Tourism Commission ponders future of Berea Hotel

The Berea Tourism Commission met last week to discuss projects for 2024, and high on the list will be determining the future of the historic Berea Hotel in Artisan Village.

Berea Business and Tourism Development Director Donna Angel told commissioners the structure is in need of work on both the exterior and interior. That will include patching and painting on the outside, as well as new flooring on the inside and more substantial repairs.

In 2017, a consulting engineer noted that the second floor of the structure is sagging, a problem he said can be remedied.

Rick Thomas, who was chairing Wednesday’s business meeting in the absence of Bill West, said the commission should get more information before proceeding on repairs.

“We know that the Berea Hotel is a strategically important location, and at one time, it was a very beautiful building. It’s still beautiful in its own way, but it’s deteriorating,” Thomas said. “We’ve discussed it for several years and we’re thinking now that it’s empty to get a structural engineer. We have ideas, but until we know what kind of shape it’s in, and what our potential costs would be, it’s hard to determine a final use of the building without knowing what we’re beginning with.”  

The bottom floor was home to A Little Southern Class Florist & Gifts and Becky Brown Jewelry. The florist has since closed, while Brown Jewelry has transitioned to an online enterprise. Hurt has also accepted an appointment as Berea Tourism’s new media manager.

Angel said because the city is welcoming an increasing number of motorcoach tours to Old Town, the Berea Hotel plays a vital part in the presentation of the city as an artisan district and tourist destination.

 “I don’t feel the building should sit empty for very long,” Angel said. “That is prime property on the corner of Broadway and Adams, and when our tour buses come in, the first thing they may see is an empty building. That is not a welcoming sight.”

In a work session earlier in the week, Commissioner Will Gover advised the commission to seek another study before committing to external repairs, and on Wednesday officials voted to reach out to the original consultant, Sams Engineering, to update the engineering study and determine the total cost to repair the Berea Hotel.

On a related note, the commission voted to amend its 2023-2024 fiscal budget by $237,000, which will cover increased allocations for projects in progress. Angel requested, for example, an additional $100,000 for furnishings, gallery pieces and landscaping for the Berea Gallery and Conference Space, commonly known as the Tolle Building. Also included in the mid-year adjustment will be $60,000 to complete a warming kitchen for conventions and special events. Angel noted she doesn’t anticipate needing the entire allocation, but wants to have it ready in case of unforeseen circumstances.

Rick Thomas recommended that caterers pay 30 percent of their proceeds from an event at the new venue to the city, which is fairly standard, he said. That would enable the city to see a long-term return on its investment.

In other business, the commission voted to purchase a custom trolly for a maximum of $221,000. The trolley has been in the budget since last year. Thomas recommended the trolley be used to ferry visitors to the Berea Craft Show to reduce traffic in town, and that it be leased out to allow the city to draw tour groups and thus recoup the trolley’s initial cost.

Wednesday’s meeting also saw the formal introduction of Becky (Brown) Hurt as tourism’s new media manager, as well as two new tourism commissioners. Hurt served on the commission with Kristy Napier before both resigned. Angel thanked Napier and Hurt for their service on the commission, then welcomed Hurt to the staff, along with new commissioners Shelley Wolfe and Will Gover.  

In other news, Tourism Operations Manager Nancy Conley reported that visits to the Berea Welcome Center in Old Town continue to increase. For 2023, there were approximately 20,000 visitors to the welcome center, nearly 3,000 more tourists than in 2022.

Meanwhile, Program Coordinator Liz Todd reported registration for LearnShops was very strong last year, along with the special instruction courses for the Kentucky Educational Development Corporation (KEDC), which has brought 329 K-12 educators from 55 Kentucky school districts to Berea for educational seminars. The courses provide information about how art and craft played a role in the development and history of Kentucky, and boosts local commerce when educators stay at Berea hotels and dine at local restaurants.

Todd noted the instruction programs employed seven new artists in 2023, and will add 16 new artisans in 2024, at which point Thomas stated both programs have been on the forefront of promoting Berea’s unique brand.

“I think the success of the LearnShops and the KEDC workshops demonstrates how powerful Berea’s brand is as the Folk Arts and Crafts Capital of Kentucky,” Thomas said. “I think when people think of Berea and these LearnShops, they think of quality, and history, and we should be very proud of having the responsibility to promote that.”