$1B development on Lookout Mountain is making progress

The massive construction project at McLemore resort on Lookout Mountain in northwestern Georgia is coming along.

In his first public overview of the project, Duane Horton with Scenic Land Company said the 245-room Curio by Hilton hotel, conference center and spa is halfway built and on track to open in February 2024, the Chattanoogan reported. The $1 billion development will have two restaurants, a cafe and a cliff-edge swimming pool. Also, a second golf course will open around the same time.

McLemore is located at 32 Clubhouse Lane, Rising Fawn, GA (McLemore)

The “West View” portion of the resort will include a convenience store, hardware, retail, dining, concert amphitheater, tennis and pickleball courts, a golf training center, chapel and formal gardens. There will also be a planned emergency response facility that will serve the entire mountain. In addition to a heli-pad, Horton said they also plan to have a medical provider and specialist on site.

The residential portion of the resort — a Golf Village of cottages — is currently being built, while homes are also being built on sold parcels of land. Horton said one lot recently sold for $650,000 and a home sold for $1.4 million.

Since the resort began operation, Walker County has already collected $2 million in taxes, with an annual take of around $315,000. Once the resort is completed, Horton expects it to generate as much as $3 million per year in tax income for the county.

McLemore resort on Lookout Mountain and Duane Horton with Scenic Land Company (LinkedIn, )

“Property values within McLemore and tourism numbers in the area have risen significantly over the past four years,” Horton told the outlet. “The vision of our investors and board has allowed us to make a positive impact on the local tax base.”

Horton said the property had less than 50 workers in 2017 and now has 150. The resort is ultimately expected to create more than 400 jobs.

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