A south-side motel with a checkered past is undergoing a major renovation with the goal of attracting more proper clientele.
Located on Silverlake Road, just west of Interstate 10, the Silverbell Inn fell into disarray in recent years and became a hot spot for criminal activity.
When Bryan Coggins found the motel on a Google search, he said he knew he had to have it.
He bought it for $900,000 and is investing about $2.5 million to renovate, upgrade and rebrand.
鈥淚鈥檝e been looking for mid-century modern properties,鈥 Coggins said. 鈥淚 think 蜜柚直播 and Palm Springs are the meccas for that construction.鈥
The Southern California investor spent a lot of time in 蜜柚直播, as his father did sabbaticals at the University of 蜜柚直播.
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鈥淚 prefer to renovate versus building new,鈥 Coggins said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 single story and has good bones.鈥
The 28,000-square-foot hotel has 93 rooms, averaging 280 square feet. The property鈥檚 new name will be Hotel McCoy 鈥 a nod to the McCoy Mountains near the 蜜柚直播-California border.
Coggins said the hotel will have four different room types, including some with bunk beds.
The hotel鈥檚 reputation didn鈥檛 deter him.
鈥淚鈥檝e had two or three people come up to me and say they stayed in the hotel when it first opened in the 1970s,鈥 Coggins said. 鈥淎ll I want to do is bring a 蜜柚直播 gem back to life.鈥
And, everything from the artwork to the furniture and food and beverages will be local.
蜜柚直播 wineries and breweries will stock the bar and Anita Street Market will deliver breakfast burros every morning to guests.
鈥淭he inspiration is all 蜜柚直播,鈥 Coggins said.
The hotel鈥檚 architecture was designed in 1966 and he is shopping for a 1966 Cadillac to park at the hotel鈥檚 A-shaped entrance to represent 鈥淎鈥 Mountain in the background.
Surrounding businesses and even police officers have stopped by to thank him for fixing up the hotel.
鈥淚鈥檝e seen the plans and I think it鈥檚 really nice,鈥 said Chris Trujillo, manager of E-Z 8 Self Storage, next door at 702 W. Silverlake Road. He said the location and volume of traffic will help the hotel succeed.
鈥淎nd, I think because of how they鈥檙e redoing it, it will push out the guests that shouldn鈥檛 be there,鈥 Trujillo said.
Deputy 蜜柚直播 Police Chief Chad Kasmar said the department celebrates when these sorts of properties get fixed up.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important revitalization to attract good people to the area,鈥 he said. 鈥淭hat has a much larger impact on that entire area.鈥
He said a cleaned-up facility with good lighting and security will deter the criminal element.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not just exciting for the Police Department,鈥 Kasmar said, 鈥渂ut for everyone around that community.鈥
The hotel鈥檚 location right off the freeway makes it convenient for travelers and Coggins plans to keep room rates under $100 per night.
鈥淲e want families, we want kids, we want young people,鈥 he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to be a great deal.鈥
If everything stays on schedule, the new hotel is expected to open in the spring.
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