{"id":7918,"date":"2018-02-07T13:41:38","date_gmt":"2018-02-07T18:41:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ebw.tv\/?p=7918"},"modified":"2018-02-21T09:19:59","modified_gmt":"2018-02-21T14:19:59","slug":"st-clair-inn-plans-open-march-2019-heres-expect","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/st-clair-inn-plans-open-march-2019-heres-expect\/","title":{"rendered":"St. Clair Inn plans to open March 2019; Here’s what to expect"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sponsored by: JoAnn Wine & Associates\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Written by: Audrey Sochor<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve spent any time at all in St. Clair over the years you\u2019ll have heard the locals despair of\u00a0<\/span>the shuttered, rundown inn, and more recently the buzz of excitement as construction crews work away to restore what was once the town\u2019s crown jewel.<\/span><\/p>\n

The excitement all started when Jeff Katofsky, managing member of Planet Clair LLC, a trial\u00a0<\/span>lawyer by trade and commercial developer by vocation, was brought to town by a piece of\u00a0<\/span>litigation where he and his partner, Rick Barreca, had an option to buy the property.<\/span><\/p>\n

It was a cold but beautiful night in October 2015 when Katofsky first drove into the porte-<\/span>cochere across the street from the St. Clair Inn. His eyes went wide open, and he was in love.\u00a0<\/span>\u201cSince then I\u2019ve spent so much time out here meeting the people and, you know, it\u2019s not just a\u00a0<\/span>place, it\u2019s a group of people,\u201d he said. \u201cThe people are great.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A native of San Fernando Valley, California, Katofsky has experience in the entertainment\u00a0<\/span>industry in addition to commercial development. Katofsky and his partner have developed\u00a0<\/span>multiple commercial buildings consisting primarily of retail, office and some living space in top-<\/span>end areas of Los Angeles and the surrounding areas.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c(The Inn) was sort of the next step,\u201d Katofsky said. \u201cMy wife said in the game of Monopoly\u00a0<\/span>I\u2019ve traded in my houses for hotels. Hotels make sense. If you think about what a hotel is, it\u2019s a combination of residential and commercial. And so that was really the next piece.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>The St. Clair Inn is currently on schedule to open in March of 2019 with 106 rooms, which is\u00a0<\/span>more than the inn had in the past.<\/span><\/p>\n

Katofsky also said the style will be different and have lots of suites, as well as three cottages in the style of the old captain\u2019s cottage that was torn down years ago. The inn will also feature five themed bars, multiple restaurants and more room for events and parties.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe inn really is a big bed and breakfast, in a way,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a big restaurant and bar that\u00a0<\/span>has a lot of rooms to it. And we\u2019re adding the amenities that allow people to enjoy the whole\u00a0<\/span>aspect of it and expand themselves into St. Clair and the downtown.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The St. Clair Inn used to be the center of town, not only from a business and economic\u00a0<\/span>standpoint, but a social one as well, Katofsky said. For all intentions and purposes the inn has\u00a0<\/span>been shut down for 12 to 15 years due to mismanagement and foreclosure, and he\u2019s been told by local business people the significant effect that has had on their businesses.<\/span><\/p>\n

He hopes bringing the inn back will be the \u201cbig B-12 shot\u201d needed to jumpstart not just the \u00a0<\/span>community, but other businesses as well. Not only does he want to draw locals to the inn, he\u00a0<\/span>wants to make it a regional destination for people in Chicago and Detroit.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEverybody has expectations,\u201d he said. \u201cI hope they\u2019re high and we hope we meet them. I have really high expectations. My partner Rick has really high expectations. We really want to bring something people will be proud of and the people will talk about. Not just locally, but on a larger scale. And if we do that then we hope to revitalize St. Clair.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Bringing the locals in after the inn\u2019s completion isn\u2019t enough for them, either. Katofsky and Barreca use as much local labor as they can, including trade positions, materials, contractors and the architect. They also get support from local government officials, community leaders and business people.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEverybody is engaged in this project locally to help us get it done. It really does take a village\u00a0<\/span>and the support couldn\u2019t be better,\u201d Katofsky said.