TOWNSEND - After a fire destroyed an East Tennessee tourist destination in November 2013, new owners are hoping to give new life to Townsend's Dancing Bear Lodge.
Mark and Sharon Oldham were living in Nashville and looking for a change of pace after selling their business in 2013. They said they wanted something new and exciting and took a chance buying the Dancing Bear Lodge site.
"When he found this property listed, we just fell in love with it," Sharon Oldham said.
They closed on the property in September 2014 and started making plans to rebuild and add on to the existing site.
Phase one includes turning what was Hemlock Hall into a new farm-to-table restaurant. They'll also add a meeting facility, a large outdoor area with a deck and fire pit, an event lawn for weddings and entertainment, and four new cabins.
Mark Oldham said phase one should be complete by August 2015 and cost about $3 million.
Phase two is tentatively set to include a new main lodge with 38-40 guest rooms, costing approximately $2 million. Mark said the goal is to have 38-40 total guest accommodations on the property within 36 months.
Phase three plans include adding retail at nearby Apple Valley, and integrating the concepts of Apple Valley and the lodge into one unique destination.
"We are actually building a premier destination resort," Mark Oldham said. "We are going to have the best restaurant in Blount County, and we are here for the long term."
The couple said they are trying to build on the business of the previous owners, while improving the property with the new additions.
"We are looking to get involved, get hands-on in the mountains in East Tennessee close to where we both went to school," Mark Oldham said. "It's kind of like wow, perfect match."
