Red Cedar Inn may be converted into museum

Personally, I’d rather have the Red Cedar Inn in Pacific, Mo., which closed in March 2005 and remains for sale, reopen as a restaurant.

But this story from the Tri-County Journal indicates that the city is considering another option:

Pacific officials are eyeing a longtime Route 66 landmark as a potential new home for the city’s historical museum. […]

… Adams thinks a city purchase of the property is worth considering.

The city about a year ago purchased the former Wolf house, 206 W. Union St., as a site for the Meramec Valley Historical Museum. The museum opened earlier this year.

City officials had talked about finding a bigger place for the museum, Adams said, but couldn’t come up with an alternate location. Then, he said, the idea of possibly using the Red Cedar Inn came up.

The proposal city officials are now considering would call for Pacific to sell the current museum property and use the proceeds to buy the Red Cedar and additional property adjacent to the site.

Adams said Pacific has been approached by someone interested in buying the Wolf house.

The Red Cedar would be used to house the historical museum and the adjoining property developed as a park, Adams said.

Adams said he also has talked to the Pacific Area Chamber of Commerce and the Pacific Partnership about combining the museum and a city visitors center at the Red Cedar.

I don’t consider a museum an ideal use. But the property, which was built in 1934, is sitting unused and is undoubtedly deteriorating. A museum complex would is an acceptable alternative if it can’t be a restaurant anymore.