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sponsored by: JoAnn Wine & Associates\u00a0 Written by: Audrey Sochor If you\u2019ve spent any time at all in St. Clair over the years you\u2019ll have heard the locals despair of\u00a0the shuttered, rundown inn, and more recently the buzz of excitement as construction crews work away to restore what was once the town\u2019s crown jewel. The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":7919,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7918","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-feature","et_post_format-et-post-format-video","et-has-post-format-content"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSt. Clair Inn plans to open March 2019; Here's what to expect - Thumbcoast.tv | ebw.tv - Serving Port Huron and the Thumbcoast<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/st-clair-inn-plans-open-march-2019-heres-expect\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"St. Clair Inn plans to open March 2019; Here's what to expect - Thumbcoast.tv | ebw.tv - Serving Port Huron and the Thumbcoast\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"If you\u2019ve spent any time at all in St. Clair over the years you\u2019ll have heard the locals despair of\u00a0the shuttered, rundown inn, and more recently the buzz of excitement as construction crews work away to restore what was once the town\u2019s crown jewel. The excitement all started when Jeff Katofsky, managing member of Planet Clair LLC, a trial\u00a0lawyer by trade and commercial developer by vocation, was brought to town by a piece of\u00a0litigation where he and his partner, Rick Barreca, had an option to buy the property. It was a cold but beautiful night in October 2015 when Katofsky first drove into the porte-cochere across the street from the St. Clair Inn. His eyes went wide open, and he was in love.\u00a0\u201cSince then I\u2019ve spent so much time out here meeting the people and, you know, it\u2019s not just a\u00a0place, it\u2019s a group of people,\u201d he said. \u201cThe people are great.\u201d A native of San Fernando Valley, California, Katofsky has experience in the entertainment\u00a0industry in addition to commercial development. Katofsky and his partner have developed\u00a0multiple commercial buildings consisting primarily of retail, office and some living space in top-end areas of Los Angeles and the surrounding areas. \u201c(The Inn) was sort of the next step,\u201d Katofsky said. \u201cMy wife said in the game of Monopoly\u00a0I\u2019ve traded in my houses for hotels. Hotels make sense. If you think about what a hotel is, it\u2019s a combination of residential and commercial. And so that was really the next piece.\u201d\u00a0The St. Clair Inn is currently on schedule to open in March of 2019 with 106 rooms, which is\u00a0more than the inn had in the past. Katofsky also said the style will be different and have lots of suites, as well as three cottages in the style of the old captain\u2019s cottage that was torn down years ago. The inn will also feature five themed bars, multiple restaurants and more room for events and parties. \u201cThe inn really is a big bed and breakfast, in a way,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a big restaurant and bar that\u00a0has a lot of rooms to it. And we\u2019re adding the amenities that allow people to enjoy the whole\u00a0aspect of it and expand themselves into St. Clair and the downtown.\u201d The St. Clair Inn used to be the center of town, not only from a business and economic\u00a0standpoint, but a social one as well, Katofsky said. For all intentions and purposes the inn has\u00a0been shut down for 12 to 15 years due to mismanagement and foreclosure, and he\u2019s been told by local business people the significant effect that has had on their businesses. He hopes bringing the inn back will be the \u201cbig B-12 shot\u201d needed to jumpstart not just the \u00a0community, but other businesses as well. Not only does he want to draw locals to the inn, he\u00a0wants to make it a regional destination for people in Chicago and Detroit. \u201cEverybody has expectations,\u201d he said. \u201cI hope they\u2019re high and we hope we meet them. I have really high expectations. My partner Rick has really high expectations. We really want to bring something people will be proud of and the people will talk about. Not just locally, but on a larger scale. And if we do that then we hope to revitalize St. Clair.\u201d Bringing the locals in after the inn\u2019s completion isn\u2019t enough for them, either. Katofsky and Barreca use as much local labor as they can, including trade positions, materials, contractors and the architect. They also get support from local government officials, community leaders and business people. \u201cEverybody is engaged in this project locally to help us get it done. It really does take a village\u00a0and the support couldn\u2019t be better,\u201d Katofsky said.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/st-clair-inn-plans-open-march-2019-heres-expect\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Thumbcoast.tv | ebw.tv - Serving Port Huron and the Thumbcoast\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bluewatertv\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-02-07T18:41:38+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2018-02-21T14:19:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Screen-Shot-2018-02-07-at-1.32.07-PM.