Finding new life for an old building

One of the most identifiable downtown’s historic buildings is the former Arlington Hotel at 700 Cotton St. It’s one of those buildings for which the words “cool” and “scary” can be used in the same sentence and both be true.

Like the formerly vacant Ogilvie Hardware building, the Arlington has become a sad place, a haven for loiterers and the occasional ne’er-do-well. Unlike Ogilvie, it has not yet found a developer to purchase and champion its return to usefulness.

For years, the building has been owned by out-of-town interests and a succession of tax sale buyers who apparently purchased it thinking if they just held onto it a little longer, it would be worth a lot of money.

These people all need a lesson in Acquisition 101. The class would be short, and the finals would require the answer to only one question: “Is your building worth more or less when the roof leaks and you don’t repair it?” (Answer: Less) This is one of our downtown buildings that will speak to you if you will listen, and it has plenty of stories left to tell. In 1915, the brand new Arlington Hotel was situated in a great part of the city, on a bluff overlooking an entrance into downtown, surrounded by impressive mansions and beautiful buildings like the Scottish Rite Cathedral, which was constructed the same year. It was a railroad hotel, one of some 20-plus hotels and boarding houses that were built to handle the passengers from Union Station just a block away. Two blocks beyond that was the Central Train Station, and a few years later, the T&P Station was added to the mix.

In the aftermath of World War I, some 45 passenger trains a day stopped in downtown Shreveport and purveyors of overnight accommodation like the Arlington had a steady stream of customers. Before it could take customers it had to open, and for a while, that looked dicey. Ripley Comegys, grandson of Lloyd Comegys, the man who built the Arlington, told me his grandfather hired a contractor who wasn’t bonded – I doubt many were in 1915 – and the fellow skipped town with the construction money. It took a big oil play in North Caddo Parish that flooded downtown with workers looking for rooms to keep the hotel alive. The Arlington had more than rooms. It also boasted Louisiana Street – facing restaurants and shops, including the historic Gay Nineties Club that featured real can-can dancers.

According to legend, there are tunnels under the street, and those tunnels allowed gentlemen to walk, unnoticed, from the Strand Theatre to the Arlington for a shot of illegal Prohibition liquor, or perhaps, a tryst. The area around the Arlington changed, Union Station burned down in 1969, and several years later, the hotel and its businesses closed.

Things looked bleak until recently when the city began championing efforts to invigorate the area using art and culture as a catalyst. The city has claimed full ownership and clear title of the Arlington, making it possible to get it into the hands of someone who can return the building to usefulness. A structural report commissioned by the Downtown Shreveport Development Corporation, made possible by the Community Foundation, has returned exciting and positive news.

While a new roof is needed quickly, the masonry and metal portion of the Arlington is in solid condition and has seen very little movement. Additionally, much of the interior wooden structure, though wet, could be dried out and reused. The two load-bearing interior hallways could be replaced with trusses to make the space open concept, if desired. The building is eligible for both state and federal historic tax credits, which can significantly strengthen the restoration budget.

One thing is certain – the Arlington’s future is much brighter than at any time in the recent past, and that is reason to celebrate!

Liz Swaine is the executive director of the Downtown Development Authority. She can be reached at [email protected].