Progress is being made in the long-planned renovation of the historic McCurdy Hotel.
Evansville’s Metro Development Director Kelly Coures says the Redevelopment Commission is allowing the owner, Kunkel Group, to use an adjacent city-owned parking lot for the removal of an underground storage tank.
Coures says the tank probably stored oil that was used for heating the riverfront hotel in its early days.
He says Kunkel Group has been reporting to the city every month about the project and moving on a checklist that is required for the firm to get a bank loan. Kunkel plans to renovate the 1917 hotel and turn it into apartments.
Coures says he hopes the building is open by the McCurdy’s 100th anniversary in 2017.
In its heyday, the McCurdy was known as the finest hotel between Louisville and St. Louis. It later became a retirement and nursing home. It’s been vacant since 2008.