OBSERVER Photo by M.J. Stafford Chautauqua County, state, municipal, CHQ Chamber and White Inn staff take part in a ribbon cutting on Thursday.

The White Inn finally held its ribbon-cutting Thursday.

Numerous dignitaries attended the event held on the steps of the downtown Fredonia hotel. Their jubilation and relief were palpable — the hotel reopened in November after a closure that lasted about seven years and saw the once-grand building deteriorate.

Steve St. George and Devin Jones bought the property out of foreclosure and fully refurbished the business into a modern boutique hotel with a mouth-watering restaurant. They received plenty of praise Thursday.

“Probably one of my best days of my professional career was when I received a call from Steve St. George asking if The White Inn was sold yet,” said Mark Geise, director of the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency.

Geise commented that St. George said it wasn’t as bad as he thought, which was likely due to fortuitous timing: A professional cleaning crew finished work at the building a couple days before the visit.

“Steve, I wanted to thank you for this gift to the community,” Geise said. “It’s the heart and soul of Fredonia.”

State Sen. George Borrello offered a typically high-energy greeting. “Is this a great day or what? The White Inn is back! Let’s hear it!” Cheers rang out.

Borrello mentioned his personal connections to the historic structure. He had his First Communion party there as a boy, and his mother opened her first hair salon on site.

“I am very proud to be from Fredonia and today is a very proud day,” Borrello said. He commented that there were several false starts when it came to resurrecting The White Inn, but St. George and Jones got it done.

“It really takes a village, a community of people, to come together and preserve what we hold dear,” said State Assemblyman Andrew Molitor. “The White Inn could have died, but it didn’t because of the people of this community.”

He added, “I hope to be here at the bicentennial in 43 years.”

County Executive PJ Wendel echoed Borrello in musing that several attempts to reopen The White Inn fell through. However, playing on St. George’s name, “Steve is the saint of this facility because without him, this place would have fallen into disrepair.”

Wendel mentioned a visit by basketball legend Charles Barkley soon after the hotel opened. Barkley spoke highly of the hotel, offering it national exposure on “Inside the NBA.”

“You can’t beat that,” Wendel said.

Pomfret Deputy Town Supervisor Ann Eckman presented a proclamation commemorating the reopening and declaring the day “White Inn Day” in the town. Fredonia Mayor Michael Ferguson followed with his own congratulatory proclamation, and awarded a ceremonial key to the village to Jones and St. George.

Ferguson said The White Inn is “first class from the time you walk up the steps.”

Christine Rinaldi offered well-wishes on behalf of U.S. Rep. Nick Langworthy. Amy Davidson spoke for the White Inn’s management and said, “It’s a heartwarming feeling to know we have renewed a place where memories were made and will continue to be made.”

Someone in the crowd asked St. George to speak, but he silently declined.

Bob Hayward, Fredonia Fire Department chaplain, offered a prayer and the ribbon-cutting then happened on the front steps.