A historic site near Sonoma, once buzzing with activity that fell into disrepair under its previous owners, has received a makeover along with a new plan for economic development, which will be featured as part of a grand reopening event on Friday, April 24.

The focus of much attention when it was owned by the disgraced LeFever Mattson real estate empire, Cornerstone Sonoma, also known as Cornerstone Gardens and the Barn at Harrow Cellars, sits on 9 acres of retail space at Arnold Drive and Wagner Road, across from Gloria Ferrer Wines -- an area heavily traveled by Sonoma Valley motorists.

A once-thriving center described as "the gateway to Wine County," it for years housed a collection of shops, offices, tasting rooms, restaurants and wedding-ready gardens but began to lose business after business in 2019 and entered a state of visible neglect, while its then-owners spent more than $80 million on 26 properties throughout Sonoma Valley.

Part of a comprehensive 44-acre property, which also includes 19 acres of vineyards, an organic farm, overflow parking and storage, at 23570 Arnold Drive and 72, 100 and 150 Wagner Road, Cornerstone was purchased for $10.65 million Dec. 5 by Highland Pacific Capital LLC.

Highland Capital, owned by Kabul Singh, is based in Walnut Creek and buys distressed commercial real estate assets following bankruptcy or foreclosure. Its principal property manager, Jobin Singh Randhawa, told The Press Democrat the company has big plans for the Cornerstone location.

Much work has taken place on the grounds. The long-stagnant ponds have been cleaned, overgrown grass and hedges clipped and its rose garden has been tended.

Its eye-catching ceremony sites are once again ready for the wedding season, with trimmed and watered lawns, new patio furniture and a restored test kitchen.

Most recently, weddings have continued to take place at the site under the management of Sonoma's Best Hospitality Group, which was once a LeFever Mattson business.

Drive and Wagner Road

The site has retained groundskeepers from that company, Randhawa said, to not only keep it ready for weddings, but now to make long-needed maintenance and repairs for the grand reopening.

On a recent warm day, the site glowed in the sunlight as workers added a new coat of paint onto the old event barn, while a nearby mix of well-tended indigenous and imported plants appeared to be thriving.

Randhawa, Kabul Singh's son, said in an interview that it's all being done to recapture the magic of what was once referred to as "Sonoma's Disneyland." He said he and his father aim to restore Cornerstone to its former glory, noting that "the Mattsons left this place to just rot."

"We took it over as a way to give it back to the community," Randhawa said. "The goal is not to change it much, but to bring it back to what it was pre-pandemic. As soon as we closed on the property, people were already reaching out, people who had been there before. I think that shows how much people love the property.''

Cornerstone became popular under the management of Kenwood Investments, before it was sold following an "unsolicited offer" from KS Mattson Partners, formerly owned by Ken Mattson and his wife, Stacy Mattson, as well as LeFever Mattson Inc. with his longtime and now former business partner Tim LeFever.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, key tenants such as Chateau Sonoma and Artefact left as the real estate empire slowly fell apart. LeFever Mattson's dissolution came in December, when it signed an agreement to sell its most visible -- and valuable -- local property.

The group is now under the control of forensic accountant Bradley Sharp, and federal prosecutors have charged Mattson with nine counts of wire fraud, money laundering and obstruction of justice. They contend that Mattson, who was indicted in May 2025, orchestrated a "classic Ponzi scheme" that bilked potentially hundreds of investor clients out of an estimated $100 million over a period of at least 15 years, while he assembled a massive California real estate empire.

LeFever in February agreed to a settlement that waives his bankruptcy claims and requires him and his wife, Amy, to pay $4.725 million in cash into a trust fund established to compensate clients and creditors of his former company.

Mattson

In addition to leaving its association with LeFever Mattson behind, Cornerstone's new owners want to move past another negative aspect of its history, when it was the focus of much local controversy.

Gary Saperstein, founder of Out in The Vineyard, a Sonoma organization that specializes in creating local LGBTQ+ events, said he was excited to learn about Cornerstone's new ownership since it presents an opportunity to become a safe gathering space for Pride events.

Saperstein said that in 2019, around the same time he organized a Pink Sonoma wine event, anti-LGBTQ comments by Stacy Mattson surfaced on Facebook, including a post in 2015 when she wrote to oppose the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges guaranteeing the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples.

Saperstein said, "Unfortunately, once the Mattsons took over, (organizing events there) came to an end, especially for someone who is throwing LGBTQ events. I knew that I could not bring events there (to Cornerstone)."

