Page 37 - Galveston Monthly March 2019

The main façade of the hospital remains intact,
but its interior was gutted and reconfigured, and a
rooftop terrace was added when it was converted
into The Park at Cedar Lawn apartment complex.

it to the ships that called off the port. Now we had to figure out restaurants. They want to see other people coming and going.
what to do with that, so we filled that in.” A hotel, particularly a full-service hotel, can be a first outpost of
The Mitchells and their team did everything possible to reclaiming a deteriorated downtown area because a hotel can
maintain the aesthetics of the historic structure while ensuring be an island that is self-supporting,” Gaertner says.
it would withstand whatever Mother Nature throws at it. “you put in a hotel, and you have an audience for a restaurant
“The structure of the entire building - from the foundation to across the street, a store where people can shop, and so on.”
the second floor - was reinforced. A huge steel frame supports The lesson of The Tremont hotel is that a hotel can spark the
the entire perimeter of the building,” he says. revitalization of a downtown area, he says.
“Across the atrium are these bridges, and there’s one at every “if you have a downtown area like Galveston - where the
level. Not long before, there had been a collapse of a balcony in Strand District was struggling to get the critical mass of people,
a hotel in kansas City, and so our structural engineer designed shops and businesses it needed - the hotel generated that for
these bridges for ten-times the load that they’re required to be, downtown Galveston. Now, people are walking around at all
because he wanted to ensure that they would never fail.” hours. We really made it happen.”
The result is an incarnation of The Tremont house that
Dwayne Jones, chief executive officer of the Galveston
historical foundation, agrees.
outshines all its predecessors. The elegant hotel features 119
Images courtesy of Michael Gaertner Image courtesy of Mitchell Historic Properties luxuries and 19th century sensibilities. its Rooftop Bar is the District would be today without the vision of many to
rooms, including 15 suites, each appointed with 21st century
“i’m not sure where the historic Strand Mechanic historic
rehabilitate our many historic buildings,” Jones says.
only outdoor venue in Galveston to offer a panoramic view of
the island.
“Since the 1970s, adaptive use projects in the district have
contributed to the economic revitalization of the historic area.
When The Tremont house opened in 1985, it was the first
One of the major reinvestments is the Tremont hotel. Without
major hotel to open in downtown Galveston in more than half
Mr. Mitchell’s dedication to this project, it would not have
a century.
“When it comes to revitalizing a downtown area, and the
occurred. The Tremont hotel is today the life spirit of the
Mitchells knew this, you need people living there. People
district that helps all other business and ongoing rehabilitation
want to feel safe walking the streets, out at night, going to
efforts.” GM
MARCH 2019 | GALVESTON MONTHLY | 37