Marylou Whitney Estate: Pservation and Development

Preservation, Conservation and Development

A proposal to divide the 121-acre Cady Hill estate of late Saratoga Springs philanthropist and socialite, Marylou Whitney into 39 rural residential lots has been submitted to Saratoga Springs’ planning board. 

The property was initially listed for 16 million in 2024 and has since dopped to $9.3 million from brokerage Julie & Co.

Daniel McGreevy of DBT Ventures LLC is listed as the applicant according to documents submitted to the planning board. 

“Although I’m not a full-time resident of Saratoga Springs, my wife and I are in the horse racing business, and we spend much of each summer season enjoying and admiring your beautiful town,” McGreevy wrote to the Saratoga Springs Planning Board. “The Marylou Whitney estate represents a rare opportunity to steward a piece of Saratoga’s heritage. Our goal is to preserve the prestige of her iconic homestead and the illustrious legacy of the Whitney estate. Any future development will be a respectful nod to its history, character and the historic thoroughbred racing tradition that helps define this region.”

At the Nov. 5 planning board meeting, representing attorney Mike Ingersoll indicated that around 70% of the property will be conserved with 30% of the land to be developed. 

The Cady Hill estate and surrounding buildings would be preserved on a 26.7-acre lot. The lot would allow for one property and/or up to six dwelling units, or uses such as a bed-and-breakfast, an inn or a private club.

During the meeting, Planning Board Chair Mark Pingel said the board intends to ask the City Council to designate the estate parcel as a landmark, placing it under the jurisdiction of the Design Review Board.

The board also told Ingersoll that it would prefer public roads within the development. 

“What we have here is a piece of property that could either be preserved and used properly, or somebody else could come in and do bad things to it,” Pingel said at the conclusion of the meeting. “Right now, I think this is very positive.”

This was the first of many public meetings; no formal action was taken. DBT Ventures is expected to refine their site plans before they return to the planning board.