Property owners have big ideas for building

    URBANA—The new owners of the former Gold Seal Winery in Urbana announced their ideas to start an ambitious renovation project for the structure and surrounding property, during an open house, Saturday, Oct. 20.
    The Gold Seal Winery started as the Urbana Wine Co. in 1865 at what is now 10959 West Lake Road. The winery produced wine and champagne until it closed in 1984. The new owners, John and Linda Giglio, purchased the property in 2009 from the Misvy family.
    The Giglios have hired John Lusk, architect representing JHL Texture Architects and Engineers in Hornell, to head up the project. Giglio said Lusk was involved in building the Steuben Arc facility. While the property itself is 23.5 acres, the majority of the project will take place adjacent to West Lake Road. Giglio said the first part of the project is to renovate the existing building into a hotel.
    Designer Bernard Louisnathan, who has worked with Lusk on other projects, explained the project is very preliminary and still in the conceptual stages. At this point, there is no fixed number of rooms and no number of businesses that will be in the main building.
    The next portion of the concept would be to build residential properties on the hillside that could be rented. Louisnathan added they do not have a number of units yet. Giglio explained Lusk is currently seeking interested businesses and a retail developer to be a part of the resort. He said the plan is be finished by 2017.
    Giglio said his in-laws had a house on Keuka Lake since the 1960s. He said he and his wife purchased a home on the lake in 2007. Giglio is the co-owner of Superior Adsorbents Inc., located in Emlenton, Pa. The company started in 1987. He explained the company sells carbon to the companies that make water filters.
    “It’s a niche market,” said Giglio.
    The announcement about this proposed concept comes as another, unrelated development project in Hammondsport has now missed its fall deadline to start construction. Hammondsport Mayor Emery Cummings explained the state is still reviewing the Krog Corporation’s Keuka Harbor waterfront condominium project.
    The project has been years in the making and has so far resulted in the concrete foundation being poured, which still remains in a fenced off area at the foot of the lake. At one point, the condos were supposed to be completed by the spring and later the fall of 2009.
    Updated plans for the waterfront condominium plan were approved by the Hammondsport planning board, Tuesday, April 24. Before work could begin in the fall, Planning board chairperson David Oliver explained Krog Corporation needed the new building permits approved by the inspector and to submit the project to the Attorney General’s office. Once approval has been given, the owners will be able to start selling units.
    Krog Corp. representatives did not return numerous phone calls by press time.