Sons extends patio; Increases event capacity
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BREANNA HANLEY/THE EXPRESS
Work is underway at the Sons and Daughters of Italy in Lock Haven as patio space is being added.
LOCK HAVEN -- The event space you already know and love is getting bigger.
The Sons and Daughters of Italy in Lock Haven is increasing the capacity of its outdoor venue with an expansion of the existing patio.
Seven years ago, The Sons and Daughters of Italy increased the hall with a 50×50-foot expansion of its courtyard, featuring 2,500 square feet of seating, with three-quarters of that space under a roof.
This year, it's expanding that area even further with a larger seating area expansion, an outdoor restroom area and a bar.
"(The patio) has become popular with our clients and customers as an event venue. But the capacity was about 150," said Club President Dan Vilello.
Vilello explained that larger events just weren't capable in the space they had available.
"We decided to double the size of it, so we'll be at 300 capacity," he said.
The updated space, Vilello assured, will match the current aesthetic of the patio -- with stone pillars, lighting, gas heaters and additional fire pits. Community members will be able to enjoy spending time with one another under the covered patio.
"We learned that since the pandemic, people like being outdoors. With (the patio) we have side walls that can drop down in the wintertime, we have heaters. We plan on using this space year round. We believe it will be well-received," said Vilello.
Back in 2016, Vilello mentioned a plan for two official-size bocce ball courts. Though that isn't included in this expansion, he still has high hopes that eventually the grass area left untouched by the expansion can be turned into courts.
"Somewhere down the line, we hope to have those two full courts. It would become something great for the community. We have bocce ball courts up at our campground that we let teams use every Tuesday night," said Vilello.
"We offer (the space) to nonprofits free of charge," said Vilello. "They can benefit from the use of this. Our club gives away a lot of donations to the community. This is going to add to our ability to help nonprofits and organizations that are always in need. If you become a member of the Sons, you become a member of helping the community."
Vilello praised the members and volunteers who help everything at the Sons run smoothly; collectively, the volunteers have over 512 years of service to the community.
"These guys have been dedicated to this organization for decades. It's unheard of," said Vilello, "The love and dedication is there; if not, they wouldn't be here. It's impressive."
Among the updates to the patio, there is also the installation of sprinklers for fire protection in the roofing to address changes in code.
The nearly $700,000 project is entirely funded by the Sons and Daughters of Italy.
"We're using all local contractors. M&R Contracting is the lead and they've hired all local subs. It benefits the entire construction industry throughout the region," said Vilello.
Vilello sang the praises of M&R Contracting for their hard work on the project; despite a delay in the beginning of the project, Vilello is hopeful that with the compressed schedule they will be finishing up construction before Thanksgiving.
The grand opening to showcase the updated venue is tentatively planned for early November, with plans for live music for the event.