Returning to historical roots
Broadview Towers undergoing major remodel
By Brandy Nance
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Broadview Towers, 110 W. Sixth Ave., will be open to the public Monday to show off the restoration project which is aimed at returning the building to its historic look.
The building, which is undergoing an extensive remodel, will be open from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday for a sneak peek. Refreshments will be served.
Broadview Towers is residential housing for residents 62 and older and for qualified disabled residents. The building, which was built in 1923, offers 60 apartments — 24 studios and 36 one-bedrooms.
The restoration is being funded with tax credits through the Kansas Housing Resources Corp. and through a grant from the National Park Service. The building is listed on Kansas’ National Registry of Historical Places. To be on that registry the building must be returned to the way it looked when it was first built as the Hotel Broadview.
Inside the building, major remodeling has not been done since 1974. In 1974, the hotel was approved for Section 8 housing by HUD and became a 62 and older and qualified disabled resident housing. Key Management out of Wichita manages the apartment building. The building operates under Broadview Towers Inc., Krueger said, adding that the building also has a voluntary board of directors.
The interior of the hotel is being changed to look like the grand hotel it used to be. Each apartment has been completely refurbished from top to bottom including plumbing, fixtures, appliances, bathrooms, lighting, walls and flooring, said Becky Krueger, office manager at Broadview Towers.
“They have a more modern floor plan with an open concept,” Krueger said. “The bar has a sink that overlooks the living area.”
Hallways in Broadview are being done now.
“That’s pretty much the last thing on the inside,” Krueger said.
Common areas such as the lounge have been remodeled as well. Some small rooms have been taken out and made into one large area including a new library, new fireplace and the kitchen area is completely new, Krueger said.
“It’s just a really nice feel when you walk into the kitchen,” she said. “The lobby is beautiful with the recessed ceilings.”
On the outside of the building, paint is being removed and windows are being replaced.
Historical roots
The building was originally the Hotel Broadview. The building is made of concrete and steel and was built after a fire destroyed Emporia’s oldest and largest hotel, the Hotel Whitley, at the same location in 1921. Following the fire, the Emporia Hotel Foundation was formed and sold shares of stock to Emporia citizens.
The corporation contracted with Wichita developer George Siedhoff to construct the Broadview. According to the Kansas Preservation, through the 1920s the hotel hosted many conventions, including the state Ku Klux Klan, which drew the ire of many local individuals including William Allen White.
The building served as a hotel until 1964 when it was remodeled into a men’s dormitory for the College of Emporia.
reddog (K. B. Thomas Jr.) says...
W.L. White-Bob Dole Broadview Hotel.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_...
July 9, 2011 at 12:35 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
reddog (K. B. Thomas Jr.) says...
If C of E stayed out of the housing business, they might have survived.
July 9, 2011 at 12:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )