The Bonura Hospitality Group has reached a contractual agreement to sell Anthony’s Pier 9, a well-known wedding and catering facility in the Town of New Windsor. The sale is expected to close in June 2021.
Bonura Hospitality Group will continue to operate its showcase facilities in the region, and will offer the Anthony’s Pier 9 customers the opportunity to move their events to other company locations. They include The Grandview in Poughkeepsie, Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel, Shadows on the Hudson in Poughkeepsie, West Hills Country Club in Middletown and a new outdoor venue on the Newburgh waterfront adjacent to Bonura’s Blu Pointe restaurant.
As part of the sale, all Anthony’s Pier 9 employees will retain their jobs. Anthony’s Pier 9 customers with events thru June 13 will still take place at the venue. Events after that date are invited to migrate their events to other Bonura Hospitality facilities. If they elect not to do so, their pre-payments will be refunded in full. Principal Joseph Bonura Jr. pointed to the pandemic as a prime reason for selling what has been a cornerstone of the family’s business since 1980.
“It has been an honor to help countless families celebrate special moments and we will continue to contribute to the Hudson Valley’s regional economy,” said Bonura Jr. “Unfortunately, sale of the venue means that Anthony’s Pier 9 is unable to host events on-site after June 13. We apologize for the inconvenience and are in the process of notifying affected parties. We hope that we will be able to host them at one of our other locations for their memorable events.”
Michael Bonura, also a Principal in the company, will retain fond memories of Anthony’s Pier 9. “This was our parents’ first catering facility and we have been proud to carry on that legacy,” Michael Bonura said.
The undisclosed purchaser intends to convert the 70,000-square-foot building on Route 9W into a motion picture production studio.
Amanda Dana, Orange County’s Director of Tourism and Film, envisions numerous economic opportunities created by the new use as a film set. “The positive economic impact of film production is enormous, and without a doubt, provides hundreds, if not thousands, of skilled jobs locally. It also puts much needed revenue back into the local economy,” Dana said. “Orange County is a natural attractor for many large productions on account of our proximity to New York City, the New York State Film Tax Credit and because of the abundance of diverse locations to film. The Town of New Windsor has a great opportunity to embrace this industry. The repurposing of this valuable commercial property to a production studio is very timely as we are experiencing exponential growth in the film sector. We are incredibly excited to see this project come to fruition.”
Expansion at West Hills Country Club and Job Opportunities
The Anthony’s Pier 9 announcement included news about the continued evolution of Bonura Hospitality Group: A $40 million investment at West Hills Country Club in Middletown and, across its operations, the addition of 400 jobs.
“We are excited that we will be making West Hills even more of a premier property by adding 158 multifamily market-rate apartments on the golf course and improving existing facilities, including the golf course, restaurant and catering facilities,” Bonura Jr. said, noting that groundbreaking will take place next month with construction completion in late 2022. “Our goals are to create additional revenue streams so West Hills can sustain as an outstanding, well-regarded facility and property, and grow into the future.”
Bonura Jr. added that West Hills’ residences will be modeled on Bonura Hospitality Group’s very successful Water Club apartments, providing a luxury living experience across from Shadows on the Hudson and The Grandview, steps away from the Poughkeepsie waterfront.