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"989\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"557\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"JoAnn Wine & Associates\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"If you\u2019ve spent any time at all in St. Clair over the years you\u2019ll have heard the locals despair of\u00a0the shuttered, rundown inn, and more recently the buzz of excitement as construction crews work away to restore what was once the town\u2019s crown jewel. The excitement all started when Jeff Katofsky, managing member of Planet Clair LLC, a trial\u00a0lawyer by trade and commercial developer by vocation, was brought to town by a piece of\u00a0litigation where he and his partner, Rick Barreca, had an option to buy the property. It was a cold but beautiful night in October 2015 when Katofsky first drove into the porte-cochere across the street from the St. Clair Inn. His eyes went wide open, and he was in love.\u00a0\u201cSince then I\u2019ve spent so much time out here meeting the people and, you know, it\u2019s not just a\u00a0place, it\u2019s a group of people,\u201d he said. \u201cThe people are great.\u201d A native of San Fernando Valley, California, Katofsky has experience in the entertainment\u00a0industry in addition to commercial development. Katofsky and his partner have developed\u00a0multiple commercial buildings consisting primarily of retail, office and some living space in top-end areas of Los Angeles and the surrounding areas. \u201c(The Inn) was sort of the next step,\u201d Katofsky said. \u201cMy wife said in the game of Monopoly\u00a0I\u2019ve traded in my houses for hotels. Hotels make sense. If you think about what a hotel is, it\u2019s a combination of residential and commercial. And so that was really the next piece.\u201d\u00a0The St. Clair Inn is currently on schedule to open in March of 2019 with 106 rooms, which is\u00a0more than the inn had in the past. Katofsky also said the style will be different and have lots of suites, as well as three cottages in the style of the old captain\u2019s cottage that was torn down years ago. The inn will also feature five themed bars, multiple restaurants and more room for events and parties. \u201cThe inn really is a big bed and breakfast, in a way,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a big restaurant and bar that\u00a0has a lot of rooms to it. And we\u2019re adding the amenities that allow people to enjoy the whole\u00a0aspect of it and expand themselves into St. Clair and the downtown.\u201d The St. Clair Inn used to be the center of town, not only from a business and economic\u00a0standpoint, but a social one as well, Katofsky said. For all intentions and purposes the inn has\u00a0been shut down for 12 to 15 years due to mismanagement and foreclosure, and he\u2019s been told by local business people the significant effect that has had on their businesses. He hopes bringing the inn back will be the \u201cbig B-12 shot\u201d needed to jumpstart not just the \u00a0community, but other businesses as well. Not only does he want to draw locals to the inn, he\u00a0wants to make it a regional destination for people in Chicago and Detroit. \u201cEverybody has expectations,\u201d he said. \u201cI hope they\u2019re high and we hope we meet them. I have really high expectations. My partner Rick has really high expectations. We really want to bring something people will be proud of and the people will talk about. Not just locally, but on a larger scale. And if we do that then we hope to revitalize St. Clair.\u201d Bringing the locals in after the inn\u2019s completion isn\u2019t enough for them, either. Katofsky and Barreca use as much local labor as they can, including trade positions, materials, contractors and the architect. They also get support from local government officials, community leaders and business people. \u201cEverybody is engaged in this project locally to help us get it done. It really does take a village\u00a0and the support couldn\u2019t be better,\u201d Katofsky said.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"http:\/\/ebw.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Screen-Shot-2018-02-07-at-1.32.07-PM.png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@EbwtvNews\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@EbwtvNews\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"JoAnn Wine & Associates\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/st-clair-inn-plans-open-march-2019-heres-expect\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/st-clair-inn-plans-open-march-2019-heres-expect\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"JoAnn Wine & Associates\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/#\/schema\/person\/2b1bc6ad80673534512dc96ac161070d\"},\"headline\":\"St. Clair Inn plans to open March 2019; Here’s what to expect\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-02-07T18:41:38+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-02-21T14:19:59+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/st-clair-inn-plans-open-march-2019-heres-expect\/\"},\"wordCount\":669,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/st-clair-inn-plans-open-march-2019-heres-expect\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Screen-Shot-2018-02-07-at-1.32.07-PM.