Doral Arrowwood Wants to Add Tennis Courts, Year-Round Restaurant

The Doral Arrowwood Hotel and Conference Center is seeking permission from the Rye Brook Village Board to modify its facilities to add three new tennis courts and a year-round restaurant.

Representatives from Doral Arrowwood presented a sketch plan review to the board Tuesday night, the first part of a multi-phase application process that would allow the company to demolish two buildings on the property and build a new two-story building and covered tennis courts in a different location.

The new building would include new locker rooms, a pro shop, snack bar and a rebuilt Mulligan's restaurant. "We'd reconstruct Mulligan's to handle a larger seating capacity and operate all year round," said Joseph Cracco, the project architect and owner of the Cumberland, R.I.-based company Modern Yankee Builders.

Bruno J. Gioffre, Doral Arrowwood's attorney, said by adding tennis courts the company is responding to the rising popularity of tennis and a drop off in golf, in large part because it's so expensive.

The three new tennis courts would have a removable cover to allow them to stay open throughout the year. Doral Arrowwood Vice President Don Wentworth touted the on-site tennis teaching academy, with several former Association of American Tennis Professionals pro players on staff. Both the tennis courts and golf course are open to the public.

At this point, the biggest concern about the project is the visual impact the new structures would have on surrounding neighborhoods, said Mayor Joan Feinstein. Wentworth said the company sent up hot-air balloons to make sure the buildings could not be seen from Doral Greens.

Trustee Paul Rosenberg noted that the revamped Mulligan's restaurant, planned for the second floor of the new building, would not have outside seating.

"As someone who's dined outside at Mulligan's many times, I'm sort of saddened by the fact there would be no outside seating," Rosenberg said. He asked if the building plan could be changed so Mulligan's would be located on the first floor and allow outdoor seating. Wentworth said they would take that into consideration when creating a second site plan.

The board referred the company's proposal to the Village Planning Board for consideration.