Horton Says $1 Billion In Development Rising At McLemore Resort On Lookout Mountain

The developer of the McLemore resort on Lookout Mountain said the destination site is on track for as much as $1 billion in development with high tax benefits for Walker County, Ga., where most of the project is located.

Duane Horton, president of the Scenic Land Company, gave his first public overview of the expansive project in several years on Monday night at the Walker County Library in LaFayette.

Mr. Horton said the 245-room Curio by Hilton hotel, conference center and spa is halfway built and slated to open in February 2024. It will include over 25,000 square feet of conference space, a spa and fitness rooms, two restaurants and a cafe and a cliff edge swimming pool.

He said a second golf course will open at the same time.

Mr. Horton said the West View portion of the site will include a convenience store, hardware, retail, dining, an amphitheater for concerts, tennis courts, pickleball courts, a swimming pool, a golf training center, a chapel and formal gardens as well as a planned emergency response facility with a heli-pad that he said would serve the entire mountain.

West View is also to have a medical provider, and the developer is seeking to have a medical specialist locate a practice there as well.

A Golf Village of cottages is going up, and new homes being built. Mr. Horton said when he took over the property that people were walking away from some of the lots. He said one lot recently sold for $650,000 and a new home for $1,375,000.

Mr. Horton said the site was initially paying Walker County $315,000 per year in sales tax and that is already over $2 million counting the construction project. He said the hotel tax is up to $110,000 already from the Stay & Play program in which the attraction rents out 20 homes to incoming golfers.

A clubhouse with the Creag restaurant is already in operation. Mr. Horton said the restaurant is turning a profit.

He said he envisions that Walker County will be getting $3 million per year in tax income from McLemore after the project is built out.

Mr. Horton said, “The vision of our investors and board has allowed us to make a positive impact on the local tax base. Property values within McLemore and tourism numbers in the area have risen significantly over the past four years. This is good news for the people of Dade and Walker Counties and those working in tourism and hospitality in the region."

Walker County Commission Chairman Shannon Whitfield said the McLemore developers "have exceeded expectations in everything they said they were going to do. This has really become a destination site in Walker County. The opportunities it is providing are even larger than we ever thought."

The developer said over 400 jobs are anticipated to be created at McLemore by 2025. “We are extremely optimistic about employment growth and opportunities at McLemore. When we acquired the property in 2017, less than 50 individuals were employed at the location. Today, 150 employees work at McLemore. Our goal is to have 300 employees when The Cloudland Lodge opens in February 2024. That number will continue to grow as the McLemore community grows.”

Current employment opportunities at McLemore and The Cloudland Lodge "provide benefits to the citizens of Dade and Walker Counties, the McLemore Community, and families within the surrounding five-county region," he said.

Jobs at The Cloudland Lodge range from administrative and general, to sales and marketing, housekeeping, guest services, food and beverage, engineering, grounds maintenance, and other departments. Working with Valor Hospitality, a plan is in place to provide jobs that will offer competitive pay, healthcare, and 401(k) plans with a matching program, it was stated.

Marc Bauer, managing director of McLemore Club said, “Our goal is to provide jobs that will encourage career growth opportunities at an internationally recognized location. We plan to have 75 positions as the Lodge opens, with another 75-100 added as the success of the property grows.”

“I want to encourage anyone interested in employment at The Cloudland Lodge to stay up-to-date on news and information about the project by registering for quarterly progress updates that will include future job fairs,” noted Mr. Horton. (Sign up for updates HERE.)

“We are building a community that will offer an array of experiences for our guests as well as residents and members,” said Mr. Horton. “McLemore’s location is set within a population of over 14 million people living within a two-hour drive. It is an easy drive for our guests from Atlanta, Nashville, Birmingham and Huntsville, not to mention the 28 Fortune 500 companies headquartered within this two-hour radius. I am confident what is good for McLemore will be great for the region.”