Vinton County Lodge Under Construction

A new Lake Hope State Park dining lodge being built in Vinton County will open in one year.

So says the Ohio Department of Natural Resources...which held a ceremonial groundbreaking yesterday.

The original dining lodge was destroyed by a fire in 2006.

Noting the lodge was "a significant part of the area's tourism economy," Ohio State Parks Chief David Payne says

the new building "will be a hub of activity in this area."

The new dining lodge will cost $4.6 million.

Locally quarried stone and local timber are being used in the project.