Several members of the community, local business owners as well as town Supervisor Randy Preston, Whiteface Mountain Regional Visitors Bureau Board Chairman Charles Grundan and Visitors Bureau Operations Manager Michelle Preston were on hand to cheer them on.

It was almost a year ago that Allison Livesay and Scott Goewey were introduced at the Wilmington Community Dinner as not only two of the town’s newest residents but also two who had made a major investment in Wilmington’s economic future.

The couple had recently purchased the historic Whiteface Chalet and were in the initial process of big plans to renovate and restore it to its former glory.

The original Whiteface Chalet was an iconic fixture for decades, having been built in 1959. Its location is 2 miles from its namesake, Whiteface Mountain. In its heyday, it boasted 20 guest rooms, a great room with magnificent stone fireplaces, a restaurant with seating for 85 as well as a bar and game room.

Livesay’s family first came to Lake Placid for the 1980 Winter Olympics, and after that vacations here became a family tradition. That was also the beginning of a long love affair with all that the Adirondacks have to offer – and then one day living here became reality.

Livesay summed it up. “What’s so amazing is that living here I get to be who I am – a skier, snowboarder, runner, artist, writer and entrepreneur – in what I believe is one the most free and beautiful places there is.”

Chalet Whiteface is very much a family-oriented business.

“In fact, our whole staff are family,” Livesay said.

That includes her oldest son, Braeden, who moved into the place late December 2017 and served as a “first boots on the ground caretaker.”

“When I first came here, there were no lights, no electricity. You really had to kind of memorize the building so you knew where you were,” Braeden said.

The original idea was for a grand opening on Memorial Day weekend in May 2018. As often happens, things don’t go according to plan, and Memorial Day changed to July 4th, then Labor Day and so on.

Still, the inevitable, never-ending glitches with contractors, utilities and various other unforeseen issues couldn’t discourage Livesay and Goewey, and they stuck with their vision and dream.

“One of the things that’s just blown us away and still does is how generous and supportive this community has been in helping us out and I’d like to especially thank Alex Schoetz, Bill McClune, ReGena Dubray and, most of all, Scott Goewey for his unending, help, understanding and support. Without him this never would have come together,” Livesay said.

Livesay and Goewey are originally from Oswego and have been in the hotel and restaurant businesses for generations. Livesay and her family have owned Rudy’s Lakeside Drive-In in Oswego since 1946. The hotel part of Chalet Whiteface has been open since Christmas and features 11 guest rooms.

The rooms of the hotel have gotten a much-needed cosmetic makeover that includes new floors, newly painted walls with much brighter colors and installing bigger, energy-efficient windows. They also offer Wi-Fi and high-definition wall-mounted TVs. The rooms maintain the traditional Adirondack charm with the majority offering two to three beds, a wet bar, table and chairs and fully renovated bath.

Aside from lodging, Chalet Whiteface is offering that same unique Rudy’s dining experience to the hotel’s new restaurant, Rudy’s Scar Bar & Grille. This includes their signature homemade Texas hot sauce, a decades-old family recipe meat sauce that goes with anything. The restaurant opened this past February followed by the bar in early March.

Chalet Whiteface is geared toward families coming to enjoy all this area has to offer. In keeping with the hotel’s family-friendly policy, pets are also welcome.

The hope is to draw the skiers and snowboarders in the winter and in the non- winter months, mountain bikers, hikers, mountain climbers and with its close proximity to the West Branch of the AuSable River, fisherman.

Chalet Whiteface is located at 788 Springfield Road. The hours for Rudy’s Scar Bar and Grille are 3 to 9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; 3 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday.

For more information, visit online at www.rudyschaletwhiteface.com.