Plans for new venue at historic Ligonier inn cause controversy

LIGONIER, Pa. (KDKA) -- There's a debate raging in Ligonier over the construction of a new venue at an inn. The owners are saying it'll help attract people to the borough, but some neighbors have a different opinion.

Since 2013, Michelle Gardner and her husband Adam have owned the historic inn Thistledown at Seger House. This inn was built originally as a family home in the early 1900s for a coal baron named John Seger and its timeless look fits in seamlessly with Ligonier's historic aesthetic.

Thistledown sits just a few blocks from Ligonier's Diamond. The luxury boutique hotel has nine different rooms and is a favorite stop for travelers from both near and far.

The one thing the Gardners say they have been missing out on over the years, however, is an event space.

"We have had a lot of requests from people who would like to have events here, but we simply don't have the indoor space to accommodate," said Michelle Gardner.

The Gardners found a company in Austria called Strohboid that builds and ships unique wooden and canvas venue spaces. They got zoning approval from the borough and soon they will have one sitting on their property next to the inn.

This new space can be open air in nicer weather and closed off and heated in the colder months. It will likely be able to fit between 100 and 120 people for events comfortably.

The controversy though with this new structure is some neighbors are worried about loud music from such a space.

None of the residents opposed to this new space that KDKA-TV spoke with on Thursday wished to go on the record, but they say that Thistledown recently had a makeshift pavilion for food and drink that often played loud music.

The Gardners say that space was run by a third-party vendor and that they put an end to that party pavilion because that's not what they wanted for the neighborhood and for their business. They say this new space will be much different.

"This is not going to be a weekend party venue," said Michelle. "That is not what this is. This will be a nice formal place where people can have their weddings, reunion, a baby shower, and prices will reflect that. It is just not going to be a weekend party bar."

Above all, the Gardners say they want this new space to be an investment that will help continue to bring people and money into Ligonier. And borough officials told KDKA-TV that while they are always happy to hear the concerns of their residents about such matters, they have no plans to overturn zoning that has already been approved.

Their new Strohboid structure should be up and operational by Fort Ligonier Days this October.