The Burton Inn property has a new owner who hopes to restore the main building with classic Victorian workmanship and turn it into a bed and breakfast.

California mortgage banker Deborah Kohler has purchased the building and she moved to the island earlier this month. In an interview with The Beachcomber she said she has spent “her whole life in real estate and restorations.”

“It’s all about making that corner shine,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to be an innkeeper. The hospitality industry is in my blood.”

Before taking on the Burton property, she was renting out a historic Southern California beach surf cottage that she renovated.

According to King County Assessor’s records, the property’s sale closed on Oct. 13 for $530,500. The sale comes two weeks after the most recent tenants — a couple from West Seattle who took over the property and began restoring the rooms and renting to overnight guests — had their lease terminated amid reports of miscommunication and issues around the terms of the lease.

Islander Armen Yousoufian has owned the property, which consists of the main building and a small house — since 2009 and served as a private lender for multiple tenants, including the most recent ones. Kohler said she and Yousoufian had been in talks about her buying the property since the beginning of the summer.

“Its (the property) has gone through a lot of demolition by neglect,” she said. “As the new owner of The Burton Inn, I am delighted to begin the process of bringing both properties back to life.”

Included in her plans is bringing the buildings up to code, landscaping the property and bringing back the restaurant.

“The landscaping I’m really excited for,” she said.

She has a culinary degree herself, but also said that she has been in talks with island chefs in the hopes that one can bring a restaurant to Burton.

“Burton has to have a restaurant,” she said.