Holt Hotel Rehabilitation-Restoration Project

Texas| Posted: 11/28/2006

Project Overview
The Holt Hotel project is a unique rehabilitation to one of Wichita Falls` first skyscraper buildings (1910). The action enhances economic, social, and aesthetic aspects of the historic downtown. The project is within the City`s Depot Square Historic District listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It encompasses half a city block and consists of an eight-story building with an adjoining, gated parking lot. In 1926, the original office building was converted into a hotel and three additional floors – mezzanine, 7th and 8th – were added.

The $7,000,000 project is the largest downtown revitalization effort in Wichita Falls. It assists in mitigating the effects of blight through the conversion of the dilapidated hotel into 41 market-rate loft style apartments with ground floor commercial lease space. The building was without windows for twenty years. Low local housing prices provided challenges to the economics of the project, which then required creativity. and effort in establishment of the funding.

Challenges Overcome & Unique Strategies
First, a Scout group volunteered to clean the lobby to make the building more marketable. Much later, after assembling the majority of needed funds, the Hotel became the focus of a month long "It`s Now or Never" funding campaign. It was critical to raise $670,000 of `gap` finances in order to save the historic building from the necessity of demolition, due to its deteriorating condition. The Wichita County Heritage Society along with key leaders (Ann Smith, Gayla Morris, Jim Johnson, and David Clark) led the community-wide grass roots campaign for assistance. The local newspaper, Times Record News, helped raise awareness about the Holt`s pending plight with a series of feature articles and a daily fundraising section listing donors` names. An open house was held for the public to see the building`s interior - $30,000 was raised during that one day from accumulations of small donations. The outpouring of support was a testament to the building`s significance in people`s memories. A total of $700,000 was raised within that month.

Overall funding for the project was complex. After a challenging effort to get title to the property and clear back taxes, the City of Wichita Falls appropriated Community Development Block Grant funds to solve environmental (asbestos) issues and to complete needed interior demolition. Local Tax Increment Financing funds paid for completion of the construction documents accomplished by the architectural firm of Bundy, Young, Sims, & Potter. All of this early effort was at risk. It facilitated bidding, determined actual construction costs, and identified the amount of monies really needed to be raised for the project. Three local foundations provided pledges totaling $1,100,000. Federal Economic Development Initiative funds were secured along with a grant of $30,000 from the Texas Historical Commission. The National Development Council (NDC), represented by Stephanie Dugan, served as the developer and obtained historic preservation tax credit funding working with the National Trust and the Bank of America. A private loan was provided from a consortium of local banks. The remainder of funds came from the generous individual contributions. NDC oversaw the project development and the complex management of the funding.

The exterior of the building was restored to its 1926 design. Central corridor walls, mosaic tile floors, and louvered entry doors were retained on the original upper floors. New apartment entry doors were designed to meet current fire codes. Removal of the former hotel room walls revealed wooden floors (on top of the reinforced concrete) that ran continuously on the third through sixth floors offering an important amenity to the new apartments. Special effort was made to match the hundred year old wood for needed repairs. In the lobby, many long destroyed decorative brackets were recreated.

Project Community Impact
A grand opening reception and open house were held to thank the many community volunteers and donors who helped make the project a reality, bringing an estimated 700-800 people through the building. The building/site`s redevelopment is a vehicle to promote the historic downtown and attract residents. It provides desirable housing, enhances the tax base, provided construction jobs, and is drawing further investment. Nearby, private sector developers have converted other vacant structures into 36 apartment units and have achieved success to encourage even more projects. The area has enjoyed the development of restaurants and small businesses. A long derelict local landmark – the Littlest Skyscraper – has now also been restored and occupied. The project was completed during fall 2005 with handicapped accessible sidewalks being installed by the City of Wichita Falls during early 2006.

Project Overview
The Holt Hotel project is a unique rehabilitation to one of Wichita Falls` first skyscraper buildings (1910). The action enhances economic, social, and aesthetic aspects of the historic downtown. The project is within the City`s Depot Square Historic District listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It encompasses half a city block and consists of an eight-story building with an adjoining, gated parking lot. In 1926, the original office building was converted into a hotel and three additional floors – mezzanine, 7th and 8th – were added.

The $7,000,000 project is the largest downtown revitalization effort in Wichita Falls. It assists in mitigating the effects of blight through the conversion of the dilapidated hotel into 41 market-rate loft style apartments with ground floor commercial lease space. The building was without windows for twenty years. Low local housing prices provided challenges to the economics of the project, which then required creativity. and effort in establishment of the funding.

Challenges Overcome & Unique Strategies
First, a Scout group volunteered to clean the lobby to make the building more marketable. Much later, after assembling the majority of needed funds, the Hotel became the focus of a month long "It`s Now or Never" funding campaign. It was critical to raise $670,000 of `gap` finances in order to save the historic building from the necessity of demolition, due to its deteriorating condition. The Wichita County Heritage Society along with key leaders (Ann Smith, Gayla Morris, Jim Johnson, and David Clark) led the community-wide grass roots campaign for assistance. The local newspaper, Times Record News, helped raise awareness about the Holt`s pending plight with a series of feature articles and a daily fundraising section listing donors` names. An open house was held for the public to see the building`s interior - $30,000 was raised during that one day from accumulations of small donations. The outpouring of support was a testament to the building`s significance in people`s memories. A total of $700,000 was raised within that month.

Overall funding for the project was complex. After a challenging effort to get title to the property and clear back taxes, the City of Wichita Falls appropriated Community Development Block Grant funds to solve environmental (asbestos) issues and to complete needed interior demolition. Local Tax Increment Financing funds paid for completion of the construction documents accomplished by the architectural firm of Bundy, Young, Sims, & Potter. All of this early effort was at risk. It facilitated bidding, determined actual construction costs, and identified the amount of monies really needed to be raised for the project. Three local foundations provided pledges totaling $1,100,000. Federal Economic Development Initiative funds were secured along with a grant of $30,000 from the Texas Historical Commission. The National Development Council (NDC), represented by Stephanie Dugan, served as the developer and obtained historic preservation tax credit funding working with the National Trust and the Bank of America. A private loan was provided from a consortium of local banks. The remainder of funds came from the generous individual contributions. NDC oversaw the project development and the complex management of the funding.

The exterior of the building was restored to its 1926 design. Central corridor walls, mosaic tile floors, and louvered entry doors were retained on the original upper floors. New apartment entry doors were designed to meet current fire codes. Removal of the former hotel room walls revealed wooden floors (on top of the reinforced concrete) that ran continuously on the third through sixth floors offering an important amenity to the new apartments. Special effort was made to match the hundred year old wood for needed repairs. In the lobby, many long destroyed decorative brackets were recreated.

Project Community Impact
A grand opening reception and open house were held to thank the many community volunteers and donors who helped make the project a reality, bringing an estimated 700-800 people through the building. The building/site`s redevelopment is a vehicle to promote the historic downtown and attract residents. It provides desirable housing, enhances the tax base, provided construction jobs, and is drawing further investment. Nearby, private sector developers have converted other vacant structures into 36 apartment units and have achieved success to encourage even more projects. The area has enjoyed the development of restaurants and small businesses. A long derelict local landmark – the Littlest Skyscraper – has now also been restored and occupied. The project was completed during fall 2005 with handicapped accessible sidewalks being installed by the City of Wichita Falls during early 2006.

For more information contact:

Director, Community Development
City of Wichita Falls Planning Division
PO Box 1431
Wichita Falls, TX 76307
940-761-7451
dave.clark@cwftx.net