FivePine 'campus' underway

The FivePine campus being developed on the east side of town will soon include a lodge and conference center, which will add to the already existing workout facility, spa and movie house located on the site.

The lodge will have 24 cottages and eight rooms and will have upscale amenities such as Japanese soaking tubs, said Mark Yoakum, General Manager of FivePine Lodge and Conference Center.

The conference center will have 4,500 square feet of meeting space and there will be outdoor space for gatherings, such as weddings. There are also walking and biking trails visitors can use on the campus. The lodge and conference center is ideal for small group retreats because of its integrated design with the spa, state-of-the-art workout facility and movie theater, Yoakum said.

"Nothing will be exclusive, but the price will reflect the quality," Yoakum said.

A restaurant will be added to the campus within the next year, Yoakum said, and catering for events and meetings at the conference center will be available.

The lodge and conference center, which Yoakum anticipates will be open next February, is geared to attract more visitors to the Sisters area in the tourism off-season from October to May.

"We're hoping small groups come and stay two, three or four nights, which will help the business community," he said. "We're encouraging people to come into Sisters during the off-season and utilize the conference center."

The owner of FivePine, Bill Willitts, took special care in keeping the old growth ponderosa pine trees surrounding the 15-acre campus intact, Yoakum said.

"It's easier to just mow them down and build, but we spent a lot of money to maintain the old growth trees," he said.

The FivePine campus, which already houses Shibui, a spa, Sisters Athletic Club and Sisters Movie House has vacant commercial lots that will be filled in the future.

FivePine Lodge and Conference Center will work with Aspen Lakes Golf Course to offer golfing packages.

Yoakum said that FivePine's executives will give back to the community through working with local non-profit organizations. They already have a working relationship with the Sparrow Club, a local organization that raises funds for children with debilitating and life-threatening illnesses, he said.