BEMOUS POINT — A year ago this month, Bill and Jill Curry went before the Bemus Point Village Board to outline their grand plans for the iconic Linhart Hotel.
Both expressed their pleasure in preserving the property's rich history while adding modern features that make it a year-round village destination.
Although they were seen at the time as owners-in-waiting, the Currys had yet to close the deal, while one of the hotel's current owners said others had expressed interest in buying the property.
“Chautauqua Lake Hospitality LLC and our determined team have quietly pursued our goal of purchasing the Lenhart Hotel while still subject to a binding purchase agreement,” Currys said in comments published in a recent Magnolia Magazine article and shared with The Post-Journal.
The Currys said purchasing the Lakeside Drive hotel was “taking longer” than originally planned. They also “stayed committed to the original plans” to purchase the hotel to make it year-round with $10 million in upgrades.
The Lenhart Hotel remains for sale in Bemus Point despite a $10 million renovation plan that has been in the works for more than a year. The hotel was not open last summer. PJ file photos
“Our shared renovation plans are carefully drawn from a six-month review of all the structures and components that make up our campus concept,” Carey told Magnolia Magazine. “There will be no dilution of renovation plans.”
They added, “The original promise – to operate the campus year-round with a commitment to unparalleled hospitality while offering and supporting the area's many unique amenities – remains. We will strive to restore the greatness of the Linhart Hotel community.”
In July, William and Jill Carey told The Post-Journal they remained committed to taking ownership of the hotel even though “for sale” signs appeared months after their interest was first reported. They noticed a delay in securing the necessary funding to purchase the hotel and begin modernizing it.
“It's been a journey,” Jill Carey said in July. “We couldn't work out an arrangement with anyone locally, which caused us to look outside the community. We were hoping to work with a local lender, but there appears to be interest from people who finance hospitality. We feel like we're very close here to being able to secure a closing date.” .
Bebe Johnston, who owns the Linhart Hotel with her brother, told the newspaper last week that she had not heard from the Carey family in two months about a potential sale. She remains hopeful an agreement can be reached, but noted that others have come forward to express interest in acquiring the hotel and three adjacent homes — located at 2 Lenhart Street, 8 Lenhart Street and 32 Albertus Street — and the Johnston family is also looking to sell.
The more than 50-room hotel and three homes are currently for sale for $4 million.
With no new owners last year, the hotel remained closed through the summer. Johnston said she has no plans to reopen the facility herself; She said any future plans would have to come from new ownership.
In their comments to the magazine, the Careys said their purchasing efforts had allowed them to meet “many wonderful people.”
“We have created relationships with aspiring area residents and businesses, along with state and local government agencies. There have been many shared conversations, as we discovered similar interests, specialties and visions. Support and hope have been expressed while tackling obstacles along the way.”
