FOR LEASE ... Redland Historic Inn Restaurant 4000 SQ. FT RESTAURANT ... FULLY FURNISHED. Includes dining room, party room and kitchen. Contact: Jean Mollard, 903-391-1002.
BIG MOVING SALE ... at 302 E. Crawford, Old Town Palestine, as a new store prepares to move into the Redlands. See MaryJean's Store in Old Town for great bargains beginning Thanksgiving weekend.
NEW STORE OPEN .. Artifacts Vintage Finds of Curiosities, Rarities and Possibilities offering vintage style goods for todays living. 903-731-4434.
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Published: October 13, 2008 02:00 am Palestine Herald Press
Redlands Restoration
Downtown building gets new look
By BETH FOLEY
The Palestine Herald
More than a restored façade awaits those who step inside the Redlands Building Tuesday for the Palestine Area Chamber of Commerce After Hours Mixer and Open House.
Under owner Jean Mollard's direction, the historic steel and concrete building, erected in 1914 as a hotel, welcomes guests to renovated suites available for short and extended stays, reflected in its new name, The Redlands Historic Inn.
In addition to the building's 17 one- and two-bedroom apartments, it now offers Uptown Suite 209, an elegant bed-and-breakfast style suite with an awning-covered balcony, as well as several fully furnished one- and two-bedroom and bathroom extended stay apartments. All offer full amenities, with WiFi, maid service and laundry facilities on the same floor.
Rooms retain elements of the original architecture, including moulding, trim and tile in some.
"The Redlands Building should play a key role in the restoration and emphasis on bringing people back to downtown Palestine to work and live", Mollard said.
"I feel that we're the anchor on this end of the street," Mollard said. "I think that the (Anderson County) Courthouse is the anchor on the other end, followed by the Gregg-Link Building being on the corner and going on down to the Depot. That would be four reference points to direct people to this place or the other."
As more buildings are renovated, more people will become involved and the city will benefit, said Mollard, who serves as chairman of the Main Street Advisory Board.
"I think the historic interest spills over into people wanting to renovate homes, too," Mollard said. "That's why the three historic districts are a real important dovetail for this. If you get historic-minded people who live here, they will shop here and vice versa."
"The more people who understand about old buildings, the better it is for the community to have this revitalization going on."
The Redlands Building itself makes a case for the greenness of revitalization and the economic impact on the city, Mollard added.
She and her late husband Norman Mollard bought the building in the 1970s, well after its heyday as a hotel and headquarters for the International & Great Northern Railroad.
The combination of an expert in historic preservation in Main Street Director Neely Plumb, and interest and commitment from city officials and local residents have made the time right to continue to preserve Palestine's history, she said.
"The International Building Code makes it so much easier," Mollard said. "We've got the PEDC grants. We've got harmony in the city saying we want to fix this thing up, fix the problems, like I've never seen in 32 years."
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Beth Foley may be contacted via e-mail at bfoley@palestineherald.com
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