The eventual revitalization of the historic downtown Beaumont hotel may have skipped the originally proposed schedule, but developers say they are still determined to turn the site back into a working hotel.
Mack Patel, whose company bought the nearly 100-year-old building over two years ago, told the company this week that the pandemic had apparently discarded all plans to start construction last year, but the project would eventually move forward.
“We’ve been working on multiple projects at once, including this one, but timing is everything,” said Patel. “The pandemic has played a huge role in delaying our plans, and even now the cost of materials and materials available are difficult to track. We were just at this point in the process when the pandemic started. “
Patel officials were considering hiring to secure the heritage loans for the project if they were to tour the building shortly before the government-ordered lockdowns begin at the end of March 2020.
He said the company was quick to cancel the tour, which was the first step in a cascade of delays.
Based on very optimistic estimates, Patel said work could resume in late spring or summer next year.
The currently vacant Hotel Beaumont was completed for $ 1 million in 1922, which is about $ 16 million in today’s economy.
During its heyday, the ballrooms hosted many balls, galas, and other community events until it was converted into a senior citizens’ home in 1977. It was closed in 2011.
Despite some attempts to develop the property along the way, as it was sold to California hotelier Seth McCormick for $ 1.1 million in 2014, it has been vacant since its closure.
Another development plan was presented in 2017, but this was never implemented either.
Patel, who owns eight hotels, four of which are Hampton Inns, was planning to build a hotel in Beaumont but was looking near Walden Road in south Beaumont.
Two new hotels of a local real estate developer opened on Walden Road in 2019, further expanding Beaumont’s hotel corridor.
The 26,700 square foot building was last valued at nearly $ 1.1 million, about $ 200,000 less than in 2019, according to the Jefferson County Appraisal District.
The building has 11 floors with two ballrooms on top.
The news of Patel’s firm Beaumont Developers LLC, which may be revitalizing the building, came to light in September 2019 when applications for tax breaks were made to the city.
Patel’s incentive application saw construction costs of between $ 5 million and $ 9 million for the 138-room hotel, with construction expected to begin in September 2020 and completion date in January 2022.
The deadline has already passed, but Ward II Alderman Mike Getz recently toured the building with Patel and said he was reassured that the developer was still serious about the project.
“There has been a tremendous amount of vandalism, but he said he was determined to move the project forward,” Getz told the Enterprise.
Along with graffiti and damaged property, Patel said vandals broke fixtures and clogged drains in the building, resulting in two separate floods at Hotel Beaumont since his company bought the property.
He said the damage was “devastating and disturbing,” but Beaumont Developers is trying to ensure working with the city to better secure the building until work can begin in earnest.
jacob.dick@beaumontenterprise.com
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