It has the original bar from the Oriental Saloon, not to mention some of the chandeliers and other furniture pieces and all original hardwood flooring. Three bedrooms, two baths, asking price was $180,000. I'm not sure if they would have allowed RV parking, but there are several around town, one parked with it's back end flat up against a stop sign, so it can't be seen. At any rate, it's moot ... and SOLD. Rats!!
Then I found THIS gem!!! The Arnold Hotel, built in Benson in 1891 by a retired railroad engineer. The original windmill providing water, still stands out front. Yes, it's a fixer-upper, but since it's on the National Register, federal money is available to restore her to her original beauty.
So here's my proposition! You can all come to Benson and workcamp/volunteer with the restorations. I KNEW you'd just LOVE my idea! Besides that, I figure I can talk most of the people in the SKP park into helping out too! I'd have a crew of over 100 people! Wouldn't that be just hunky dory?? I'm SO excited!!
I didn't get to go inside, but I called the Realtor to see what the price was. So here's the deal. The big hotel, along with 4 ... count them, FOUR more houses, encompassing half an entire city block has an asking price of a mere $89,000. You could probably even get it for MUCH less. Unfortunately, some local lady has decided to use all that federal money to make it an antique store and plant nursery.
Apparently she has run into a brick wall however ... the City Council doesn't want to rezone the property from residential to commercial. So the fight is on.
Each little house has a couple of bedrooms, a kitchen and bathroom, all built to house the Railroad big wigs when they came to town. I can hear what you are saying ... but I have it on good authority that the buildings here are built on caliche soil, similar to bedrock. We'd just have to replace a few wooden piers with concrete ones, right??
House two has been abandoned since the hotel closed in 1935. One of the first built, it's smaller than it's counterparts.
House three still has all the original windows. Someone moved the door over on this one, but that's an easy fix. The good news is that all four of the small houses have new tin roofs in great shape!!
This one has even had the foundation worked on. It's good to go, don't you think??
The last house is the biggest and looks like it was a rental. All that sheetrock will have to be torn out, but once fixed up, I imagine you could rent out the houses and live off the profits!!
It's a GREAT deal, RIGHT??? Okay, okay ... I hear all the "she's crazy" and "no ways"!! At least the town of Benson isn't becoming a ghost town and it has a hospital!! I have to admit it is located across from the railroad tracks, after all it was built to house people arriving on the train and waiting for the stagecoach. The realtor will call me if it falls out of escrow, but that's a long shot at best. I wonder if that couple from Texas on TV would come do a Fixer Upper for me??
While visiting the local Historical Museum, I picked up this walking tour brochure they have just finishing printing. Yes, it's expensive ... $7.50!! But it's two great tours in one. As you walk around town following the map, it gives you a picture of the building ages ago, as well as a really good description of when it was built and why. Then you can take the driving tour and go see the Arnold Hotel, #55 on the list. There's a lot of interesting history in this little book!!
Back at the rig, after talking several locals into joining me in the Hotel Business (they are all for saving the building), I joined THEM in another fish fry dinner. I set aside half the potato and a piece of fish for breakfast, then finished off the rest, along with cole slaw and a roll, followed by cake. These guys know how to fill you up!!
My plan is to leave tomorrow, sans hotel, and head back towards home. I haven't done any of my taxes yet and I worry about my house. I'm also ready to dive into all those bundles of fabric I purchased. I've a few repairs to complete today, including testing my new collapsible ladder, getting me high enough to lube the awning rails and cleaning my jacks that don't want to retract. I hear there is bad weather in California, not to mention $5.00/gal fuel, so I may just stay in Tucson a few more days. There's also rain clouds on the horizon and a big wind coming ... of course ... just when I'm ready to move!!
You should really check out Al and Kelly's (Bayfield Bunch) house in Congress on your way back. I believe it even has a RV electrical hookup. Might be worth a shot. It's back on the market!!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you, I sent them an email, although it might be a little TOO isolated for me!!
