SUFFOLK, Va. — A lot can change over the course of a lifetime.
But for all the change at the corner of Market and Main streets in downtown Suffolk, TJ Tame can still appreciate the things that are still the same.
"My favorite part is looking at how they did it 100 years ago. The craftmanship, a lot of this was by hand, no machines. They did them on-site, with carpenters who were real carpenters, real plasterers, real brick masons. Work intended to last 100 years," Tame said.
Nearly two years after it was damaged in a fire, the Suffolk Towers apartment complex -- once the historic Elliott Hotel built in 1925 -- is getting a facelift.
Mayor Mike Duman announced Suffolk Towers would undergo a modern renovation during his State of the City address on Tuesday. The building on North Main Street closed following a three-alarm fire in July 2021 and all residents had to move out.
Tame, superintendent with Ringenberg Construction LLC, said the building's "bones" are still strong, and that the modernization efforts for the apartments will still capture the historic elements that make the building unique.
"Façade here will be exposed, all of the brick and masonry work will be cleaned and repaired," he said, adding that the furniture and refrigerators from inside have already been removed.
Duman said three companies are teaming up to open 45 apartments by the summer of 2024. Baron's Pub and Restaurant, which occupies Suffolk Towers' ground floor, will remain open during the renovation.
The developers who will work on restoring the building said that the building's "original life as a hotel will remain with the restored check-in desk, decorative plasterwork, and terrazzo floors." Other historic elements such as doors will be preserved.
"You can cover it up, but we’re not trying to cover it up. We’re trying to bring out the old," he said.
