it to her husband, John Hendrickson.
He died unexpectedly last summer when he was 59 years old. The property near Long Lake was on the market for $125 million.
The developer, Todd Interests, plans to build a luxury resort, which environmentalists say is a devastating loss to the park’s forest preserve. The Adirondack Explorer’s Jim Odato spoke with developer Shawn Todd and broke the story on Monday.
Emily RussellTexas developer plans to buy 36,000-acre Whitney estate and build a resort
Whitney Park encompasses 36,600 acres in the central Adirondacks, just west of the town of Long Lake. Photo: Nancie Battaglia
EMILY RUSSELL: So, from your conversation with Chairman Shawn Todd, what are his hopes and intentions for the Whitney property?
JIM ODATO: What his intentions for this property and also for Cady Hill in Saratoga Springs, which he’s also under contract to purchase- the mansion where Marylou Whitney and John Hendrickson lived, is to try to maximize, not totally maximize, but maximize the investments and make them into destinations that other people can use and to bring in golfing opportunities, fine dining, potentially a hotel, lodging, and make it available to people who want to experience the Adirondacks. He’s likened it to The Point on Upper Saranac Lake, which is an exclusive Great Camp kind of setting with everything available to you that you can imagine and beauty and splendor.
He’s starting with a pretty good start because there’s already two beautiful Great Camps on that property, including Deer Lands, which has 17 bedrooms and 11 bathrooms and other cabins as well as another Great Camp that John Hendrickson purchased not that long ago.
RUSSELL: So, Whitney Park is in a pretty remote part of the Adirondacks. When you were talking to Shawn Todd, did you get the sense that he understood that The Point on Upper Saranac Lake is just a lot closer to an airport and amenities and things like that. So, how realistic is it that a developer is going to be able to bring in and build the infrastructure and hire the workers and attract the visitors to make this a reality?
ODATO: Yeah, you know, he hasn’t shown his business plan to me, but I understand what you’re saying because that is a remote area, the nearest town is Long Lake and this has 800 inhabitants. But he thinks that they’re could be some opportunities. For instance, he thinks that a workforce that might work at Saratoga Springs and/or at Whitney Park could interact and perhaps move between each location. He thinks that the airport near Saranac Lake is a good feeder and the Albany Airport is a good feeder to get people into the Adirondacks and to Saratoga Springs perhaps as a stopover on their way up.
He also wants to build some employee housing. So, he thinks that perhaps he can get some students from Paul Smith’s College or elsewhere, some chefs, some groundskeepers who will see this as a pretty unique opportunity and might be interested in being part of it. But yeah, it’s his sell and it’s his challenge, but you’re right, it is a challenge. I mean, existing employers have a difficult time enough finding and retaining workers.
The Whitney Park tract encompasses 22 Adirondack lakes and ponds in its 36,000 acres. Royalty-free stock photo: Pxfuel
RUSSELL: What have you heard from environmentalists about this news? That’s something that they been pushing the state to protect the 36,000 acres for years now. So what have you heard about that?
ODATO: Well, it’s been a letdown. Eight environmental groups wrote to Gov. Kathy Hochul shortly after John Hendrickson passed away last summer, they gave it a little bit of time and then wrote a letter to Albany saying, ‘Hey, please, Governor Hochul, do what you can to try to take possession of this unique parcel.’ It is the last great private holding available in the Adirondacks.
According to Edward Hendricksen, he had never heard a word from the state during the time that he’s been in charge of the property. And he said he’d spoke to John, his brother, just about every day and John never got approached by the state either. And the property’s been available for sale for several years. So the environmental community is dejected and somewhat disappointed in the state government as well, because they didn’t act. However, I’m not so sure that they would have been successful because John was not thrilled with the idea of having Whitney Park in the hands of the state government.
RUSSELL: So, the net proceeds from the property sale will go to the town of Long Lake, that was laid out in John Hendricksen’s will. What have you heard from local officials in Long Lake after learning the news of the pending sale?
ODATO: Well, Town Supervisor Clay Arsenault of Long Lake, first of all, was beside himself when he found out that John Hendrickson had bequeathed the net proceeds of the sale to the town of Long Lake and he did meet last Wednesday with Shawn Todd. It was a relatively brief meeting and he got an idea as to what kind of resort Todd envisioned for Whitney Park. He says, “Hey look, we’re staying out of it. This is a private transaction. The town has no business in it. We will take a look at what the proposal is and react appropriately and fairly when it comes out,’ but right now, Arsenault only has a general understanding that it’s going to be, some sort of resort and development. According to Ed Hendricksen, his understanding is that 1,000 to 1,500 acres out of 36,000 will be developed, so it’s kind of a small percentage of the overall tract, but it’s going to change. It’s not going to be the way it’s exactly it’s been for so many years.
