Tucked deep into a KFDA-TV story about The Nat in Amarillo, Texas, is the news the historic venue’s current tenant intends to buy it as soon as her lease expires.
Here’s the relevant excerpt about Kasey Tam, who runs The Nat as an antique store:
Tam is leasing the building currently. Her lease agreement expires soon. Is she going to walk away?
Tam answered emphatically: “I intend to buy the building when the lease expires. We have a good thing going and I definitely plan to stick with this for a while.”
Keep in mind she said this while television cameras were running. Tam either has a lot of chutzpah, or she’s pretty sure she’s buying that building.
The Nat is short for Amarillo Natatorium, which opened as a swimming pool along Route 66 in 1922. It was converted into a dance hall and performance venue by the mid-1920s. It transitioned from the big-band era to rock ‘n’ roll by hosting Tommy Dorsey, Bob Wills, Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Little Richard, Roy Orbison, Buddy Holly, Dixie Chicks and Joe Ely over the decades. The Nat was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994, and it still occasionally hosts live music.
(Image of The Nat in Amarillo by Ross Griff via Flickr)