BUILDING A BARN

Boutique inn proposed for Tall Oaks event complex in Kirtland as well

Phase 1 of the Tall Oaks event complex in Kirtland continues to take shape.

The 8,000-square-foot event barn being built at 9199 Chillicothe Road behind the Dollar General plaza is on target for completion Dec. 5, said local businessman and property owner Tom Christopher.

“There are 18 weddings booked and another 103 in the sale pipeline,” he said.

The proposal for Phase 2 is being finalized for presentation to the Kirtlànd Planning & Zoning Commission and involves a revised and expanded boutique inn concept.

The 13-suite, 5,000-square-foot inn is a big selling point, because it enables wedding parties to stay onsite, Marketing Director Laura Walker said.

Other features planned include creating a “Lovers Lane” amid large oak trees being preserved on the property with in-tree lighting systems strung throughout the woods, Christopher added, noting that customers have been coming from all over Ohio and surrounding states for bookings. “There isn’t any concept that has the event barn and the inn … done this nicely and this well, they say.”

Ground was broken for the complex in March. The 14-acre site is to include five ceremonial settings, comprising a covered bridge, a grand staircase inside the building, a second-story loft on the outside porch, back porch and pier overlooking the

Kirtland valley, and a gazebo with a valley view.

The 300-plus-capacity barn was crafted in Connecticut in the mortise and tenon style and shipped on nine semi trucks.

“It’s the way they built barns 200 years ago,” Christopher said. “It’s about 30 percent more expensive to do this, but much more authentic.”

In addition, 140-yearold reclaimed stained glass made in Munich, Germany, and brought in from a Massachusetts church will be incorporated into the building.

Couples can select their own caterers and provide their own alcohol, allowing for more affordable rates, he said, estimating that a 200-person wedding could range from $10,000 to $40,000.

The property will be open to the public for holiday events, such as a planned New Year’s Eve “hoedown,” and brunches on Easter and Mother’s Day. It also will be available for corporate events, such as business meetings and Christmas parties.

Kirtland-based Loncar Quality Construction is building the facility. About 95 percent of the vendors hired for the project are Kirtland residents.

Access is planned from Route 306 via an easement in the Dollar General shopping center parking lot.

The project received city Planning & Zoning Commission approval in October. However, some unresolved issues remain regarding the waterline to the site and a bank-stabilization project.

“Once the city receives the engineered slope stabilization plan — required by city ordinance — and any and all regulatory compliance permitting, we absolutely look forward to seeing the project through,” Mayor Kevin Potter said.

Christopher has said that the project will create more than 25 jobs, add $100,000-plus in payroll and real estate taxes to the city, and lead to more than $2 million being invested in the community.

PHOTOS BY BETSY SCOTT — NEWS-HERALD Kirtland businessman Tom Christopher talks about his event barn taking shape.

Tom Christopher talks about the trees that inspired the name for his Tall Oaks event barn in Kirtland.

BETSY SCOTT — THE NEWS-HERALD Reclaimed stained glass made in Munich, Germany, will be installed in the Tall Oaks event barn being built in Kirtland.