Historic Hotel Florence to Get $100M Redevelopment

The project is a public-private partnership, with the state providing $21 million in capital funds to leverage over $83 million in private investment from a team led by Scott Henry of Celadon Construction Corp. This is the first major public-private partnership ever undertaken by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, which owns the property. Originally designed by architect Solon S. Beman, the Queen Anne-style hotel opened in 1881. It featured 50 guest rooms and a private suite for George Pullman, and its bar was the only venue in the entire company town where visitors could purchase alcohol. The 75-year agreement extends beyond the hotel itself, also including the restoration of its 1914 annex, portions of the original Pullman Car Works factory, and the surrounding grounds. The former factory space is slated to become a new cultural and performing arts hub. This redevelopment is the next major step in the area's revitalization, following the $35 million transformation of the Pullman Administration Clock Tower Building into a new National Park visitor center. The area was designated the Pullman National Monument in 2015 and is now a National Historical Park. Future accessibility to the neighborhood will be dramatically reshaped by the Chicago Transit Authority's planned $5.75 billion Red Line extension, which will serve the Pullman area. The hotel project is designed to fill a critical hospitality gap and is projected to help grow annual park visitation from around 40,000 to over 300,000. The development team includes Chicago-based Farr Associates as the architect and Skender Construction as the contractor, with Ramsey Historic Consultants advising on preservation.