Tony and Julia Taneja liked highway visits that took them about four hrs from their home in the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.
Just one of these trips took them through Greensburg, where by they arrived on a stately residence for sale — a 3-story brick edifice in the vicinity of downtown designed in the early 1900s by industrialist Thomas Lynch, a president of H.C. Frick Coal & Coke Co.
The Tanejas bought the assets in 2020 from its then-operator, Aged Republic Insurance Co., and reworked it into a luxury boutique resort.
With 17 suites and quite a few occasion spaces, The Grandeur Estate opened for organization in mid-Might.
“We ended up looking for a job, but Greensburg by itself aided us make this choice,” Tony Taneja reported. “Greensburg is a beautiful area, it has wonderful people today, and we preferred the geo-
demographical location, close to Pittsburgh.”
Taneja is a home loan banker who earlier labored for the particular companies unit of Air India in the couple’s native region. His wife has former restaurant working experience.
They weren’t essentially seeking to get into the resort company, but they ended up searching for a commercial enterprise that would make a big difference in a specific local community.
Touring by Western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New Jersey and Delaware, the Tanejas have been struck by the decline of several formerly flourishing communities.
“It intrigued me in a disappointing way as to how the most industrialized nation in history converted itself to a buying and selling financial state, and the condition of some of the spots in West Virginia and Pennsylvania,” Tony Taneja reported. “We are not massive people and our contribution is likely to be, at greatest, a micro-mini droplet in the ocean. But what form of micro-mini droplet could we add in a single of these regions that had been hurt?
“This entire coal belt was probably at just one time the most critical area in The united states, so let’s do a challenge the place we can contribute to the group and aid bring life again to it,” he explained.
Greensburg did not have everything similar to The Grandeur Estate, the few pointed out, but there was substantially work to be performed in bringing their vision to fruition.
Herculean career
“Renovating from an office developing to producing it a property yet again is a herculean task, specially when you have to do new electrical, plumbing, HVAC and hearth protection,” Taneja explained. “It was fairly a great deal a comprehensive rehab.”
The renovations retained the mansion’s primary capabilities, like refinished floors and woodwork, wallpaper, leather-based wall-coverings and decorative plaster work.
“We preferred to keep the historical aesthetic,” Taneja said. “We didn’t want to compromise on the finishes or the aesthetics. When we say luxury, we necessarily mean luxury.”
The few preferred to get it suitable not only for possible guests, but also for them selves.
“This is not purely a commercial task, this is our residence now too,” Taneja reported. “We came with the angle of this is the greatest spot, this is my city and I appreciate it.”
He carries on to get the job done remotely in banking, though Julia manages the hotel’s working day-to-working day operations. She also built the design and decorating options.
“She handles this task, I am at very best an assistant,” Taneja mentioned.
The 38-space, 6,000-square-foot manor was concluded in 1907 on 2.5 acres alongside West Pittsburgh Road among Seminary and Oakland avenues. Previous Republic expanded the home in the 1950s, introducing 20,000 square ft with an exterior matching the first pink brick facade.
Existing rooms ended up transformed to suites, some together with sitting rooms. The loos sport imported Italian tile. Just one on the initially flooring is handicapped-accessible.
Furniture and artwork in some of the prevalent places and suites came from the Tanejas’ previous house. They determined not to equip the suites with televisions, hoping as a substitute that friends would mingle in the popular spots.
General public celebration areas contain a reception region and two eating rooms on the very first floor. The next floor characteristics a lounge exactly where breakfast is served, together with a beverage bar, area for remote operate and a big-display screen television.
The addition has been converted to a ballroom with a capacity of 144. Outside situations also can be organized on the huge entrance lawn.
The carriage household at the rear of the house includes two just one-bed room flats and yet another multipurpose area.
Eleven of the suites are open for visitors, with the other 6 to be accomplished afterwards in the summertime. The Tanejas are eyeing the addition of a physical fitness place in yet another remaining house.
Information and facts is readily available at 724-689-7793 or thegrandeurestate.com.
Shirley McMarlin is a Tribune-Evaluate staff members writer. You can make contact with Shirley by e-mail at [email protected] or by means of Twitter .
