Congel family drops price on sprawling Savannah Dhu retreat: $65 million was too high

Photo by John Berry 2002 Robert Congel, founder of The Pyramid Companies and the driving force behind Destiny USA stands on a stairway above the great room of his convention center Savannah Dhu.

4/17/02 The Savannah Dhu lodge owned by the Pyramid Cos. is a hunting lodge and conference center in Wayne County.

Al Campanie 4/13/02 A group meets in the the great room of Savannah Dhu while discussing green technology for the Destiny USA mall in 2002. In the upper left is a staind glass window depicting "Johnny Appleseed."

Photo by Stephen D. Cannerelli 3/25/07 Nearly 250 people attended the 23rd Annual Great Chef’s Dinner & Silent Auction to benefit the American Red Cross at Savannah Dhu. The first part of the program was held in the Pine Lodge where some of the 35 chefs prepared and served an assortment of foods.

Photo by John Berry 2002 Robert Congel, founder of The Pyramid Companies, talks about his next project, Destiny USA at Savannah Dhu in 2002.

Photo by Al Campanie 4/17/02 The Savannah Dhu Conference Center is decorated in outdoor themes, including mounts of game and Native American art.

Photo by John Berry 2002 With a golf course architecture book sitting on a foot rest, Robert Congel, founder of The Pyramid Cos., talks about his next project, Destiny USA at Savannah Dhu in 2002.

PHOTO BY STEPHEN D. CANNERELLI 10/22/03 Jonathan Dower (L) leasing representative for Pyramid Cos., talks with Doug Chojnowski, director of real estate for Rare Hospital International, at Pyramid's 2003 Fall ThEATery Symposium at Savannah Dhu.

PHOTO BY STEPHEN D. CANNERELLI 10/22/03 Robert Congel, left, and his son Scott, right, visit with guests during Pyramid Cos.' 2003 Fall ThEATery Symposium at Savannah Dhu.

Al Campanie 4/17/02 An exterior view of Savannah Dhu in 2002.

Photo by Al Campanie 4/13/02 Robert Congel speaks to guests attending a green technology conference at Savannah Dhu in 2002.

Photo by John Berry 2004 Bill Goldberg, professional wrestler and former NFL teammate of Tim Green (center), fishes with Green’s son Troy, 10, (left) and Green’s brother-in-law, Seth Wolkoff (right) during the Tim Green Invitational Fishing Derby at Lodge Lake at Savannah Dhu Conference Center in 2004. The event raised money for the Central New York Children’s Hospital at University Hospital.

Photo by Stephen D. Cannerelli 3/25/07 Nearly 250 people attended the 23rd Annual Great Chef’s Dinner & Silent Auction to benefit the American Red Cross at Savannah Dhu in 2007.

Photo by John Berry 2004 Tim Green laughs as fisherman try to maneuver their boats away from the docks at the start of the Tim Green Invitational Fishing Derby at Savannah Dhu in 2004.

PHOTO BY STEPHEN D. CANNERELLI 10/22/03 Carmen Spinosa, vice president of leasing for the Pyramid Cos., addresses the company's 2003 ThEATery Symposium at Savannah Dhu.

Photo by Stephen D. Cannerelli 3/25/07 Nearly 250 people attended the 23rd Annual Great Chef’s Dinner & Silent Auction to benefit the American Red Cross at Savannah Dhu in 2007. The first part of the program was held in the Pine Lodge where chefs such as Executive Chef Eric Rose of Sysco Food Services prepared and served an assortment of foods.

Photo by Stephen D. Cannerelli 3/25/07 Nearly 250 people attended the 23rd Annual Great Chef’s Dinner & Silent Auction to benefit the American Red Cross at Savannah Dhu. The second part of the program was held in the Conference Barn where the Silent Auction took place and dinner was served. Joe Basic of Cazenovia looks at one of the stuffed deer.

PHOTO BY STEPHEN D. CANNERELLI 10/22/03 Pyramid Cos. Vice President of Leasing, Carmen Spinoso is busy at work early in the morning during Pyramid's 2003 Fall ThEATery Symposium at Savannah Dhu.

Photo by Stephen D. Cannerelli 3/25/07 Nearly 250 people attended the 23rd Annual Great Chef’s Dinner & Silent Auction to benefit the American Red Cross at Savannah Dhu. J.D. and his wife Mary Delmonico of Skaneateles enjoy the sunshine on the deck overlooking Lodge Pond.

Photo by Al Campanie 4/13/02 Jon Picard, president of E squared Inc. presents ideas brought up by a break-out group he was in at the Savannah Dhu lodge in 2002.

PHOTO BY STEPHEN D. CANNERELLI 10/22/03 Scott Congel checks on his guests as they head out on a fishing trip during Pyramid Cos.' 2003 Fall ThEATery Symposium at Savannah Dhu.

Photo by Al Campanie 4/13/02 A break out group of experts in fields related to green technology gather Savannah Dhuin 2002 to discuss green technology for Destiny USA.

PHOTO BY STEPHEN D. CANNERELLI 6/28/06 The SolarBee Solar-Powered Reservoir Circulator helps spread oxygen and stabilize the water at Lodge Pond at Savannah Dhu. It is one of five units being used over four lakes and fifty ponds at Savannah Dhu.

Photo by Stephen D. Cannerelli 3/25/07 Nearly 250 people attended the 23rd Annual Great Chef’s Dinner & Silent Auction to benefit the American Red Cross at Savannah Dhu in 2007.

