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4 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | JANUARY 23, 2023 Bullish on return of in-person events, Hartford area venues owner plans new reception facility PHOTO | COSTAR Building Ideas That Work... Building Ideas That Work... CROWLEY FORD, PLAINVILLE SULLIVAN HONDA, TORRINGTON Contact us at 860.482.7613 or visit us at BorghesiBuilding.com 2155 East Main Street Torrington, Connecticut 06790 © 2011 BlueScope Buildings North America, Inc. All rights reserved. Butler Manufacturing ™ is a division of BlueScope Buildings North America, Inc. SULLIVAN JEEP, TORRINGTON No matter what brand of vehicle you purchase, you want to be sure that it is reliable. Choosing a builder should be no different. For more than 80 years, Borghesi Building & Engineering Co., Inc. has provided quality and reliability with design and energy efficient construction. With on time construction, Borghesi Building & Engineering Co., Inc. will create a smooth transition from construction to completion. By Michael Puffer mpuffer@hartfordbusiness.com T he former Mahan's Lakeview Fine Catering center in Wolcott will reopen with a new name and owners this spring, after its $1.25 million sale to a family already running reception and catering facil- ities in Farmington, Avon, Stratford and Southbury. "We plan to provide first-class events for weddings, showers, func- tions, corporate events and social events," said Phillip Chabot, vice president of Chabot Hospitality Group. The family company owns and manages the Farmington Gardens reception hall in Farmington, North House in Avon and 1850 House at Silo Point Country Club in Southbury. The Chabot family also leases and manages restaurant and event space at the Blackhawk Country Club in Stratford, Chabot said. Chabot's mother, Christina, is principal of CJC Realty LLC, which paid Waterbury automotive sales giant Frederick W. Blasius Jr. $1.25 million for the Wolcott catering facility on 16.6 acres at 15 Grilley Road. The grounds host a 9,849-square- foot function hall, completed in 1980. The upstairs ballroom seats more than 300, according to Phillip Chabot. A downstairs room can accommo- date about 80 guests. A 2,443-square-foot chapel that seats about 280 was built in 2006. Blasius — who is vice president of Waterbury's Loehmann-Blasius Chevrolet Inc. — paid $800,000 for the Mahan's Lakeview property in January 2022. Phillip Chabot said his family purchased the property as part of a 1031 exchange, which complicated and dragged out the transaction for 18 months. Blasius, and business partner David Theroux, had purchased the property from Wolcott Grilley Realty LLC, whose principal is Nadine Mahan. She ran Mahan's Lakeview with her husband, David, before his death in 2009. David Mahan enjoyed a brief flash of fame as part-owner of Funny Cide, winner of the 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. The gelded champion horse drew national attention. Chabot said the Lakeview facility closed with the onset of COVID- 19, but has been well maintained. Paint is being refreshed; ceiling tiles replaced. The facility will be redeco- rated but needs no major repairs or system upgrades. Christina Chabot began overseeing landscaping upgrades this past summer in antici- pation of the purchase. Phillip Chabot said the Wolcott facility, called High Point Gardens, will open in April and bookings can begin soon. Information will be avail- able shortly at highpointgardens.com. Apart from an ongoing struggle to hire staff, the catering and reception business has been going strong, Chabot said. "The demand is there," Chabot said. "People want to go out and don't seem too cautious about the economy." The former Mahan's Lakeview Fine Catering center in Wolcott has been sold and will reopen as a new reception hall. The property includes a 2,443-square-foot chapel (shown above) built in 2006. Phillip Chabot