Photo by Jesse Winters
By Maureen Werther
Since moving to the area full-time from New Jersey, Greg Gross, owner of the Whitehall Athletic Club and Whitehall Field Club, has invested more than $2 million to date in the purchase and renovations of the historic Whitehall Armory and the former golf course located 1.5 miles from the club.
In 2009, Gross bought and incorporated the local golf facility, renaming it the Whitehall Field Club. Gross then bought the historic armory from New York state at auction in 2011 and re-opened it as the Whitehall Athletic Club in January 2012.
“We were operational right away,” said Gross, adding that the restorations and updating took 14 months to complete.
“We re-plastered, re-painted, and installed new hardwood flooring,” said Gross.
The armory renovations include a customer bar, a full-service fitness center, male and female steam rooms, three living room areas with pool tables, fireplaces and other amenities, and banquet facilities that accommodate up to 700 guests.
Gross estimated that, since opening, the restored building has accommodated more than 20,000 people. The Drill Hall is approximately 12,000 square feet and has a 700-person capacity. Since opening, the Athletic Club has been used for weddings, parties, corporate dinners and banquets and other celebrations.
There is a full-size commercial kitchen located in the armory itself, and the club offers a full dinner service for members on Friday nights, as well as a food and bar service on Sundays during football season.
Gross has also succeeded in transforming the facility into a venue for live sporting events, such as wrestling and other indoor sports. He said that, since 2014, there have been more than 40 live events and Gross anticipates continued interest in his facility as its reputation grows.
The nearby field club includes a modified and restored pistol and rifle range and a plantation-style clubhouse. When Gross took over the property, he originally constructed a six-hole golf course. He recently expanded to a nine-hole course.
Gross has also opened the armory to Whitehall High School athletes, who use the facility for indoor track, basketball and other sport practice.
Gross said that the athletic club and the field club have succeeded in driving thousands of people to the village of Whitehall, which is a 25-minute drive from the Northway and approximately 45 minutes from Rutland, Vt.
“We are making a significant impact on the local economy,” said Gross.
Gross said business is coming from Ticonderoga, Glens Falls and Queensbury and Rutland and he expects to begin seeing business coming from as far south as Saratoga and Albany in the near future.