A project to rehabilitate the historic Kaufman House in Zelienople ended up being a lot more work than initially thought.
Last spring, Zelienople Borough purchased the South Main Street building with the goal of refurbishing the structure and reopening it as a restaurant and bar on the first floor, and offices and meeting rooms on the upper floors. Local developer and businessman Patrick Boylan is also helping fund the project and will later own the structure through a lease agreement.
Borough officials allowed reporters inside the Kaufman House on Tuesday to get a peak of the renovations that have taken place so far.
Aaron Rieger is owner of R & R Construction:
“Opening up that meeting room was probably the most challenging…that fought us every step of the way,” Rieger said during a tour on Tuesday. “Everytime I cranked up the jack, the place groaned and creaked.”
Rieger’s company was contracted by the borough to provide exterior and structural repairs to the 116-year-old structure. A restaurant and bar are planned for the first floor, while the two upper floors will contain offices and meeting rooms. An elevator and stairwell are being added to make the building fully compliant with local codes.
Rieger began work on this project two months ago but the scope of his work has increased once multiple deficiencies were discovered.
Rieger’s portion of the project is expected to be completed in another two or three months. His crew will be painting and constructing a new balcony.
The Kaufman House was built in the early 20th century under a different name and was known by many as the premier hotel between Pittsburgh and Erie. It closed seven years ago after a fire.
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