Hamburg Economic Development Team is aware of the impending demolition of the historic Carpenter Building / Palace Hotel, occupying the most significant parcel of real estate in historic downtown Hamburg at 100 E. Lincoln Street.
We are collectively saddened that it appears the new out of town owners are no longer considering the feasibility of rehabilitating this landmark structure.
It is important to understand that Hamburg Economic Development Team has taken its role as the leading advocate for the revitalization of Downtown Hamburg very seriously throughout the last two years as the ownership and fate of this structure has been unsettled.
Among the many measures that the Hamburg Economic Team has taken during this time, include engaging Preserve Arkansas, the state’s nonprofit advocate for the preservation of historic structures for guidance and advice; the hiring of qualified preservation architects to develop an analysis of the structure’s pathway for redevelopment; the proactive leveraging of the Hamburg Economic Development Team’s nonprofit status to seek grants to fund the redevelopment feasibility study and pro forma; and the recruitment of regional developers to assist the building’s owners in creating a revenue-generating use for the facility.
In all of the Hamburg Economic Development Team’s earnest efforts and due diligence, we were unable to gain the consideration of the building’s owners to recognize the plausible economic case for adaptive reuse.
The collective actions, intelligence, and influence of the members of the Hamburg Economic Development team were fully deployed to ensure that this treasure would remain and regain its past glory. While it seems that will now not be happening, we do encourage the property’s owners to engage with the community and to ensure that the architectural character, scale, and function of any structure that may replace the Carpenter Building / Palace Hotel be considerate and respectful of the community’s feedback and of the irreplaceable historic fabric within our beloved Historic Hamburg Square.
A full statement regarding these developments will be released by Hamburg Economic Development Team in the coming days.
