The Catskill Resort Group owns the Concord Resort in KiameshaLake and Grossinger Resort in Liberty. The Catskill area inSullivan County had been a haven for weekend sojourns andtop-flight entertainers in years past. However, this region, aswell as its former Borscht Belt resorts, has fallen on hard times.For the past several years, many local leaders have been trying toget legislation passed that would legalize casino gambling as ameans of revitalizing the tourist trade here. In addition, severalproposals are now on the drawing boards for Indian casinos in theCatskills.

However, Cappelli consistently states that his projects at theConcord and Grossingers will succeed on their own and will notrequire casinos as an attraction.

In announcing his grant recipients, Cappelli says, "We arecommitted to contributing to the economic resurgence of SullivanCounty. This is a very exciting time for Sullivan County, which, webelieve, is on the brink of a major economic revitalization. We arehopeful that these grants will help to maintain and improve thequality of life in Sullivan County for its residents andworkforce."