BELLEFONTE — Efforts to find a developer for about 3 acres along the waterfront that might one day feature a boutique hotel are moving forward.
Any hotel would likely go on the vacant lot that once housed the Bush House, said Matt Hill, chairman of the Bellefonte Industrial Development Authority. The Bush House was destroyed in a 2006 fire.
It is important that any hotel, perhaps in the range of 60 to 70 rooms, fit into the architecture of the historic area, Hill said. The land might also include a restaurant or other commercial development.
The authority recently voted to seek brokers to market the property to developers.
“The purchase price is a large factor, along with the hotel we would like to see there,” Hill said.
The borough hopes to get about $2.5 million from the sale of the land, according to Hill and borough assistant manager Don Holderman.
The borough has spent about $6 million on the waterfront project, Holderman said, and recently received reimbursement of about $2.7 million from a state grant. With a bit more grant money expected, officials hope the land sale will allow the borough to break even on the project; the grant does not permit a profit.
The effort to market the land comes on the heels of the completion of a pedestrian walkway and stone flood wall along Spring Creek. The walkway, which was celebrated at an August ribbon-cutting, is lighted and includes benches and steps to launch kayaks.
In the next week or two, a clear sealant will be applied to the wall, Holderman said.
The wall and walkway will be conveyed to the borough and won’t be part of the sale, Hill said.
A portion of the land to be sold — in front of the old Gamble Mill — is in a flood plain. That area might serve as a parking lot or some sort of park or public area, Hill said.
“We should know in December or January what we can sell the property for,” Holderman said.
Choosing a developer may not happen until spring, Hill said, with completion of the project likely a few years away.