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"Feature Stories\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/st-clair-inn-plans-open-march-2019-heres-expect\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/st-clair-inn-plans-open-march-2019-heres-expect\/\",\"name\":\"St. Clair Inn plans to open March 2019; Here's what to expect - Thumbcoast.tv | ebw.tv - Serving Port Huron and the Thumbcoast\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/st-clair-inn-plans-open-march-2019-heres-expect\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/st-clair-inn-plans-open-march-2019-heres-expect\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Screen-Shot-2018-02-07-at-1.32.07-PM.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-02-07T18:41:38+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-02-21T14:19:59+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/st-clair-inn-plans-open-march-2019-heres-expect\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/st-clair-inn-plans-open-march-2019-heres-expect\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/st-clair-inn-plans-open-march-2019-heres-expect\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Screen-Shot-2018-02-07-at-1.32.07-PM.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Screen-Shot-2018-02-07-at-1.32.07-PM.png\",\"width\":989,\"height\":557},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/st-clair-inn-plans-open-march-2019-heres-expect\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"St. Clair Inn plans to open March 2019; Here’s what to expect\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/\",\"name\":\"ebw.tv - Everything Blue Water Television Network\",\"description\":\"The Blue Water Area's Positive News Network!\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Blue Water Television Network\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secureservercdn.net\/198.71.233.36\/999.6a1.myftpupload.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/cropped-ebw-blue.png?time=1625864790\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secureservercdn.net\/198.71.233.36\/999.6a1.myftpupload.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/cropped-ebw-blue.png?time=1625864790\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"Blue Water Television Network\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bluewatertv\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/EbwtvNews\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/ebw.tv\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/#\/schema\/person\/2b1bc6ad80673534512dc96ac161070d\",\"name\":\"JoAnn Wine & Associates\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/38c242a2cd1d520ebeedfb5b93f41f97ead5e8635361fadd4ef64ffcdcca3b33?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/38c242a2cd1d520ebeedfb5b93f41f97ead5e8635361fadd4ef64ffcdcca3b33?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"JoAnn Wine & Associates\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/author\/joannwinead\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"St. Clair Inn plans to open March 2019; Here's what to expect - Thumbcoast.tv | ebw.tv - Serving Port Huron and the Thumbcoast","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/st-clair-inn-plans-open-march-2019-heres-expect\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"St. Clair Inn plans to open March 2019; Here's what to expect - Thumbcoast.tv | ebw.tv - Serving Port Huron and the Thumbcoast","og_description":"If you\u2019ve spent any time at all in St. Clair over the years you\u2019ll have heard the locals despair of\u00a0the shuttered, rundown inn, and more recently the buzz of excitement as construction crews work away to restore what was once the town\u2019s crown jewel. The excitement all started when Jeff Katofsky, managing member of Planet Clair LLC, a trial\u00a0lawyer by trade and commercial developer by vocation, was brought to town by a piece of\u00a0litigation where he and his partner, Rick Barreca, had an option to buy the property. It was a cold but beautiful night in October 2015 when Katofsky first drove into the porte-cochere across the street from the St. Clair Inn. His eyes went wide open, and he was in love.\u00a0\u201cSince then I\u2019ve spent so much time out here meeting the people and, you know, it\u2019s not just a\u00a0place, it\u2019s a group of people,\u201d he said. \u201cThe people are great.\u201d A native of San Fernando Valley, California, Katofsky has experience in the entertainment\u00a0industry in addition to commercial development. Katofsky and his partner have developed\u00a0multiple commercial buildings consisting primarily of retail, office and some living space in top-end areas of Los Angeles and the surrounding areas. \u201c(The Inn) was sort of the next step,\u201d Katofsky said. \u201cMy wife said in the game of Monopoly\u00a0I\u2019ve traded in my houses for hotels. Hotels make sense. If you think about what a hotel is, it\u2019s a combination of residential and commercial. And so that was really the next piece.