Women restoring Philips Hotel to its original 1920s splendor

Room by room, Shelly Brugel and Faith Lucchesi are breathing new life into the Philips Hotel.

CDT/Jennifer Thomas

The ballroom in the Philips Hotel in Philipsburg, Pa.

Their hope is to transform the building back into the elegant 1920s hotel it once was. Under layers of dust and years of changes by other owners, much of the original hotel is still there, they say.

“It’s all in my head, I just have to get it done,” Brugel said. “So far it’s great.”

In the grand ballroom — the first project to be tackled, followed by the lobby — the original floors of light wood have been restored and polished to shine, cream paint coats the walls and antique light fixtures still hang throughout. The seventh-floor windows are adorned with gold drapes and offer a view of Philipsburg from all angles, flooding the room with light.

The room can cater to sit-down dinners for as many as 125 people or for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres for 175.

Brugel said the ultimate goal is to offer rooftop dining.

“I think it would be spectacular,” she said. She said the first renovation project had to be completed in less than three weeks so the first party could be held there. Brugel said events are booked through October.

The next major project is the dining room, which should seat 225, and the kitchen, which will allow events to be catered in-house. Work is under way on those projects.

“We have great plans for building it,” Brugel said, adding the plan is to offer casual dining in a fine-dining atmosphere.

“We’re really going to focus on having really good food,” Brugel said.

Once the dining room is complete, the first floor of hotel rooms will be renovated, then another floor and another, until all seven floors of the hotel have been restored, she said.

Each guest room in the hotel, which had been used as a nursing home in recent years, is getting a complete update, with all new bathrooms.

Sunshine Imports to close

The sun is about the set on Sunshine Imports. Store owner Pam Steckler has decided to

close up shop after 36 years.

Everything in the store at 127 E. Beaver Ave. has been marked down 20 to 80 percent.

She said the shop, which features hand-crafted clothing, gifts and jewelry — pieces that she personally picked out because of the wonderful stones or unique metal workings — will likely be closed by the end of June.

“That’s part of life — passages,” she said. “I feel like I’ve had a good run.”

Steckler said she’s enjoyed the entire experience, from being involved in picking the best merchandise to making lasting friendships with her loyal customers.

But, she added, she needs to take a step back from the retail industry and focus on her health.

“My body’s been telling me for a while it’s time,” she said. “I don’t know what I’m going to do from here.”

Sunshine got its start in 1972, when Steckler rented two rooms — one for her store and one to live in — in a “big, old white house on Fraser Street.”

By 1982, the shop had gained a following and moved to its spot on Beaver Avenue. And Steckler could afford her own apartment, she said with a laugh.

“I was always into other cultures and folk art,” she said. “It sort of came out of that, I guess.”

Fit For Play is fit for growth

Jim Bennett had a vision when he started his one-man physical therapy business Fit For Play in 1999 — he just didn’t know it would happen this fast.

Now, Fit For Play Physical Therapy and Fitness Center, the combination physical therapy center and fitness facility, of which anyone can become a member, will open its new facility on Monday.

“This is where I hoped to take it,” Bennett said.

The 7,800-square-foot location, at 2160 Sandy Drive, Suite A, in Ferguson Township, offers one-on-one rehabilitation services, fitness and wellness.

The new location gave him the opportunity to create the perfect environment, Bennett said. Large windows let in natural light. Red oak accents are throughout and a granite coffee bar is available in the new waiting room.

“It’s almost like you’re looking into somebody’s house,” he said. “It’s going to be a very comfortable environment.”

Other key details have also been incorporated, such as increased cardio and fitness equipment, additional private treatment rooms, a music system that offers multiple options and an state-of-the-art ventilation system to cut back on air pollutants.

Another change is that fitness members will be assessed by a physical therapist and be given a fitness plan to help them achieve their goals, Bennett said.

“There is a level of care as far as fitness and wellness that just isn’t being offered,” he said.

For more information call 861-8122 or visit www.fitforplay.net. Jennifer Thomas can be reached at 231-4638.