Other businesses and organizations also indicated they did not want to associate with the Mattsons and their properties as a result, which may have contributed to the site's loss of vendors over time, he and Randhawa said.

Saperstein said that Meadowcroft Winery, whose tasting room is located at the Cornerstone Sonoma complex, has, over the years, expressed a desire to partner with his organization for Pride events.

Tom Meadowcroft, winery owner and winemaker, said, "We are all delighted at Meadowcroft to have the Singh family as the new owners of such a landmark in Sonoma Valley. Their involvement will bring many new community events, new tenants, and a liveliness that has not been seen in years."

Saperstein said Cornerstone's new owners have already reached out to him to plan a revival of "Gay Wine Weekend" -- Out in The Vineyard's signature annual event -- to celebrate the organization's 15th anniversary. The three-day celebration takes place every June with winemaker dinners, winery tours, food pairings, live music, a pool party and a drag queen brunch benefitting Face to Face, the Sonoma County HIV/AIDS Network.

Face the Sonoma County

"With our community under attack under (the Trump) administration, that support means so much more now," Saperstein said. "I am really honored to have Cornerstone and have the new owners want to be a part of this event. They're telling me how much they want to revive it and make it a community space again. They were thrilled to host the event and be part of it, and realize it's an important part of our community."

Cornerstone's new owners say they are optimistic about restoring the site to its former state.

The grand reopening, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Friday, will feature a ribbon-cutting ceremony, live music and "seasonal bites" made by Cornerstone Sonoma and wine from Meadowcroft Wines. The invitations urge guests to explore the refurbished grounds, meet the new team in charge and "discover what's ahead."

Since April began, the property's new owners have been opening the former Folktable restaurant, where members of the Folktable catering team, serve coffee, pastries and paninis.

Randhawa said temporary openings are a longstanding method used to attract patrons to a site -- until a local business steps in permanently. The approach has not required the issuing of new construction permits, which Randhawa said is because the firm wants to largely keep the same site uses for spaces that formerly operated restaurants, tasting rooms, and retail businesses.

He added that some businesses, largely retail and home furnishings brands, have expressed an interest in Cornerstone but have not yet signed on.

Randhawa, though, said he isn't worried.

"If we're not making money at first, that's OK. The goal is to get the property kickstarted ... until we can get other businesses to take over," he said. "They do want to come back -- but it's working out what works best for them. It feels like people have just been waiting for it to come back."

Cornerstone Sonoma

Some local leaders say they are hopeful about the signs of progress underway.

Ethan Brown, executive director of the county's Economic Development Collaborative, said Cornerstone still represents a great opportunity for Sonoma Valley.

"Whether you're coming or going, it's a fantastic spot," he said. "It's really got something for everybody. We're all waiting to see what's next."

Mark Bodenhamer, CEO of the Sonoma Valley Chamber of Commerce, said he wants to see the area's "vibrancy" restored and he believes Cornerstone's new owners are committed to doing that.

"In its heyday, Cornerstone was really thriving and a little community in itself, and just a beautiful place," Bodenhamer said. "It was a pretty important gathering place for people in Sonoma. We're just hoping they're finding the right mix."

Melanie Schafer, general manager at Gloria Ferrer Winery down the street, said, "We look forward to the new ownership revitalizing and further developing the Cornerstone property in the years ahead, restoring it to a bustling destination for dining and business establishments."

Angela Dellinger, the owner of Angelo's Wine Country Deli, another nearby Cornerstone neighbor, said she's glad to see the restoration efforts, but her business may not be around to reap the benefits. She said she has sold the deli, which has been open since the 1960s. (The deli's other location in Petaluma remains open, she said.)

A revitalized Cornerstone "will change everything,'' Dellinger said. "It' s the gateway to Wine Country. So the business will come. The people are going to come.''

He said he and his father aim to restore Cornerstone to its former glory, noting that

What to remember

  • Part of a comprehensive 44-acre property, which also includes 19 acres of vineyards, an organic farm, overflow parking and storage, at 23570 Arnold Drive and 72, 100 and 150 Wagner Road, Cornerstone was purchased for $10.65 million Dec
  • Highland Capital, owned by Kabul Singh, is based in Walnut Creek and buys distressed commercial real estate assets following bankruptcy or foreclosure
  • Most recently, weddings have continued to take place at the site under the management of Sonoma's Best Hospitality Group, which was once a LeFever Mattson business

All told

Every change in the dining room eventually reaches the same test, which is whether people keep choosing it once the novelty has worn off.