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.

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