Village Casino roof requires expensive fix
‘We must address it’
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BEMUS POINT – Members of the Bemus Point Village Board of Trustees are contemplating the best way forward to repair the Village Casino’s aging roof.
Bemus Point Mayor Jeff Molnar told Bemus Point Village Board members that the Village Casino needs a major overhaul.
"There are currently four or five layers of shingles deep on the roof," Molnar said. "Additionally, the engineer we consulted indicated that the building’s design is flawed and that the trusses require repair/replacement as well. We cannot postpone this issue any longer – we must address it. You can say we're fixing the sins of the past."
Molnar said that he had revived three bids from three different contractors for a shingle-laid roof and three for a metal roof. However, bids for each roof type varied significantly among contractors leading him to scratch his head why?
“One contractor quoted the job for shingles at $87,500, while another set the price at $410,000. A third bid came in at $99,000,” he said. "The quotes for a metal roof were just as far apart as the bids for a shingled roof – I'm not sure why such a drastic difference in the quotes," he said.
Molnar reported that one contractor submitted a bid on the low-end for a metal roof at $241,500 plus an additional $18,500 for gutters; on the high end, a bid was submitted totaling more than $700,000 for the job; a third contractor submitted the final bid for a metal roof for $334,225 plus an additional $22,500 for gutters.
Deputy Mayor Jeff Farnham voiced his support for a more permanent fixture; one where the Board of Trustees wouldn't be kicking the can down the road for others to solve.
"You know how I feel," he said. "A metal roof is the way to go. Plus, it provides the best value for the money spent. We'll be long gone before the roof would ever need to be touched again."
During the open comments section of the meeting, Claire Sleggs, Bemus Point resident and business owner, shared her thoughts.
"People come here and expect to see some of the buildings that define our community, the Casino, the Hotel Lenhart, the Bemus Point-Stow Ferry. Let’s not let this (Casino) fall into despair – it’s an investment back into our community," Sleggs said.
Molnar said that although the Casino is under a rental agreement, the village is still responsible for maintaining the structure, including the roof and foundation. In contrast, the lessee is responsible for the care of the interior.
"It's our responsibility to fix it," he said.
However, due to the nature of the high cost of repairs required by the Casino, the final decision must be presented to the village for a vote, said Molnar.
Board members unanimously approved a motion authorizing Molnar to explore and obtain more information regarding repairs to the Casino, specifically, replacing the roof with a metal one and repairing the trusses.
The Casino and the Bemus Point village park's earliest history dates back to the early 1800s. Native American Tribes in New York state would meet where The Casino building is now located to eat, drink and dance throughout the evening and into the wee hours of the morning. By the next day, the tribes would have reaffirmed their relationships for years to come, the village's website states.
In the early 1900s, steamships cruised up and down the lake, carrying tourists to the many great hotels that lined Bemus Point. The land for the Casino was purchased by a wealthy Pittsburgh entrepreneur, James Selden,wth construction starting in 1929 and a grand opening held in May 1930. The first floor housed changing and dressing rooms, while the Casino Ballroom occupied the second floor.
The ballroom hosted big band concerts and vaudeville acts throughout the 1930s and early 1940s, with performances including as Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Cab Calloway, Lena Horne, Ozzie Nelson and Harriet Hilliard – better known to television audiences as Ozzie and Harriet, Harry James and his orchestra featuring Frank Sinatra.
The Casino has been utilized throughout the years as a public beach facility and a bowling alley before becoming a restaurant that hosted live music in the 1980s, hosting bands that include Rusted Root and the 10,000 Maniacs. The Casino has been a casual eatery since 1999, operated by the Carlson family. It offers an affordable waterfront dining experience that appeals to both tourists and locals. In August 2024, the Casino made headlines by entering the Guinness Book of World Records once again for selling the most chicken wings in 24 hours, with a total of more than 55,760 wings sold in a single day.