New life breathed into an old play space in Olcott
Jul. 1—BURT — Loran Bommer, an attorney by trade, has taken on a new and different business venture: Olcott Harbor Resort, consisting of a gas station / convenience store with a deli, a 10-room motel, a 70-station RV park, a restaurant and four rentable cottages, all at 5764 West Lake Road.
"The wheels are already moving," Bommer said. "I just have to prime it."
Bommer remembers the businesses that were operated on the property from the 1980s until 2005. Currently, no other gas stations are open in the immediate area; the closest one is 4 miles away in central Newfane.
"When I saw this property, I said 'wow, this is interesting.'" Bommer said. "I had been shopping for flowers down the street from here, I saw that it was for sale, thought of the opportunity, and made the phone call."
Once his family was onboard with the idea, he purchased the property in January of 2020.
The gas station and convenience store are named "18 at 18," reflecting their location on Route 18 near Eighteen Mile Creek.
Bommer said the gas station will sell various fuels — gasoline, diesel, ethanol-free for boats — and host EV charging stations as well as horse-hitching posts.
This week Bommer was still in the process of fixing up and stocking the convenience store. When he was checking out the building after buying it, he found advertisements from 2005 still inside, along with original keychains from the nearby Harbor Inn restaurant, which he's restoring.
The deli at 18 at 18, once set up, will serve ready-to-eat meals including sandwiches, pizza, fish fry dinners and "specials."
"There's probably going to be a weekly special like goulash one day, and beef stew the next day," Bommer said.
When renovations at 18 at 18 are completed, Bommer said he'll shift his focus to finishing work on the nearby cottages, which are under construction now. The cottages will be available for rent year-round, he said. The RV park is already in use; Bommer said he is still trying to get wi-fi coverage there.
The building that once housed the Harbor Inn eatery includes a bar, a banquet hall — and a working pizza oven. Looking past the cosmetic flaws and some outdated equipment, Bommer said, "Lots of the furnishings and personality, it's all still there."
Once that building is functional again, Bommer said he will look for a restaurant operator to occupy it.
As for the motel, also called Harbor Inn, Bommer purchased a self-serve kiosk and placed it outside, where patrons can commence renting of a room. The name printed on the kiosk is "Harbour Inn," reflecting its roots in Australia, he noted.
Bommer hopes to open 18 at 18 this weekend, but as of Thursday he was still waiting on a few licenses from New York State including a food permit.
Even if it's not open for business, Bommer stressed, the parking lot is a good place to catch the Independence Day fireworks show in Olcott on Sunday.