Photo by Stu Lisson 2003 From left, Tony Driver of the Buffalo Bills, Mike Yeunis from Anheuser Busch and Larry Harmon of Anheuser Busch participate in the Tim Green Invitational Fishing Tournament at Savannah Dhu in 2003.

PHOTO BY STEPHEN D. CANNERELLI 6/28/06 Pine Lodge (left) and the Conference Barn set along Lodge Pond which is one of four lakes and 50 ponds at Savannah Dhu.

PHOTO BY STEPHEN D. CANNERELLI 6/28/06 Bucky Lainhart, manager of Savannah Dhu, nets a fish on Lodge Pond at Savannah Dhu in 2006.

Photo by Al Campanie 4/17/02 Guests at Savannah Dhu can choose from racks of hunting clothing and boots.

PHOTO BY STEPHEN D. CANNERELLI 6/28/06 Bucky Lainhart, manager of Savannah Dhu, looks over Lodge Pond in 2006. .

PHOTO BY STEPHEN D. CANNERELLI 6/28/06 Dave Beasley, manager of fisheries at Savannah Dhu, drives an "electro" fishing boat on Lodge Pond in 2006. Behind him on shore is the Conference Barn.

Photo by Stu Lisson 2003 Groups participate in the Tim Green Invitational Fishing Tournament at Savannah Dhu in July 2003.

PHOTO BY STEPHEN D. CANNERELLI 10/22/03 Pyramid Chief Executive Officer Michael Bovalino guides the boat, while FRCH Design Worldwide's Vice President and Creative Director Steven Patrick McGowan casts line during early morning fishing outing at Pyramid's 2003 Fall ThEATery Symposium at Pyramid's Savannah Dhu.

PHOTO BY STEPHEN D. CANNERELLI 6/28/06 Dave Beasley, manager of fish hatcheries at Savannah Dhu, shows the Education Room at their fish hatcheries. The room has an aquarium and detailed descriptions of all of the fish that inhabit the ponds and lakes at Savannah Dhu.

Photo by Stephen D. Cannerelli 3/25/07 Nearly 250 people attended the 23rd Annual Great Chef’s Dinner & Silent Auction to benefit the American Red Cross at Savannah Dhu in 2007. (L-R) Chefs Jerry Perun and Eric Clingerman of Skaneateles Country Club cut up a wild boar. The boar was killed at Savannah Due by Chef John Melnyczuk of the Welcome Inn.

PHOTO BY STEPHEN D. CANNERELLI 6/28/06 Dave Beasley, manager of fisheries at Savannah Dhu, throws pellets to feed Blue Gill fish on Lodge Pond at Savannah Dhu in 2006. The Blue Gills are used as food for the larger bass.

Photo courtesy of Destiny USA This scene of the main lodge and conference center at Savannah Dhu was shown on the invitation to the Erie Canal Museum's Seventh Annual Autumn Gala Fundraiser.

Photo by John Berry 2002 Robert Congel, founder of The Pyramid Cos., is surrounded by a photo collection of his 17 grandchildren at Savannah Dhu in 2002.

Photo by Stephen D. Cannerelli 3/25/07 Nearly 250 people attended the 23rd Annual Great Chef’s Dinner & Silent Auction to benefit the American Red Cross at Savannah Dhu. Executive Chef Eric Rose of Sysco Food Services takes a picture of the first course before it is served.

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The price of Savannah Dhu -- the nearly 4,000-acre Upstate New York retreat owned by the late mall developer and Destiny USA owner Robert Congel -- has dropped by $16 million.

Savannah Dhu, Congel’s hunting lodge, conference center and general get-away in Wayne County was listed on the Select Sotheby’s International Realty website for $65 million when it went up for sale in 2019.

In June, the 3,929-acre property was still listed for $65 million. However, the Saratoga Springs real estate brokerage’s website was listing it for $49 million on Wednesday.

Lou Izzo, co-owner and president of the brokerage, declined to comment on the price drop. A spokesperson for Congel’s company, Syracuse-based Pyramid Management Group, did not respond to a request for comment.

The complex 38 miles west of Syracuse is spread over multiple parcels in the towns of Savannah and Galen. All are owned by corporate entities controlled by the Congel family, primarily through a business called Madeira Associates, according to Wayne County property records.

Congel’s shopping mall empire includes Syracuse’s Destiny USA, the largest mall in New York and one of the largest in the country. The developer died in February at the age of 85 after a long illness.

Congel began buying up land off Noble Road for the complex in the early 1980s and built Savannah Dhu on a private lake as a meeting place, family retreat and hunting preserve for himself and guests.

The main building is a four-story, 25,000-square-foot log cabin with 10 bedrooms, 10 full bathrooms and four half bathrooms, according to Sotheby’s. Amenities include a home theater, wine cellar, horse facilities, galley kitchen, gardens and four fireplaces.

The property also contains a multitude of smaller buildings with additional sleeping quarters and meeting spaces.

The developer held many conferences at Savannah Dhu for employees, consultants and public officials while planning the expansion of his Carousel Center mall in Syracuse into Destiny USA in the early 2000s.

Congel named the winding, private road leading into the complex Attitude Adjustment Road, hoping the drive along the heavily wooded property would encourage visitors to leave the outside world behind and think creatively.

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