during the coronavirus pandemic .
“ My mother got sick because she had to work in the hospital ,” he says . “ My mother got it ; my father got it . They both died .”
At lunch , long before he became ensnared in the sexual harassment lawsuit , Mihailides is wearing muted , outdoorsy clothes befitting of his woodland complex . He tells me the Preserve at its core is designed for families who can come and “ create memories .”
“ The technological revolution has desensitized America in so many different ways and it ’ s also desensitized family , where a kid will text and say , ‘ Mommy , get me a bagel ,’ when they ’ re fifteen feet away ,” he says . “ I wanted to create a community of like-minded individuals to help grow our family unit — both my family and other families .”
Mihailides ’ demeanor is light , pleasant , family-centric and inviting . He asks me back to shoot clays — something I did growing up in rural Vermont . His supporters call him a visionary , who sees opportunity and creativity where others don ’ t .
But more than a dozen interviews with community members , town officials , attorneys and people who have worked with him over the
FROM TOP : Multimillion dollar homes at the Preserve Sporting Club & Residences ; the
Hilltop Lodge at the Preserve Sporting Club
Hotel and Resort . years offer another version of Mihailides . They describe him as a hard-nosed businessman with a shrewd acumen that might be mistaken for callousness . More than one person compares him to Logan Roy , the patriarch in the HBO sensation “ Succession .” ( He didn ’ t strike me as so ruthless .)
But he is clever , calculated , a family man whose social media is plastered with photos of him and his children and grandchildren . He ’ s also linked to several lawsuits beyond the Mc- Daniel complaint of sexual harassment . The most prominent is against the town alleging — in part — Richmond officials participated in a criminal enterprise under the state ’ s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act , or RICO Act , to hinder and delay development of the Preserve .
The law has been used as a tool to combat organized crime , such as the Mafia , and the case is currently being appealed to the R . I . Supreme Court , where the town has hired outside counsel to fight the allegations . If the appeal is successful , the lawsuit could set a new and long-lasting precedent for Rhode Island cities and towns .
“ Rhode Island has never extended the reach of RICO to include municipal liability for crim-
inal acts ,” attorney James Marusak argued on behalf of the town in court documents . “ It should not do so now .”
‘ WE ’ VE BEEN COMPARED TO DISNEY A LOT ’
DRIVING THROUGH one of the most rural areas of Rhode Island this past spring in a racing green Bentley Continental GT coupe , a mashup of Doja Cat , Rema and Lizzo is playing on the radio .
We ’ re heading for the Preserve ’ s equestrian training stables where members have access to horses for riding , traversing trails or carriage rides .
Behind the Wheel of the $ 240,000 car is Lindsey Evans , who runs marketing and public relations for the Preserve [ A follow-up email to her in August delivers the reply : “ Ms . Evans has sadly taken a position with another company , in the interim Alec Mihailides will be standing in as the Director of Marketing while we rebuild and rehire our team .”] At the time , she ’ s well-versed in offering a glowing review of her place of employment , telling me earlier in the day she tailors her property tours to the visitor .
A different presentation will be given to journalists compared to a business relation or potential member , she explains . Yet , while I ’ m not there to become a member , the presentation is filled with selling points .
“ We ’ ve been compared to Disney a lot ,” she says , adding , “ there ’ s always something new .”
The car is provided by Bentley , which has a partnership with the Preserve , a recurring theme baked into the company ’ s business model . Earlier in the day , we rode an off-road vehicle far better suited to traversing the sprawling outdoor property . We stop by multiple homes and apartments , along with the shooting range and spa .
One of the biggest sensations at the Preserve — at least on social media — are its “ hobbit houses ,” a trio of chic stone-built structures with round doors set into a hillside of boulders decked out with endless rows of pumpkins and gourds in fall and a garden of blossoms in spring .
Groups can host extravagant dinners at about $ 250 per person inside the homes with bourbon pairings sponsored by Maker ’ s Mark . Alternatively , for about $ 200 , guests can visit the homes and take photos — a big draw for social media influencers , Evans says . She calls the structures a “ viral sensation ,” claiming they have more than two billion views across print , digital and social media .
62 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l SEPTEMBER 2023