\u201d\u00a0The St. Clair Inn is currently on schedule to open in March of 2019 with 106 rooms, which is\u00a0more than the inn had in the past. Katofsky also said the style will be different and have lots of suites, as well as three cottages in the style of the old captain\u2019s cottage that was torn down years ago. The inn will also feature five themed bars, multiple restaurants and more room for events and parties. \u201cThe inn really is a big bed and breakfast, in a way,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a big restaurant and bar that\u00a0has a lot of rooms to it. And we\u2019re adding the amenities that allow people to enjoy the whole\u00a0aspect of it and expand themselves into St. Clair and the downtown.\u201d The St. Clair Inn used to be the center of town, not only from a business and economic\u00a0standpoint, but a social one as well, Katofsky said. For all intentions and purposes the inn has\u00a0been shut down for 12 to 15 years due to mismanagement and foreclosure, and he\u2019s been told by local business people the significant effect that has had on their businesses. He hopes bringing the inn back will be the \u201cbig B-12 shot\u201d needed to jumpstart not just the \u00a0community, but other businesses as well. Not only does he want to draw locals to the inn, he\u00a0wants to make it a regional destination for people in Chicago and Detroit. \u201cEverybody has expectations,\u201d he said. \u201cI hope they\u2019re high and we hope we meet them. I have really high expectations. My partner Rick has really high expectations. We really want to bring something people will be proud of and the people will talk about. Not just locally, but on a larger scale. And if we do that then we hope to revitalize St. Clair.\u201d Bringing the locals in after the inn\u2019s completion isn\u2019t enough for them, either. Katofsky and Barreca use as much local labor as they can, including trade positions, materials, contractors and the architect. They also get support from local government officials, community leaders and business people. \u201cEverybody is engaged in this project locally to help us get it done. It really does take a village\u00a0and the support couldn\u2019t be better,\u201d Katofsky said.","og_url":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/st-clair-inn-plans-open-march-2019-heres-expect\/","og_site_name":"Thumbcoast.tv | ebw.tv - Serving Port Huron and the Thumbcoast","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bluewatertv\/","article_published_time":"2018-02-07T18:41:38+00:00","article_modified_time":"2018-02-21T14:19:59+00:00","og_image":[{"width":989,"height":557,"url":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Screen-Shot-2018-02-07-at-1.32.07-PM.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"JoAnn Wine & Associates","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_description":"If you\u2019ve spent any time at all in St. Clair over the years you\u2019ll have heard the locals despair of\u00a0the shuttered, rundown inn, and more recently the buzz of excitement as construction crews work away to restore what was once the town\u2019s crown jewel. The excitement all started when Jeff Katofsky, managing member of Planet Clair LLC, a trial\u00a0lawyer by trade and commercial developer by vocation, was brought to town by a piece of\u00a0litigation where he and his partner, Rick Barreca, had an option to buy the property. It was a cold but beautiful night in October 2015 when Katofsky first drove into the porte-cochere across the street from the St. Clair Inn. His eyes went wide open, and he was in love.\u00a0\u201cSince then I\u2019ve spent so much time out here meeting the people and, you know, it\u2019s not just a\u00a0place, it\u2019s a group of people,\u201d he said. \u201cThe people are great.\u201d A native of San Fernando Valley, California, Katofsky has experience in the entertainment\u00a0industry in addition to commercial development. Katofsky and his partner have developed\u00a0multiple commercial buildings consisting primarily of retail, office and some living space in top-end areas of Los Angeles and the surrounding areas. \u201c(The Inn) was sort of the next step,\u201d Katofsky said. \u201cMy wife said in the game of Monopoly\u00a0I\u2019ve traded in my houses for hotels. Hotels make sense. If you think about what a hotel is, it\u2019s a combination of residential and commercial. And so that was really the next piece.\u201d\u00a0The St. Clair Inn is currently on schedule to open in March of 2019 with 106 rooms, which is\u00a0more than the inn had in the past. Katofsky also said the style will be different and have lots of suites, as well as three cottages in the style of the old captain\u2019s cottage that was torn down years ago. The inn will also feature five themed bars, multiple restaurants and more room for events and parties. \u201cThe inn really is a big bed and breakfast, in a way,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a big restaurant and bar that\u00a0has a lot of rooms to it. And we\u2019re adding the amenities that allow people to enjoy the whole\u00a0aspect of it and expand themselves into St. Clair and the downtown.