Iowa City’s historic Highlander Hotel to see new life in $5 million renovation
The Highlander had its beginnings first as a supper club in 1967 and then as a 90-room hotel with a ballroom addition in 1973. Photo: photo courtesy Steve Miller of Slingshot Architecture
From the Iowa City Press-Citizen: The owner and developer of the Hotel Grinnell has set her sights on a new project in Iowa City. Angela Harrington, the president and CEO of Catalyst Development LLC, plans to renovate the Clarion Highlander Hotel and Conference Center, capitalizing on some of the bygone charms from its supper club days in the 1960s and 70s.
Renaming it The Bohemian, Harrington has big plans for reviving the spot by positioning it in the market as a boutique hotel. It is currently a Clarion Hotel and Conference Center.
Walking around the still operational indoor pool, Harrington offered a vision of new garage doors that will open to a patio during the warmer months and past the pool a row of stools pulled up to a bar.
Davenport’s ‘Motor Row’ nabs historic designation
410 E. 2nd St., the Dam View Inn. The building was constructed in 1925 on the site of a former house associated with vice. It was the Davenport Alemite Co. that offered transmission greasing for cars equipped with an alemite lubricating system. Before the flood, the buildings to the right of the Dam View housed Ragged Records and Trash Can Annie, businesses that have not reopened. The far right building was constructed in 1914 as the Holmes Motor Co. on the site of a former saloon and theater. The space with all the windows was the car showroom. Located just off the Government Bridge, the building was noted as the Tri-Cities’ longest auto retailing space, 125 feet. JESSICA GALLAGHER / jgallagher@qconline.com
From the Quad-City Times: An area of Davenport just west of the Government Bridge has been designated a national historic district, a listing that city leaders expect will spur more redevelopment in the area, despite its being flooded this spring.
The 6½-block area was named the Motor Row and Industrial Historic District because in the early 1900s through about 1960, it was an area of businesses catering to cars, including service stations, auto dealerships and tire and auto stores, according to the nomination for listing. It also housed light industry, wholesaling, jobbing and warehousing.
Route 66 Village opens in Tulsa
From Fox23 News: TULSA, Okla. – Tulsa leaders are hoping a new welcome center along Route 66 will help build tourism.
The Route 66 Village held a ribbon-cutting ceremony today to officially open its doors. The building is modeled after a historic Phillips 66 cottage-style gas station.
The prehistoric past meets the 1960s at Dinosaur Land, one of Virginia’s most endearing roadside attractions
A sign reminiscent of Disneyland. Photo: Alexandra Charitan
From Roadtrippers: As I pull off the Stonewall Jackson Highway and into the parking lot of Dinosaur Land, I notice a couple taking photos near the park’s sign. One of them is clutching what appears to be a live lizard. They tell me that they’re on a cross country road trip with their pet bearded dragon and a stop at Dinosaur Land’s “educational prehistoric forest” seemed to make sense.
I’ll never know just what—if anything—the little lizard thought of Dinosaur Land’s more than 50 “replicas of the past,” but the couple leaves happy. I see them one more time, near the exit, and offer to take their photo. They pose next to a small dinosaur whose arms are outstretched, and act as though they’re being attacked. “This is going to be our Christmas card,” they say.