Work Resumes at Vestal’s Historic Drovers Inn

There's some activity again at an iconic building that has been a fixture in Vestal for nearly two centuries.

Renovations began at the old Drovers Inn on Pumphouse Road in 2021 shortly after the property was purchased by Trailside Inn LLC for $399,000. Public records indicate the site was sold in a second transaction last September to Jeannie Post and a trust for $475,000.

In April 2021, Post told WNBF News she planned to turn the place into a boutique hotel that would be called the Trailside Inn. She said there would be a restaurant in the historic building, which is located near the western section of the Vestal Rail Trail.

A few months later, Post provided a tour of the building to a reporter to show off the ongoing renovation work. She said she hoped the first floor would be open in time for holiday events.

Although a menu preview and some photos of a new kitchen were posted on the Trailside Inn Facebook page, there have been no updates for more than two years.

Post had been unreachable since the renovation project was halted - until Friday afternoon when she answered a phone call.

Post said she had no comment about the property but confirmed that work at the site had resumed. In the brief conversation, she said the place "will open" but she would not say when and she declined to answer any other questions.

A Vestal town building permit posted in a building window was issued last October. The permit indicates the cost of construction is $250,000.

The planned work is described as a "fitout for restaurant and 5 guest room hotel."

WNBF NEWS VIDEO: A 2021 stroll through the first floor of the historic Drovers Inn building in Vestal.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com or call (607) 545-2250. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.