The Garden City Telegram
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No 'magic answers' for Windsor
Published 11/19/2008 in News
By STEPHANIE FARLEY
There were no "magic answers" Tuesday as to what would make the Windsor Hotel a viable, immediate option to a developer, according to Kansas State Preservation Officer Patrick Zollner.
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Stephanie Farley/Telegram — Kansas State Preservation Officer Patrick Zollner and architect Bruce Glass tour the interior of the Windsor Hotel on Tuesday. It was Zollner's first time to see the Windsor. Finney County Preservation Alliance President Don Harness asked Zollner to tour the Windsor and discuss options the alliance could pursue for the hotel.
But there are options available that the Finney County Preservation Alliance can pursue until a developer comes along, he said. While the Kansas State Historical Society has worked with the alliance before on funding to allow the building to be secured to outside elements -- hopefully leading to longer preservation until a use is found for the former hotel -- Zollner had never toured the hotel.
According to Zollner, alliance President Don Harness asked him to tour the building. Zollner referred to Tuesday morning's tour and talk with Harness and other alliance members as a brainstorming session, saying the hotel's a great building. And while the Historical Society doesn't have any specific suggestions at this point on getting the structure developed, the entity is offering to help in any way it can.
The alliance still is in a state of uncertainty with the hotel after having dissolved its relationship with Colorado developer Tom Klein, of New Communities LLC of Denver. The alliance announced Klein as the hotel's developer in February 2007, and Klein announced at the same time he felt the project was "viable."
After the announcement, he and the alliance developed a business plan for the property and set out to develop a roughly 70-room operational hotel with a restaurant, coffee shop and bar -- a project estimated at about $10.5 million.
But the relationship between Klein and the alliance was dissolved as of July 18. According to Harness, the alliance believed Klein had been developer for larger restoration projects in Wyoming and New Mexico -- projects it had considered when bringing him on as developer for the Windsor. The fact that he wasn't put the alliance's credibility under question, Harness said.
The alliance since has been in a transition period, hoping to once again restore John Stevens' vision of a grand hotel that would ensure the city's future and bring prosperity to the area.
The key is finding how to do that.
Harness said Tuesday the alliance still is seeking a developer. But with the current state of the economy, he thinks that could happen later rather than sooner.
So in the meantime, Harness and others with the alliance have been looking at uses and improvement projects that won't interfere with future development but that will be beneficial to the building until a developer comes along.
Alliance members have talked about possible ground floor development, getting a restaurant or business into the first floor and then developing the three upper floors later when there's funding and a willing developer. The consensus seems to be, though, the ground floor development would need to be temporary and the occupant would need to be aware that development of the upper floors would occur in the future.
Tax credits and the Heritage Trust Fund grant through the Historical Society were talked about as possible funding sources for improvements. According to the Historical Society, properties must be listed on the National Register of Historic Places, or the Register of Historic Kansas Places, to be eligible for the grant funding. The grant funds activities that preserve or restore historic properties -- individual grant awards can't exceed $90,000.
While the alliance has spent time and money in the past securing the building, Zollner said Tuesday that Àùmore can be done to stabilize the structure. He encouraged the alliance to apply for another grant through the Heritage Trust Fund.
Harness said there are places where the window coverings don't really cover the windows like they should; the cupola located on the hotel's roof needs repair; there's some brick work that needs to be dealt with on the hotel; the building's faÃßade could be restored to its original state; and the mezzanine, an intermediate floor between the main floors of the building, could be removed to give way to the original ceiling.
There have been no decisions made, Harness said.
The alliance meets at 5:15 p.m. today at Garden City Downtown Vision, 413 N. Main St., to further discuss Zollner's tour and meeting, and options available to the alliance.
Zollner said he'd seen photographs of the hotel but that he doesn't believe anyone's prepared when they see the hotel's atrium and skylights in person. Of the condition, he said he'd seen buildings "far, far worse" and that the interior is in fairly good condition but that there are improvements that can be done to better secure and protect the structure.
"Our past is important to us, and it's what we're trying to preserve," he said, adding that once a building like the Windsor is gone, it's gone forever. There's no getting it back.
On the Web:
Finney County Preservation Alliance: http://www.gardencity.net/windsor/
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