LAKE PLACID – The Lake Placid Center for the Arts closed this week a “whirlwind” purchase of two near-center dining spaces at 2126 Saranac Avenue – home of Lake Placid’s staple, Saranac Sourdough.
Saranac Sourdough is not going anywhere, said LPCA communications director Alison Simcox. The LPCA wants to let Saranac Sourdough owners John and Eileen Black continue to run their business for as long as they want, according to Simcox. In fact, Simcox said there may be little to no change in ownership of two restaurants — which also includes the now closed Little Thai Kitchen — for the foreseeable future. While the LPCA may lease the restaurant’s vacant space to another restaurateur or business owner, Simcox said, the center’s staff and board view their purchase of 2126 Saranac as an investment in the future at long term from the center.
The LPCA is celebrating its 50th anniversary, and Simcox said the center’s staff and board are considering how the center might develop over the next 50 years. When the LPCA board began talking this summer about whether to buy the Saranac Sourdough property for possible expansions, Simcox said he saw the property put up for sale. “literally hours later.”
“It was just a weird thing in the universe, almost,” she says.
The board of directors of the Lake Placid Center for the Arts, with the help of a donation from the local Stoltz family – owners of Smoke Signals on Main Street – bought the property this week for $810,000 from the previous owners. According to the Essex County Property Tax History Database, Eileen and Frederick Mills previously owned the property. Simcox said the entire buying process, starting with scouting the listing, took just four months.
“We were fortunate to reach an agreement with the owner to pay for the purchase (the price) over time, ensuring that this long-term investment would not affect our ability to continue to provide arts programs to the community. in the years to come “, said Simcox.
Currently, the LPCA has two buildings – its main center and an annex building – on Algonquin Drive, adjacent to the property that includes Saranac Sourdough. Simcox said the purchase ensures the LPCA could one day expand its services into the spaces and strengthen its presence along Saranac Avenue.
“Theoretically, it would help people see our programs, make them more visible and be more welcoming and let people know they can come, and there’s actually so much to do at the center,” she says. “…We would just like to increase access to what we do.”
Allowing Saranac Sourdough to remain in place gives the center time to weigh its options as to how the property could be used. Simcox said possibilities include clearing the property and folding it into some “larger projects for some renovations” at the center, or using existing spaces for cooking classes like those LPCA has offered in the past. But nothing is fixed.
“We really don’t have any set plans, and we really want to take our time and make sure we see – what does the community need? How can we make our center even better and sustainable for the next 50-100 years? » said Simcox. “We were hoping to take our time and figure out what the best plan is.”