Originally published Saturday, August 23, 2008 at 12:00 AM
Rosario Resort to close Oct. 20
The venerable Rosario Resort and Spa on Orcas Island will close Oct. 20, three weeks after it is scheduled to be sold at auction. What happens to the resort's 195 workers after that is very much up in the air.
Seattle Times business reporter
The venerable Rosario Resort and Spa on Orcas Island will close Oct. 20, three weeks after it is scheduled to be sold at auction. What happens to the resort's 195 workers after that is very much up in the air.
The resort's present owner, Olympus Real Estate Partners, of Dallas, has filed a formal notice with the state Employment Security Department that Rosario's work force would be permanently laid off as of that date.
However, an Olympus spokesperson said that was intended mainly to give the new owners, whomever they are, a free hand in operating and redeveloping the 73.8 acre property.
Olympus, which has owned Rosario since 1998, recently obtained approval from San Juan County for a "resort master plan" to guide Rosario's development. That approval would pass to the new owners, should they choose to follow the plan.
The resort's centerpiece is the 25,000-square-foot Moran Mansion, built in 1909 by former Seattle Mayor Robert Moran. The property has 131 rooms and suites in 10 buildings, as well as a 30-slip marina.
The redevelopment master plan envisions 221 lodging units at full build-out, including waterfront cottages, condominiums and a new upscale hotel, along with new shops, restaurants and an expanded spa and fitness center.
Looky-loos are out of luck: The auction, set for 1 p.m. Sept. 30, is open only to qualified bidders. Would-be owners must, among other things, submit financial information showing that they can actually afford to buy the resort, and bring a $250,000 cashier's check.
Drew DeSilver: 206-464-3145 or ddesilver@seattletimes.com
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
An 802.11n upgrade could make a big difference
Retailers opening doors on Thanksgiving Day
Google makes concessions on digital book deal
Critics want to block Comcast-NBC deal
Google submits revised book settlement

Opening day at Crystal Mountain
Skiers crowded the slopes at Crystal Mountain for one of the resort's earliest openings.
nwjobs

Post a comment

Michelle Goodman blogs about work/life balance.
How to tell your office you're gravely ill
Post a comment
nwautos

Choosing a new sedan? Weigh the impact of your choice on your wallet and on the planet.
Post a comment
- Homeless man, 46, arrested in Greenwood arsons
- KVI talk radio host off the air as of Thursday
- Steve Kelley | ESPN's Bill Simmons gets us: He hates Clay Bennett, too
- Police investigate videotaped arrest
- Seattle U. Men's Hoops | Big recruit goes from Huskies to Redhawks
- Mariners sign Jack Wilson to 2-year contract
- Razor found in muffin an accident, 'mortified' baker says
- Suspect's family shaken by slaying of police officer
- Mountlake Terrace woman reports razor in muffin
- Man says he will protest city's gun ban by carrying gun into community center
- Police investigate videotaped arrest
634 - Seattle man to pack a pistol into community center to protest mayor's ban
284 - OSU game thread
203 - Light rail to airport to begin Dec. 19
178 - KVI talk radio host off the air as of Thursday
143 - Mariners sign Jack Wilson to 2-year contract
140 - Wright State game thread
97 - NYC trial for 9/11 suspects poses risks
90 - Rang says Locker not ready for NFL
85 - Wilson "really, really excited to be back in Seattle"
80
- Light rail to airport to begin Dec. 19
- Homeless man, 46, arrested in Greenwood arsons
- Ivar's undersea billboards a hoax devised as marketing ploy
- Light rail to airport to begin Dec. 19
- Steve Kelley | ESPN's Bill Simmons gets us: He hates Clay Bennett, too
- An 802.11n upgrade could make a big difference
- KVI talk radio host off the air as of Thursday
- Washington in race for federal education funds
- Police investigate videotaped arrest
- Goodwill's Glitter Sale is Nov. 14-15








