Although slowed by the effects of the pandemic, work to upgrade the Gray’s Mill development in Montgomery is still moving forward.
The original plans for the eatery, beer garden and wedding venue in the Mill District of Montgomery were drawn up in early spring 2020.
“When COVID hit that year, everything changed including the development timeline for the historic Gray’s Mill,” said Phil Cullen, a member of the ownership group for the venue along with Mike Baum.
Plans are moving ahead to get more of the facility at 211 N. River St. renovated. One of the largest changes is the expansion of the banquet hall to be be able to seat up to 300 guests.
Cullen said he discovered more space was needed for the banquet hall.
“People want weddings for 300 guests,” he said. “We need to accommodate them.”
There is also a retractable roof to be put on an addition at the property. Cullen said once the concrete is poured this spring for the beams, “the retractable roof going in, that is a three-day process,” he said.
Officials in Montgomery supported giving $400,000 in development grant funds to the developers for the project. The village said the group received the first installment of $200,000 to begin construction after the first building permit was issued in 2021. The second installment of $200,000 was awarded in January.
Gray’s Mill was built in the village in 1853 and used as a water-powered turbine flour mill until 1916, when electric power took over. Over the decades the facility was used for a variety of businesses. It was named to the National Register of Historic Places in the 1970s.
Judy Pochel is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
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