DeleteWell I think you need some logistics here please let me help
ReplyDeleteYou did say that the monies for the historical restoration were already spent by the prior owner so theoretically this is coming out of your personal savings
Seeing as how you were renovating the historical building the federal government needs to check your cash flow bounced checks and any credit cards balances you might have,,to see that you qualify to renovate said historical buildings
Once the IRS check your last 25 1099 income tax forms
After passing all of that you're good to go
First you have to find 100 workcamp volunteers cool
An you need an architect fluid and historical rehabilitation
Then you have to go in front of the board of selectmen or the town mayor
And you have to petition the tombstone zoning commission for approval
Then you have to get historical committee commission involved with their approval
You will probably need to and list the aid of alpha-beta Safeway and Walmart and target
Along with AutoZone Subway Dunkin' Donuts oh yes and Starbucks
Then you have to go out and rent 25 acres to house the 50 rVs
Then you'll have to secure Arizona power and light for 50 50amp hook ups
Then you need to get Arizona water commission to run water lines to the 50 site
Yikes!!!
DeletePart two
ReplyDeleteThen you have to get the city permission to run a trash pick up service to the area
Then you also have to get the police department permission to patrol the area
Now if there any roads going through there you'll need the county commissioner of highway maintenance to plow the snow out as needed
Now if the county prison sends any convicts out there to clean up or chop down any trees or brush you'll need permission from the town Council The state of Arizona with Governor approval for such endeavor
After you've jumped all that hurdle you need to go in front of the permit board which will in turn send you back to the zoning commission because you have to comply with all building codes
Now once you got that all secured you're good to go
Then you have to hire the architect back again make sure that the job is done to the specifications of the permit by said architect you would probably want to hire a site boss to make sure that everything is going according to plan and proper scheduling
Now you could save a little bit of money by making yourself a general contractor but then you have to go to school for a year and have a general contractors license and insured and bonding so that will save you a little money when you go to Lowes or Home Depot and purchase your material
Because you have said contractors license that will allow you to get a contractors discount and practice contracting in the county of tombstone
Now to save you a little bit of money and shipping your stocking supplies to your side you would be better off hiring a trucking company pay them piecemeal to deliver it to your site
If Arizona is a right to work state you can hire non-union help however if you find in Arizona is a non-right to work state you need to negotiate with the union please keep in mind the bribery is a common occurrence in all unions
However be aware that if you have to hire a union driver he will not deliver to a non-union construction site also he could set up a picket line because he he feels you're taking jobs away from true professional union men and women And that picket line could be hazardous to your work camp personnel
So therefore you will need to get the president of the union and the Stewart negotiate a good pay scale as long as they pay dues and the kickbacks
Also you're going to need a very understanding insurance company to handle all your claims and needs
Also as a sidenote please remember that The houses is built in the 1800s were usually painted with lead-based paint so therefore you also have to hire a Federal union contractor specified to remove toxic lead-based paint
And prior to said lead paint toxic substance removal you got to get the State of Arizona federal landfill permission and permit to dump said toxic waste
So now you're almost good to go
Prison workers .... that sounds good!! And I am actually a licensed General Contractor, so I'm good there!!
DeletePart three well sort of
ReplyDeleteNow it's by chance you are using non-union work camp volunteers bear in mind that they probably don't have hammers they don't have saws tape measures they don't have drills with the info you need to secure all of this commodity for tham
If by chance anybody has an accident you're going to have OSHA to deal with their free if that's any consolation but they'll only charge you a fine for not having the proper equipment and that also could impact your completion date
So there is an advantage of hiring union help they're smart they come with all the proper equipment The only thing you'll be required to do is have proper safety equipment and Porta Johns for male and female and or handicap union personnel
Now once you get all four said federally hysterical approved dwellings and buildings up to code approved by the state approved by the federal government approved by the county approved by the city and the blessing of the code and enforcement they will issue you a residency occupant permit you could have a party catered by the tombstone pizza company
PS sea line 11 subparagraph
I trust you got a 50% City and county taxes Break For 15 years
Have seen how I said that you needed a city state contractors license with insurance and bond
You could forge ahead and do renovations on other buildings historical or otherwise
Let me be the first to congratulate you on your new endeavor
Sent from my iPad
Yeah well,,, I got to much time on my hands
ReplyDeleteYes you do .... but you're putting it to excellent use!! Yeah, it would be a crazy project requiring ALL of the above, which I'm really not willing to deal with!!
Delete