\u201d The St. Clair Inn used to be the center of town, not only from a business and economic\u00a0standpoint, but a social one as well, Katofsky said. For all intentions and purposes the inn has\u00a0been shut down for 12 to 15 years due to mismanagement and foreclosure, and he\u2019s been told by local business people the significant effect that has had on their businesses. He hopes bringing the inn back will be the \u201cbig B-12 shot\u201d needed to jumpstart not just the \u00a0community, but other businesses as well. Not only does he want to draw locals to the inn, he\u00a0wants to make it a regional destination for people in Chicago and Detroit. \u201cEverybody has expectations,\u201d he said. \u201cI hope they\u2019re high and we hope we meet them. I have really high expectations. My partner Rick has really high expectations. We really want to bring something people will be proud of and the people will talk about. Not just locally, but on a larger scale. And if we do that then we hope to revitalize St. Clair.\u201d Bringing the locals in after the inn\u2019s completion isn\u2019t enough for them, either. Katofsky and Barreca use as much local labor as they can, including trade positions, materials, contractors and the architect. They also get support from local government officials, community leaders and business people. \u201cEverybody is engaged in this project locally to help us get it done. It really does take a village\u00a0and the support couldn\u2019t be better,\u201d Katofsky said.","twitter_image":"http:\/\/ebw.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Screen-Shot-2018-02-07-at-1.32.07-PM.png","twitter_creator":"@EbwtvNews","twitter_site":"@EbwtvNews","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"JoAnn Wine & Associates","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/st-clair-inn-plans-open-march-2019-heres-expect\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/st-clair-inn-plans-open-march-2019-heres-expect\/"},"author":{"name":"JoAnn Wine & Associates","@id":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/#\/schema\/person\/2b1bc6ad80673534512dc96ac161070d"},"headline":"St. Clair Inn plans to open March 2019; Here’s what to expect","datePublished":"2018-02-07T18:41:38+00:00","dateModified":"2018-02-21T14:19:59+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/st-clair-inn-plans-open-march-2019-heres-expect\/"},"wordCount":669,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/st-clair-inn-plans-open-march-2019-heres-expect\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Screen-Shot-2018-02-07-at-1.32.07-PM.png","articleSection":["Feature Stories"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/st-clair-inn-plans-open-march-2019-heres-expect\/","url":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/st-clair-inn-plans-open-march-2019-heres-expect\/","name":"St. Clair Inn plans to open March 2019; Here's what to expect - Thumbcoast.tv | ebw.tv - Serving Port Huron and the Thumbcoast","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/st-clair-inn-plans-open-march-2019-heres-expect\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/st-clair-inn-plans-open-march-2019-heres-expect\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Screen-Shot-2018-02-07-at-1.32.07-PM.png","datePublished":"2018-02-07T18:41:38+00:00","dateModified":"2018-02-21T14:19:59+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/st-clair-inn-plans-open-march-2019-heres-expect\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/st-clair-inn-plans-open-march-2019-heres-expect\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/st-clair-inn-plans-open-march-2019-heres-expect\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Screen-Shot-2018-02-07-at-1.32.07-PM.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Screen-Shot-2018-02-07-at-1.32.07-PM.png","width":989,"height":557},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/st-clair-inn-plans-open-march-2019-heres-expect\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"St. Clair Inn plans to open March 2019; Here’s what to expect"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/#website","url":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/","name":"ebw.tv - Everything Blue Water Television Network","description":"The Blue Water Area's Positive News Network!","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/#organization","name":"Blue Water Television Network","url":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secureservercdn.net\/198.71.233.36\/999.6a1.myftpupload.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/cropped-ebw-blue.png?time=1625864790","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secureservercdn.net\/198.71.233.36\/999.6a1.myftpupload.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/cropped-ebw-blue.png?time=1625864790","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"Blue Water Television Network"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bluewatertv\/","https:\/\/x.com\/EbwtvNews","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/ebw.tv\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/#\/schema\/person\/2b1bc6ad80673534512dc96ac161070d","name":"JoAnn Wine & Associates","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/38c242a2cd1d520ebeedfb5b93f41f97ead5e8635361fadd4ef64ffcdcca3b33?