Gamble Mill to reopen under new ownership, name

A pair of developers have agreed to purchase Bellefonte’s historic Gamble Mill.

The restaurant closed in January 2015 when co-owners Dave Fonash and Paul Kendeffy chose to pursue different career paths. The mill was listed by Kissinger, Bigatel and Brower Realtors at $1.3 million in November 2014, though financial terms of the agreement have not been released.

Shauna McClure and Gary Werkheiser issued a statement Thursday about the agreement, saying they plan to redevelop the property as The Inn at Lamb’s Mill in reference to the site’s original name. The deal was made less than two months after a previous group of investors backed out of an agreement that had been in place, but not closed, for about a year.

The vision for The Inn at Lamb’s Mill includes a luxury boutique hotel, a high-end restaurant featuring a “cuisine de terroir” with locally sourced food, an authentic Irish pub with live music and a craft brewery that will produce beverages for the restaurant and pub.

McClure said closing on the property will be in December, and it could be about 18 months until construction is complete.

“Our focus is to create an unforgettable dining and lodging experience with exceptional old world service, thoroughly modern amenities and memorable fine dining,” the developers said in a statement. “We seek to redefine luxury, believing that luxury is personalized service. We believe it’s about having a clear sense of community and place. It’s about attention to detail and craftsmanship. It’s having a story to tell and offering travelers a more authentic, genuine experience that relies heavily on the human element and less on brands and labels.”

The landmark was constructed in 1894, replacing the original Lamb’s Mill built on the site in 1786 and anchors the north end of the recently completed Bellefonte Waterfront Revitalization District. Bellefonte assistant manager Don Holderman said the borough and the Bellefonte Area Industrial Development Authority have talked to other developers about potential projects on the site.

McClure and Werkheiser have more than 30 years of commercial real estate investment, development, management and operations experience, the pair said in a statement.

This story was originally published September 7, 2017 at 4:46 PM with the headline "Gamble Mill to reopen under new ownership, name."