The buildings that once housed the Majestic Hotel in downtown Hot Springs are gone, replaced by a pile of rubble that will be hauled away in the weeks to come. The February 2014 fire that destroyed the oldest part of the complex forced the business and civic leadership of Hot Springs to wake up and begin taking seriously the fragile nature of the city's historic downtown. There has been an emphasis since the fire on attracting developers who will return life to empty buildings up and down Central Avenue.
Though it's gone, the Majestic will always be a part of the city's colorful history. Nancy Hendricks, writing for the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture, says it was "one of the most famous hotels in the South. For more than a century, the five-acre complex anchored the intersection of the main thoroughfares, Park and Central avenues. ... Originally named the Avenue Hotel, the Majestic was built in 1882 on the site of the old Hiram Whittington House. The Avenue Hotel was notable for its amenities such as streetcar service to transport guests to and from the bathhouses every five minutes. In 1888, the Avenue Hotel was renamed the Majestic Hotel after the Majestic Stove Co. of St. Louis, though the precise connection is unclear. As Hot Springs grew, so did the Majestic. In 1892, the Majestic Hotel was remodeled to include modern conveniences such as elevators, along with the addition that came to be known as the yellow brick building. By the turn of the century, the Majestic was known as a luxurious hotel, popular with tourists as well as with the athletes who came to the Spa City for spring training."
An agreement was signed with the federal government in 1896 for thermal water to be pumped to the location so the Majestic could operate its own bathhouse. Hendricks writes: "When the Little Rock, Hot Springs & Western Railroad began running in 1899, the number of visitors increased dramatically. The original Avenue Hotel was razed in 1902, and a four-story domed brick building with 150 rooms was constructed. Included in this addition was the hotel's landmark restaurant called The Dutch Treat, which had an eye-catching windmill over the front door. The restaurant was renamed Grady's Grill in 1991. In the prosperity of the 1920s, greater numbers of Americans could visit the Majestic Hotel."
Major league baseball teams stayed there along with gangsters from Chicago, New York and elsewhere. Business was so good that an eight-story red brick annex (which came down last week) was constructed in 1926. Southwest Hotels Inc., owned by H. Grady Manning, purchased the hotel in 1929. Soldiers were housed at the Majestic during World War II as Hot Springs became a spot to send servicemen for rest and relaxation following injuries. When the hotel reopened to civilians on Dec. 15, 1945, band leader Guy Lombardo and actor Alan Ladd (a Hot Springs native) were among those in attendance. One of the four marriages of August Anheuser "Gussie" Busch Jr. of St. Louis was at the hotel, and the Budweiser Clydesdales showed up. The Lanai Tower was added in 1963. There was a large pool, a waterfall and sliding glass doors on the rooms. In 2006, the Majestic closed and soon, rather than being a showpiece for the city, it became an eyesore that hindered additional development in the area.
Hot Springs residents now must decide what to do with this high-profile location. Everyone knows the real estate maxim of "location, location, location." It could be argued that the northern terminus of Central Avenue is one of the five most important locations in the state. A year ago at this time, several hundred people gathered down the street on the top floor of the Exchange Street Parking Plaza for the release of a long-awaited downtown development plan.
The report said Hot Springs could leverage proper redevelopment to "make a contribution to the physical, social and economic welfare of downtown for decades to come. Due to its size, location and prominence, the future of this site will set the tone for redevelopment activities throughout downtown, serve as a catalyst for additional public and private investments, and present an opportunity to build on the impact of the tourism sector."
Dozens of potential uses for the site were suggested during public meetings. The consultants concluded that the site could best be utilized as a performing arts center, outdoor amphitheater and public bathing facility. They wrote, "Hot Springs lacks a quality indoor performance venue with the modern amenities required to attract traveling Broadway shows, large-scale music performances and other acts that would pump entertainment dollars into the local economy and provide an evening market for downtown eateries and nightlife." The outdoor amphitheater could be the home of everything from community theater productions to movies under the stars.
Of the proposed public bathing facility, the consultants wrote: "The addition of such a facility ... would attract day and evening visitors year-round. ... Redevelopment of the Majestic site presents an opportunity for residents and visitors alike to experience firsthand what led the native tribes to name this area the Valley of the Vapors." Whatever decision is made will dramatically affect Hot Springs for many years. To say that this is the most important decision to face the city's leaders in decades isn't an overstatement.
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Freelance columnist Rex Nelson is the director of corporate community relations for Simmons First National Corp. He's also the author of the Southern Fried blog at rexnelsonsouthernfried.com.
Editorial on 10/12/2016