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/38c242a2cd1d520ebeedfb5b93f41f97ead5e8635361fadd4ef64ffcdcca3b33?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"JoAnn Wine & Associates"},"url":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/author\/joannwinead\/"}]}},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Screen-Shot-2018-02-07-at-1.32.07-PM.png",989,557,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Screen-Shot-2018-02-07-at-1.32.07-PM-150x150.png",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Screen-Shot-2018-02-07-at-1.32.07-PM-300x169.png",300,169,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Screen-Shot-2018-02-07-at-1.32.07-PM-768x433.png",768,433,true],"large":["https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Screen-Shot-2018-02-07-at-1.32.07-PM.png",989,557,false],"feed_thumbnail":["https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Screen-Shot-2018-02-07-at-1.32.07-PM-150x84.png",150,84,true],"feed_thumbnail@2x":["https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Screen-Shot-2018-02-07-at-1.32.07-PM-300x169.png",300,169,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Screen-Shot-2018-02-07-at-1.32.07-PM.png",989,557,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Screen-Shot-2018-02-07-at-1.32.07-PM.png",989,557,false],"et-builder-post-main-image":["https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Screen-Shot-2018-02-07-at-1.32.07-PM-400x250.png",400,250,true],"et-builder-post-main-image-fullwidth":["https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Screen-Shot-2018-02-07-at-1.32.07-PM.png",989,557,false],"et-builder-portfolio-image":["https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Screen-Shot-2018-02-07-at-1.32.07-PM-400x284.png",400,284,true],"et-builder-portfolio-image-single":["https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Screen-Shot-2018-02-07-at-1.32.07-PM.png",989,557,false],"et-builder-gallery-image-portrait":["https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Screen-Shot-2018-02-07-at-1.32.07-PM-400x516.png",400,516,true],"extra-image-huge":["https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Screen-Shot-2018-02-07-at-1.32.07-PM.png",989,557,false],"extra-image-single-post":["https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Screen-Shot-2018-02-07-at-1.32.07-PM.png",989,557,false],"extra-image-medium":["https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Screen-Shot-2018-02-07-at-1.32.07-PM-627x376.png",627,376,true],"extra-image-small":["https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Screen-Shot-2018-02-07-at-1.32.07-PM-440x264.png",440,264,true],"extra-image-square-medium":["https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Screen-Shot-2018-02-07-at-1.32.07-PM-440x440.png",440,440,true],"extra-image-square-small":["https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Screen-Shot-2018-02-07-at-1.32.07-PM-150x150.png",150,150,true],"et-pb-post-main-image":["https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Screen-Shot-2018-02-07-at-1.32.07-PM-400x250.png",400,250,true],"et-pb-post-main-image-fullwidth":["https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Screen-Shot-2018-02-07-at-1.32.07-PM.png",989,557,false],"et-pb-portfolio-image":["https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Screen-Shot-2018-02-07-at-1.32.07-PM-400x284.png",400,284,true],"et-pb-portfolio-module-image":["https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Screen-Shot-2018-02-07-at-1.32.07-PM-510x382.png",510,382,true],"et-pb-portfolio-image-single":["https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Screen-Shot-2018-02-07-at-1.32.07-PM.png",989,557,false],"et-pb-gallery-module-image-portrait":["https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Screen-Shot-2018-02-07-at-1.32.07-PM-400x516.png",400,516,true],"slider_image":["https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Screen-Shot-2018-02-07-at-1.32.07-PM.png",1,1,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"JoAnn Wine & Associates","author_link":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/author\/joannwinead\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Sponsored by: JoAnn Wine & Associates\u00a0 Written by: Audrey Sochor If you\u2019ve spent any time at all in St. Clair over the years you\u2019ll have heard the locals despair of\u00a0the shuttered, rundown inn, and more recently the buzz of excitement as construction crews work away to restore what was once the town\u2019s crown jewel. The…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7918","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7918"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7918\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7921,"href":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7918\/revisions\/7921"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/7919"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7918"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7918"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7918"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}