Work-In-Progress: Historic Adaptive Re-Use of The Alhambra Hotel > Regenerating The New Urban DTMesa

Community Development Partners and Venue Builders are collaborating to turn what was once one of the best hotels downtown into student housing for Benedictine University, The $3,287,381 project is moving ahead quickly on the east side of MacDonald Street between Main Street and First Avenue, where owner Bill Wahl at Mesa Typewriter Exchange [in business for over 60 years] used to think nothing was ever going to happen . . . until a new generation of developers with new thinking took an interest in Mesa.
It's a good example of small and incremental investments in urban planning/development keeping what's unique in the city's history, while responding to shifting demographics to meet a need to provide housing for students enrolled at BenU, 19 of whom currently in hotel contract-housing. In January at the beginning of the next term, accommodations for 30 students will be ready for move-in, according to Christian Hume of Venue Projects on a recent on-site visit.

The development team has worked closely with the State Office of Historic Preservation, learning that the original building footprint was what you see spanning the left three window-areas upstairs and ground floor.
Decking and railing was recently started last week for the 2nd floor balcony, providing a nice view of Mesa's skyline.
Brickwork got a lot of attention and work, sand-blasting and repair on all four sides, with plans for stucco in certain areas.

According to Christian, the crew was surprised to discover that there are five  buildings on the property, with extensions added over the years.
As you can see in the foreground to the left, the post-and-lintel construction inside the entryway to the right is part of the original building. The archway farther inside is from another era.
Note the original high ceilings and new framing for walls.





2 more shots looking down the long east-west corridors on the first and second floors

Group from BenU on a site visit last week.
Note original ceiling details and hall entrance

Student rooms under construction on 2nd floor - railing marks stairway entry from groundfloor

View from south side into patio area