29 Aug, 2023
Holly Hotel Reconstruction Halted On June 21, 2022, the Holly Hotel sustained collateral damage from a fire in the adjacent building. Although only one-third of the Hotel was damaged by the fire, 100% of the building sustained considerable smoke and water damage. Within ten days after the fire, Chrissy and I began the restoration of the Hotel- removing one million gallons of water, removing all the drywall, woodwork, and carpeting, and salvaging what we could. This preliminary work took four months (July to October.) The next step was to repair and replace the west end of the Hotel where the majority of the fire damage was located and to seal the building from the outside elements. We engaged an exceptional general contractor in November and began to rebuild the west wall and the roof. When we began this step, we had a survey completed for the Hotel. At this time, we discovered that the Holly Hotel was slightly over its property line in a portion of the building. It had, of course, been that way since its construction in 1891. We contacted the owner of the adjacent Arcade property and she assured us that this would not be a problem. Earlier this year, as the west end was being rebuilt, the owner of the Arcade property sold the now-empty and flattened lot to Jeremiah Roberts. Mr. Roberts claimed in February that we were somehow infringing on his property, and he wanted the west roof eaves and portions of the west wall removed and relocated. Of course, we declined, since we were rebuilding the Hotel in the same footprint prior to the fire. When hearing our denial and with the west wall nearing completion, Mr. Roberts spitefully ordered our construction company to remove any and all cranes and scaffolding from his empty lot, completely denying access to his property. We spent the entirety of the time between February 26 to July 25 attempting to resolve this issue. On July 25, Mr. Roberts agreed to relinquish the claim he previously asserted as to the lot line, only to change his mind on August 10. As you would expect, without construction crews' access to the west-side wall, all construction was forced to stop on February 26 and has been stalled since that time. We could not continue the work inside without having the exterior wall sealed from the elements. Additionally, our contractor and brick masons, having been scheduled and canceled numerous times due to this conflict, have since removed our job from their project boards. With no other options, we were forced to file a lawsuit against Mr. Roberts on August 25. We now wait for adjudication before we can even consider asking our construction companies to reschedule and return. You can read and access the PDF court document by clicking here: Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief 8_28_2023 Over four decades and for the majority of our adult lives, Chrissy and I have enjoyed nothing more than being of service to you, our guests. We love the Holly Hotel. We always strived for perfection in every corner, with every antique plate and tea cup, with the fresh cut flowers on the tables, with buying the very best produce and meats and so much more. Nothing brought us greater joy than to welcome guests into our dining rooms knowing that we have given them the very best we have. It was never about being a big corporation. It was always personal. We wanted it that way. We will continue doing everything we possibly can to bring the Holly Hotel back and reopen our doors to you. Saying we are disappointed is an understatement. George and Chrissy
