Interior work continues at former Pantall Hotel
PUNXSUTAWNEY — Work continues inside the walls of the former Pantall Hotel, which is now the Shadow Hotel at the Pantall.
The Spirit recently had an opportunity to tour the updates at the downtown landmark.
Here’s what we know so far: a new roof on the Rooftop Restaurant, a second elevator and a stairwell.
That’s what we can see from the outside, but what about the inside?
Jerry and Karen Dufell purchased the hotel several years ago after they sold Proform Powdered Metals.
“We had to replace everything, as the infrastructure was the main concern,” Jerry Dufell said. “It was destroyed, rotten, with no steel in the building whatsoever; the support system was just heavy duty lumber from that era, but it was rotten from water leakage and the weight of the building was sagging, so we had to replace a lot of areas with I-beams.”
He said they spent two years working on infrastructure, leveling rooms, putting steel in and patching the brick, which is three courses deep, so there was a lot to straighten out.
“Once we did all of that, now we’re starting the finishing, we have a whole new electrical system, sprinkler system, communication system, and all of the floors have been leveled,” Dufell said, adding that they replaced the boiler system with the latest HVAC technology, with mini-splits in all of the rooms for perfect heat in the winter and air conditioning in the summer.
Dufell said the old rooms and walls are gone and the hallways have been leveled.
“There used to be 100 rooms in here; we expanded it out and reduced the rooms to 42 rooms, 21 on each floor,” he said. “They’ll be bigger and they’ll be modern; that’s the main difference there.”
The first floor has been completely changed around, with the main entrance on the side on South Jefferson Street. They are no longer asking Punxsutawney borough for it to be made a one-way street.
He said that the lobby is now going to be located to the left when you enter from the side, and the old lobby is going to be a restaurant, which is attached with the old bar that was adjacent to the lobby, which has been expanded into one of the storefronts.
With the restaurant in the front, the customers will be able to see outside thanks to the large windows.
“The Rooftop Restaurant was also gutted because it was dated-looking, and the old Victorian bar will be refinished by someone who works with wood from that period, along with the one next to the old lobby,” Dufell said, adding that everything is back to the original natural brick that was under all of the plaster.
Dufell said they’re hoping to open January 2025.
“We may not be completely open; hopefully, one floor of rooms and the restaurant and the bar will be open, and the Rooftop,” he said.
“The third floor of rooms we’ll work on during that period of time.”
Dufell said that it’s not him who makes this project go, it’s his manager, Mike Behrendt, general contractor, and the plans were done by KTH Architects.
“Half of the ideas that we’re doing in here are from him; he knows how to get things done,” Dufell said. “He’s an electrician by trade, and him and Corry Day are excellent people to work with.”
To keep up with the progress at the Shadow Hotel at the Pantall Building, check out their website, theshadowhotel. com.