Hotel Elkhart to Receive New Life
(photo courtesy The Renaissance at Historic Hotel Elkhart)
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe city of Elkhart and a Mishawaka-based commercial real estate firm are looking to return a historic downtown building to its former glory. Cressy Commercial Real Estate has announced plans to invest $12 million to restore the Hotel Elkhart into a mixed-use development that will include a boutique hotel.
The building, once known as "Northern Indiana’s Finest Hotel," was constructed in 1923 and converted into senior apartments in the mid-1970s. The firm says, when renovations are complete, the Hotel Elkhart will house retail and office tenants, including a new brewpub, on the first floor, more office tenants on the second floor, and a hotel on floors three through eight. The Athenia Ballroom on the building’s ninth floor will remain but will undergo a complete remodel.
The developer says the city is planning to make improvements to the area surrounding the hotel, including upgraded lighting, landscaping and access to the Marion Street parking garage. The revamped hotel is expected to draw new visitors to the Elkhart Aquatic and Community Center, which is currently in the works.
"We are proud to be a part of the next chapter in Elkhart’s downtown revitalization," said Ed Bradley, senior vice president for Cressy Commercial Real Estate. "Our partnership with the City of Elkhart and the Regional Development Authority will allow us to undertake the largest privately led redevelopment project in the City’s history."
The developer plans to begin construction on the project in January and expects work to be complete in the second quarter of 2019.