Historic Motor Row building designed by Albert Kahn tapped for hotel conversion
Rendering courtesy of NORR Architects
From Curbed/Chicago: In Chicago’s historic Motor Row District, a vacant industrial building is preparing to get a second life as a 200-room boutique hotel serving McCormick Place convention-goers.
If approved, the six-story structure at 2300 S. Indiana Avenue would become a 79-room Motel 6 with 121 extended-stay rooms operated under the company’s Studio 6 brand, Crain’sreported on Tuesday.
Notable Detroit architect Albert Kahn designed the 100-year-old building as a service facility for the Cadillac Motor Car Company, representatives of NORR Architects—the firm tapped to lead the conversion—told Curbed.
Exterior renovation of historic A.G. Gaston Motel could begin in June
From Birmingham Times: Exterior renovation of the historic A.G. Gaston Motel in downtown Birmingham could begin as soon as June, city officials said Wednesday.
That phase of the project is expected to cover the wing of the motel where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stayed in Room 30 and also cover the motel’s entire roof.
“The A.G. Gaston Motel is sacred ground…we are investing in this project because this is the site of freedom—a freedom that changed our city, our nation, our world,” said Mayor Randall Woodfin during a press conference in the abandoned motel’s courtyard. “The fight for social justice, racial equity and economic prosperity in our country continues. The A.G. Gaston Motel will continue to stand as a symbol of change.”
More Than a Roadside Attraction
The Big Duck in Flanders gets 10,000 visitors a year, making it Suffolk County’s most popular historical site. Janice Jay Young
From The East Hampton Star: It was once a reliable feature of a Montauk Highway drive through Water Mill: the hammerblow of animal stink as you passed John Bellini’s duck farm. Windows were frantically cranked skyward, hands flew to cover mouths, children groaned from the back seat. And then it was gone as you continued on into Bridgehampton, just as nearly the entire Long Island duck farm industry disappeared in our collective rearview mirror starting in the 1970s.
The Future Of Mitchell Park Domes Remains Unclear
The Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory is commonly called the Domes — and their future remain unclear. MICHELLE MATERNOWSKI
From WUWM 89.7: The three bee-hive shaped glass structures that are home to tropical, desert and rotating show installations have glistened within Mitchell Park on Milwaukee’s near south side for nearly 50 years. But like other Milwaukee County facilities, the buildings’ maintenance has been chronically deferred.
Safety concerns piqued in 2016 when a piece of concrete fell inside the Desert Dome. As a result, all three closed for several weeks.
Soon after, a task force formed to try to come up with a long-term solution. Wednesday evening, during another conversation about the future of the domes, consultant Mike Devine shared one vision of a reimagined horticultural venue.
What’s Happening To Northern Nevada’s Neon?
Virginia Street, once lined in vibrant and overwhelming neon, still glows. Just with less neon. HOLLY HUTCHINGS
From KUNR: Neon and Nevada go hand in hand. The flashing tube lights are synonymous with the Silver State and have long told our story. Neon has surged in popularity at times and fizzled out in others. KUNR’s Arts and Culture Reporter Holly Hutchings has been looking into this integral part of Nevada’s identity and talked with News Director Michelle Billman about the stories she’s discovered.