By John Kanelis / johnkanelis_92@hotmail.com I was unable to attend the dedication of a new hotel in downtown Amarillo, given that I now live about 360 miles southeast of the city. The opening of the Barfield Hotel, though, has been on my radar for some time, dating back to my days as a journalist covering … Continue reading Hotel signals a potentially shiny future for city
By John Kanelis / johnkanelis_92@hotmail.com I wrote an item nearly four years ago that projected good, even great, things for the city where I used to live. My wife and I plan to return there soon on a brief stopover on our way to the Pacific Ocean. We will be hauling our RV behind our … Continue reading How do you measure success?
AMARILLO, Texas — I thoroughly enjoy returning to this city, where my wife and I lived for more than two decades. We arrived here in early 1995 and found a city with a boarded-up downtown, buildings were empty, there was little life to be found. The community had allowed its retail activity to vacate the … Continue reading Taking stock of a city’s changing face
I’m looking ahead to the new year and I cannot help but think good thoughts about what lies in store for the city my wife and I called home for more than two decades. Amarillo, Texas, appears to be on the move. I mean, think about some developments. Downtown Amarillo’s progress continues at full throttle. … Continue reading Expecting a bright 2020 for former city of residence
I haven’t talked to the owner of the long-vacant Herring Hotel in downtown Amarillo, Texas, for a good while. I know Bob Goodrich quite well. He’s a nice man, a conscientious property owner — and a fellow with big dreams for the building that once served as the go-to spot for Amarillo’s social elite. That … Continue reading What must Herring Hotel owner be thinking?
Now it’s the Rule Building, another long-vacant office structure, that’s getting new life as what they call a “boutique hotel.” Who in the world knew? According to www.newschannel10.com: “It was a natural progression for us to look at another opportunity. Especially with the growth and revitalization of Downtown Amarillo, we’re really hitting full stride right … Continue reading Another ’boutique hotel’ sprouting in downtown Amarillo? Wow!
The Barfield Building renovation is proceeding toward a spring opening of the one-time rotting hulk of a structure. It will be reborn as a “boutique” hotel. By all means, downtown Amarillo, Texas, has much more work ahead of it. I am going to wonder aloud whether there might be something in the wind regarding the … Continue reading Might the Herring have a future, too?
As thrilled as I am to watch downtown Amarillo, Texas, redevelop and revive its downtown business district, I remain perplexed about the apparent (lack of) future of a one-time iconic structure at the northern edge of that revival. Yes, I refer to the Herring Hotel. The Herring Hotel once was the go-to location in Amarillo. … Continue reading It’s worth asking: Is there a future for the Herring Hotel?
As I continue to watch from some distance the evolution of downtown Amarillo, I cannot help but think of an individual and an organization that helped kickstart the city’s downtown district’s rebirth into something quite different from what it had been allowed to become. The individual is Melissa Dailey. The organization is Downtown Amarillo Inc. … Continue reading Downtown Amarillo Inc.: What happened to it?
AMARILLO, Texas — We were walking this morning to an appointment we had with someone in her office at Seventh Avenue and Taylor Street when my wife spoke up. “You know, the city certainly is a lot more attractive to the eye than it used to be, when we first moved here” in early 1995, … Continue reading City turning into a form of ‘urban eye candy’