Three service groups are meeting to form a plan for the now-vacant Red Cedar Inn building along Route 66 in Pacific, Missouri.
The Washington Missourian reported that representatives from the City Tourism Commission, Meramec Valley History Museum and Genealogy Society will meet to discuss uses for the building. Former mayor Jeff Titter, Tourism Commission President Dennis Oliver and Washington Historical Society director Marc Houseman are on the space planning committee.
The newspaper reported:
Before anyone can move into the building, the city plans to hire an architect with experience in historic restoration to craft a plan to renovate the structure, according to Herb Adams, aldermanic liaison to the tourism commission.
Adams, a former mayor, had previously seated a committee to craft a plan for a welcome center and history museum in the former Hoven House at 115 E. Osage. When it was determined that the building was not large enough to accommodate the needs, the building was sold.
“This building (Red Cedar) is uniquely capable of fulfilling the needs of the three groups,” he said, “and with its historic background on Route 66 it is uniquely situated to attract visitors to our city.”
The city of Pacific bought the building in September 2017 for $290,000.
The Smith brothers built the Red Cedar Inn restaurant in 1932, then the tavern a few years later, from logs cut from the family farm.
The restaurant and bar were a favorite for many travelers on Route 66, including baseball legends Dizzy Dean and Ted Williams.
The Red Cedar Inn closed abruptly in 2005, its owners citing rising insurance costs, not long after its 70th anniversary.
(Image of the Red Cedar Inn in 2004 in Pacific, Missouri, by Original uploader was Kbh3rd (talk) – Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons by Xnatedawgx using CommonsHelper., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6312740)