Restored Kaufman House seen as key to Zelienople revitalization

If all goes according to plan, work to restore the historic Kaufman House in Zelienople as a tourist destination should begin early next month.

Officials with the Butler County Tourism Foundation, a nonprofit that purchased the house late last year, will look at a new round of bids for the restoration that were due June 20, and Jack Cohen, president of the foundation, said contracts should be awarded June 27.

That will allow for construction to begin the first week of July, Cohen said.

“Once we decide who we want to do this work, we should be good to go,” Cohen said. “We can't wait to get this started.”

Cohen said renovations should be complete by the spring of 2017.

Opened in 1909, the Kaufman House operated as a hotel, restaurant and/or tavern until 2011, when it was heavily damaged by fire.

Plans are to once again open the business as a restaurant, lounge and boutique hotel, with 18 to 22 guest rooms. The house has not been used for overnight stays since the early 1970s.

The foundation hired Butler-based 4-Most Inc. Architects to design the renovations, and plans are to give each of the guest rooms a unique look.

As part of fundraising efforts for the project, the foundation is soliciting sponsors for many aspects of the building including individual guest rooms, the elevator, bar, cigar room, library and more.

Butler County Community College also will play an important role in the renovated hotel.

Jessica Matonak, interim director of marketing and communications for the college known as BC3, said foundation officials approached the college about becoming involved in the revitalization.

Matonak said the college plans to offer internship opportunities at the hotel for students in its hospitality management programs, and could offer Lifelong Learning classes such as cooking and wine tasting at the Kaufman House.

“The concept is still in development,” Matonak said.

In May, the project received a $500,000 grant that was part of the state Keystone Communities program that provided a total of $2.6 million in funding to 14 projects across the state.

The Kaufman House renovation is part of a larger Zelienople Downtown Revitalization Improvement Project. The borough received a $3 million state grant in 2014, part of which will go toward the Kaufman House work.

Zelienople Manager Don Pepe said the Kaufman House is one of three aspects of the borough's revitalization plan, along with construction of a borough parking lot, which is under way and is expected to be completed by October, and a streetscape project that is expected to begin in the fall.

“They all sort of go together, but the Kaufman House is key,” Pepe said. “It has always served as the anchor for downtown, and when we lost that to the fire five years ago, it was a huge blow.”

Vince Townley is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-772-6364 or vtownley@tribweb.com.