Old Palace Hotel whose second floor has been boarded for 70 years looks like it will get a revitalization.
April 13,2015
Tulare developer Danny Freitas has bought two key Visalia landmark multi-story buildings on Main Street – just doors from each other. Freitas has purchased the 108 year old Togni building from a group of local investors as well as the 1876 constructed Palace Hotel building on the corner of Court and Main from William Martin.
The Palace Hotel has one vacancy on the ground floor while the old hotel rooms on the second floor “remain untouched from 1935” remarks Freitas.
“I looks like a time capsule up there as if someone closed the door in 1935,and reopened it in 2015.”
Freitas says he believes “with some engineering work we could do either residential or a roof-top restaurant up there.” The building caught Freitas attention as a gem in the rough.”It’s really cool and has lots of potential.” Freitas adds he would add an elevator.
Freitas says the building constructed in 1876 was one of three Palace Hotels built around the same time including the Palace Hotel building in Porterville (1890) and one larger one in San Francisco.” They were all tied to the mining business back then.”
Indeed Visalia historian Terry Ommen says the state’s Governor William Irwin who attended the grand opening in 1876 described it as “the largest,finest hotel outside San Francisco.” At the time the upstairs had 45 hotel rooms and 7 larger rooms. On Main and Court the hotel had a large cafeteria. The hotel was said to be built in part for investors traveling to Mineral King during the sliver rush and was described as a proud addition to Downtown Visalia that may have been on the shabby side back then including buildings in disrepair and “rubbish and weeds.”
Ommen say Visalia’s appearance on those days was described as ” less than impressive”. According to the the Tulare Times in 1876 the hotel was described as “a magnificent looking building and is large and commodious…This year will lay the foundation of our stability and substantial growth.”
The building’s first owner was Visalia businessman Solomon Sweet.
Freitas has purchased the property from Martin and Martin investments of Visalia who own other buildings on Main.
Freitas has also purchased the Togni building from a group led by Harvey May.That group was honored for efforts to restore it including adding second story residential. “The building is about 90% full” says Freitas. “We have just 1500sf that could be for retail or food.”
On Main, the Palace building has the former Rio Grill space available.
“Other than our two vacancies on Main – Downtown Visalia is full.”
The Togni building was the original home of Cross Horlock Hardware and later the Togni Branch office supply store that closed in 2007. The address is 116 E Main.
Freitas is an active investor on Mooney and in the industrial park as well as in Tulare. Freitas owns Danny Freitas Electric in Tulare.