PAWHUSKA, Okla. -- The City of Pawhuska is hoping a hotel will soon move into downtown.
Several buildings are being auctioned off on Wednesday.
One is the Kennedy Building. It is a 26,000 square foot building built in 1927.
Much of the original charm is still in tact inside but it needs some work.
“With the granite, the marble, the old robbery alarm made out of stained glass, it is fascinating,” Joni Nash, the executive director of the Pawhuska Chamber of Commerce, said. “The building itself is a draw.”
City officials say several people have shown interest in buying it and turning it into a hotel.
As it stands, Pawhuska only has bed and breakfasts and bed and bathrooms that are constantly full. Tourists have to stay in nearby cities.
“A study done by the Oklahoma Tourism Department that they put out last year says guests spend 75-percent more in their town that they’re coming to visit if they stay in that town,” Nash said.
The former Citizen’s National Bank and DHS building is five stories and just steps away from The Mercantile, owned by the Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond.
“She has a very extensive following a big network of fans and they are very dedicated,” Nash said.
LuAnn and Raymond Garcia drove two days out of their way on a road trip across the country just to go to The Mercantile. They stayed all the way in Stillwater, more than an hour away, because they could not find lodging in Pawhuska.
“We watch Ree every day and we wanted to see what her restaurant was like and what she has to sell,” LuAnn Garcia said.
If a buyer transforms the 1920s historical landmark into lodging, like the city hopes, visitors could step out of the front door of the hotel into the line to get in the restaurant.
“We are watching these buildings come back to life,” Nash said.
The auction is Wednesday at 2:33 p.m. Right after the auction, county commissioners will meet to determine if they are going to accept the bid on the Kennedy Building.
The building has to sell for two-thirds of its appraised value which means bidding will start around $107,000.
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