As Valentino’s on the Green gears up for its September 8 opening, the finishing touches are being applied by Rick Holowchak and his crew from the Blue Diamond Group.
Holowchak explained that they have been working on the project since early January, and that every last detail has been carefully attended to – moldings matched and historic woods painstakingly restored.
“From the structural support to the steel to every piece of copper, kitchen hoods, exhaust, trim, the bridal suite (with a full working shower),” said Holowchak, it all adds up to an aesthetic that partner Giorgio Kolaj explained is in keeping with the romanticism that is Rudolph Valentino.
“We reused all the mahogany downstairs in the dining rooms (there are three rooms – the Valentino, the Fiorello and the Vigneto) and the original bar has been redone,” said Holowchak. “In the Valentino room, it’s mostly original wood, supplemented and restored. The floor is from an old barn in Pennsylvania, made of reclaimed wood.”
And the grand entrance, illuminated from above by an amber crystal chandelier, features solid mahogany doors from 1920s Argentina, another element of authenticity on the property.
“It creates a truly grand entrance.”
But when work began, said Holowchak, the approved architectural drawings did not take into account the structural problems. For example, the sprinkler lines had frozen and were leaking, and the gas has been shut, among other things. Therefore, the structure itself had to be reinforced and the building, built in the 1920s, had to be brought up to code.
“We now meet all Department of Buildings standards,” said Holowchak. “And the elevator and wheelchair ramps make it compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).”
Holowchak, who has run a development company for the last 12 years, has worked on projects in all five boroughs, including one million-square-feet at 15 Broad Street.
But Valentino’s is special, he said.
It is “the complete restoration of someone’s home, turning it into destination, and being involved once it’s done.”
Plus, he added, “I love the view of the bridge.”
“From the ground up and the top down, Blue Diamond Group has done a complete and utter overhaul of the building,” said Kolaj, who noted that it is “important to find a general contractor who understands your vision, who is trustworthy, and who exemplifies quality craftsmanship. You can’t fake genuineness.”
Kolaj continued, “There is a lot of history and heritage here. The bridal suite was Valentino’s bedroom, so the Blue Diamond Group succeeded in restoring the romance of what this once was.”
But aside from the aesthetic, the company – and Kolaj – focused on being environmentally friendly.
They installed energy efficient items, including auto-sensing, low voltage lighting; created the deck from recycled materials; and created a “living wall” in the parking lot, as well as photovoltaic property lighting on the grounds.
“Blue Diamond Group was instrumental in creating a space that’s romantic, structurally sound and visually appealing,” said Kolaj. “Patrons will not be disappointed with what they see.”
