Developer Buys Bucks County Landmark, Plans Restoration and Expansion

Image via the Logan Inn’s website

It looks as though there will be a new life for Bucks County’s Logan Inn, as the historic building at 10 West Ferry Street in New Hope has been sold in a deal totaling $5.6 million.

The property was purchased by Landmark Hospitality, a developer out of Jersey City, New Jersey, who plans to restore the original inn building and construct a distinctive addition that will create new hotel rooms and a conference space.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, The Logan Inn dates back to 1722, when the site was established as a tavern by New Hope founder John Wells. Its new incarnation will see an addition of two new structures to the site, including a glass transition that joins the original building with a new section with a mansard roof, the latter of which will house 22 additional rooms and an event space for conferences and weddings.

Plan for the Logan Inn | Rendering via Landmark Developers

Currently, the Logan Inn houses 16 rooms of various sizes and a restaurant and bar.

Landmark Hospitality owns and operates a handful of high-end hotel, restaurant and venue spaces between New York City and Bucks County, including Liberty House Restaurant inside Liberty State Park (and overlooking the Manhattan skyline) in Jersey City and the Hotel du Village in New Hope, among others.

Caryn Black, Realtor with Addison Wolfe Real Estate, represented Landmark on the purchase and said that the near $6 million deal is the highest for a commercial property sold within the borough “in a long time, and probably ever.” Previous reports stated the new portion would house 17 rooms, but Black confirmed that 22 is the correct number. “It’s going to be really, really beautiful,” added Black.

Frank Cretella, owner of Landmark Hospitality, said that the new additions will look like three buildings, but the glass walkthrough will give the historic inn building some “breathing room and allow it to be really prominent.” It will also make the entire hotel ADA compliant.

One of the issues with the current building is that it’s been closed off over time with covered porches. Cretella said the plan is to open them up and create some life on the street. “We’re adding a lot of cool components that people enjoy in restaurant design. Now, we’re creating a year-round restaurant that’s open to the street. We’re building an open kitchen and people will be able to look into the inn from the street and see the fireplace.”

Outdoor dining is also planned on the porches. “Right now, it’s a little honky tonk with the patio cover,” said Cretella. “These improvements will make it more inviting and bring the Logan Inn back to what it deserves to be.”

Cretella also said that this new project, with its combination of restaurant and an event geared toward multi-day corporate events, will help to create a more consistent scene in New Hope in and out of season.

The project still needs to go through a few rounds of approvals, specifically with zoning and for the construction site plan, but Cretella said he anticipates to start construction in the offseason, most likely in November. The inn would be open throughout the construction, and the new building would be completed in spring 2017, if all goes according to plan.