One of the State College area’s most popular spots for burgers and shakes is expected to temporarily close beginning in the spring for its home to undergo a rebuild.
The Field Burger & Tap “will be open through March,” before the major redevelopment of Toftrees Golf Resort in Patton Township begins, according to a post Wednesday on the restaurant’s Facebook page.
It was not clear how long the closure would last, though developers previously indicated the project would take about 18 months. An initial estimate for the rebuild of the resort offered by the project’s engineer in May tentatively pegged the start of construction for the end of this month following Penn State football’s last home game, which was last week. Under that timeline, the new facility was expected to open in the summer of 2025.
A final land development plan for the approximately $50 million project, however, remains under review, according to the Patton Township website.
The redevelopment will involve a “complete demolition and rebuild of the existing facility,” Tony Fruchtl of PennTerra Engineering said during a sketch plan review in May. The golf course is expected to remain open during construction.
Plans submitted by property owner State College Friends LLC call for a new five-story, 154-room hotel — 52 more rooms than the current hotel — that is expected to join Marriott’s Autograph Collection of independently operated luxury hotels. Bob Poole, State College Friends managing member, told the Patton Township Board of Supervisors in 2022 that the plan is for “a really high-end resort.”
The plans identified expanded space and seating for The Field, and a manager for Shaner Hotels confirmed in a Facebook reply that the restaurant would reopen in the rebuilt resort.
With hopes of attracting more leisure and business travelers, as well as more events, the resort plans also include a conference center, expanded meeting space, a 4,000-square-foot luxury spa, a private dining room, courtyards and lawns, a new clubhouse and a pro shop.
According to information presented to the township in 2022, the expansion and upgrade is projected create an additional 137 permanent full-time jobs representing $7.3 million in annual employee wage compensation, as well as 399 temporary construction jobs generating $26.4 million in labor income.
