GREENE – An age-old cornerstone of the Greene community is scheduled to reopen next year in conjunction with its 100-year anniversary. Don Dunlap of Greene and his son DJ Dunlap, purchased the former Sherwood Inn from NBT Bank about two weeks ago. The Dunlap father and son duo have already begun to renovate the Sherwood, in order to reaffirm the building as a treasured Greene jewel.
Despite rumors of dilapidation, the Sherwood is actually in pristine condition, the Dunlaps said. In fact when NBT sold the building to the Dunlaps, the bank had send people over to pack up the silverware still laid out on the dining room tables. All of the rooms are still furnished and the beds are still made – all that’s missing are mints on the pillows.
The Sherwood’s last major renovation was completed in 1978 by the McGowan Corporation out of Binghamton, which used a Victorian style decor, leaving the building in fine shape but with dated aesthetics. If the Dunlaps were so inclined, they could have opened up the Sherwood on the day the bought it, said Don. Instead, they’ve opted to perform a cosmetic makeover, replacing the dated wallpaper and carpeting. They also intend to utilize their personal expertise as professional plumbing, heating and electrical contractors to overhaul the building’s infrastructure.
Although not all of their plans for the inn are set in stone, the Dunlaps envision a fine dining area in one section of the main floor and a tavern style bar in a separate section. Once the renovation is complete, the upper floors will reopen as guest rooms, with the major change in the Sherwood’s dynamics taking place in the basement where the Dunlaps plan to construct a sports bar in the room directly below the main dining hall. A mirror image in dimensions to the expansive first floor room, minus its high ceilings, the sports bar will have its own separate entrance and will feature a lengthy counter equipped with tall bar stools, spanning the width of the outlying wall.
The Dunlaps also plan to upgrade the kitchen and install mini-ductless heating pumps in each of the inn’s guest rooms, providing heating and cooling for future lodgers.
“The Sherwood is long overdue to open, and people are just thrilled to have a local working on it,” said Don.
Once the renovations are complete, the Dunlaps plan to bring in someone well-versed in restaurant/hotel management to run the business in order to ensure its success. The Dunlaps are confident the renovated Sherwood will provide a fair number of jobs for local residents.
The upper floors of the building feature 19 different rooms, one apartment, a working elevator, and two balconies on the second and third floors, overlooking the center of Greene’s historic downtown district. The building is already up to fire code and all four floors have up to date sprinkler systems, a 16-camera surveillance system, and wall-mounted fire extinguishers.
“I called Sharon McLean during the Greene Art’s Council Harvest Walk in October to tell her I would be opening the Sherwood’s doors so the public could see the entire and the whole town showed up!” said Don.
The Dunlaps have grown into veteran redevelopers over the past few years, having engaged in a number of similar endeavors. They began in 2010 with their own current, 18,000 square foot, business space on Green Street. Other recent projects have included the renovation of a 5,000 square foot medical center, now being used by Raymond Corp. for office space, and the 19,000 square foot former Page Printing building they completely gutted, which is going to be used by a local business for dry storage.
“We are just local businessmen who want to see the village thriving again and we are willing to do what we can to support the community and keep local businesses active, even if have to do it one building at a time,” said Don.