Sally Port View event center opens on Three Mile Bay

Apr. 21—THREE MILE BAY — When K.C. Bennett first purchased a 57-acre plot on the Lake Ontario shoreline in Three Mile Bay, he had not envisioned it becoming a 13,000-square-foot event center towering above the water. Construction of the project began in 2022, and this past Friday and Saturday marked the Grand Opening.

The center's name, Sally Port View, comes from an unmistakable military style feature — called a Sally port — that guards entrance to the facility at the base of a tall viewing tower.

Bennett, an Army veteran, lived inside a Sally port for a period while he was serving, inspiring the architectural choice.

Bennett's ties to the north country are also a result of being in the Army. Bennett's first duty station was Fort Drum. After he arrived there 20 years ago, he met his wife, Sara Bennett, a north country native.

The two have since moved around, following Bennett's path in the Army, and later, his career, but they decided to settle back to the place that they consider home.

Originally, their idea for the project had been to build a wedding barn.

"The more we thought about it, we were like, 'is that the best way to capitalize the view?'" Bennett said.

Twelve hundred feet of shoreline along a shallow cove forms the southwestern border of the property. People can wade hundreds of feet out from the shore and comb over the limestone rock to find fossils.

Bennett said, "The reason we are doing this is because of that view, or we wouldn't be doing it at all."

They decided that it was best to go big, with a design that would maximize the ability to see the water.

A 4300-square-foot main hall does exactly that, with glass spanning nearly the entire side facing the bay, and a covered wraparound porch on the outside that can be heated during colder months.

On the inside the hall is where most of the action will be happening. It will be a spot for weddings, concerts, private parties, festivals, corporate offsites and expos. White walls, a high white ceiling and a white floor were chosen to allow for a customizable atmosphere.

Suites for the bride and groom are located on the second floor, as well as a corporate conference room.

The campus also includes five 160-square-foot guest cottages and will feature walking trails throughout the property.

Comfort was another factor that influenced the Bennetts' choices.

"We've been married, and we've been to a bunch of weddings, so we tried to put into this place every thought to make the bride's day as easy and stress free as possible," Bennett said.

He said they thought about the things that people would want if they were sitting in their own home.

"Wifi, A.C., actual stalls in the bathroom and closed doors. Your own suite, your own private shower," said Bennett, naming amenities. "The linens, the silverware, the plates, the tables, the lighting, a 12-foot HD projection," he said, listing off a few more.

The Bennetts' familiarity with weddings was an asset to the project's development, but ultimately, it was not the reason that they decided to invest in the hospitality industry.

Instead, the reason was to fill a void.

"I still don't get it, but there is not any of these, anywhere on Lake Ontario. That's kind of crazy," Bennett said.

"Because there isn't one, it makes it unique that we will have one. Now we can fill a void for all the events that people want to be having that they have to go elsewhere for," he said.

Most of their wedding inquiries so far have been from downstate residents. Bennett said they are taking on guests who would have had to book a venue in the Finger Lakes for a waterfront experience. Now, he said, if they travel an hour and a half farther, they can have that experience at a lower cost.

He believes that the weddings will benefit other businesses in the community.

"If we are having a wedding and the bride is not from the area, we are bringing in 100 to 200 people that aren't from this town. And they are going to stop at the Chaumont Market, and they are going to stop at Blue Heron and Jack's Diner. And that is what we want them to do, so that everybody gets more business," Bennett said.

Their first event was a wedding expo on April 13, and it brought in the crowd they were looking for. 20 vendors were set up inside and 150 people came to visit them.

"For us it was really cool. This place was full. It was awesome," Bennett said.

Currently, they have 20 to 25 wedding bookings, most of which are scheduled far into the future. This summer, they will be focused on providing entertainment for locals and visitors, in the form of bar nights and concerts.