Part 2 of 2
This story is a continuation of last week’s front-page story.
Though the era of the Moore Hotel actually operating as a hotel was over by the late 1970s, the giant building, located on the corner of Main Street and 1st Ave NE in Clarion, still had some life in it. At this point, Jim Jerde owned the building.
Another Jim, Jim Tausz, who would soon play an important role in the building’s history, remembers the Moore Hotel at this time. Tausz, who had lived in Clarion since the early 70’s and worked as a financial planning authority, said the Cornerstone Restaurant located in the building’s basement was still booming and always packed. The New Home Café was also there at this time, but the rest of the building was not doing as well.
Tausz admits that by the mid-1980s the Moore Hotel building was “a disaster.” It was in such bad shape, that Jerde was thinking about tearing the building down. Tausz said when he expressed his displeasure about that idea to the owner, Jerde gave him a tour of the Moore. Tausz described the scene, “It was a wreck. There was junk in every room. Things were falling down, and it was in total disrepair.”
Jerde said he would be interested in selling the building rather than tearing it down. That got Tausz thinking. “I talked to my wife,” he said, “I told her we should think it over. We could really make a commitment and do something good for Clarion.” Eventually, in the late 80s, Tausz made Jerde an offer. He told the owner that if he would sell the building, he promised to “keep it for the town. “ Jerde took Tausz up on his offer.
Tausz knew that he would need help with his plan to restore the building. He says he approached about fifteen citizens to ask for help funding the project. To his surprise, all fifteen agreed to pitch in. A corporation, The Clarion Conservancy/Restitute Corporation, was formed to restore the Moore Hotel building, along with the attached Birdsall building. According to Monitor articles from 1990, the plan was to redesign the buildings into “apartments for moderate income families, the elderly and handicapped.”
The group brought in architects and began repairs. The building was cleaned out. A new roof was put on and it got new windows. But after a few years, Tausz said the writing was on the wall. He knew he wasn’t going to be able to complete the project. He admits, “It was a money pit if there ever was one.”
At the time, Ted Bunn was a city council member and Bob Brinton was the city attorney. Bunn said they knew that if they didn’t do something, the building would again just sit and fall into disrepair. So, they took the leap, with Tausz handing it over to them in 1993.
Bunn explains that he, Brinton and a few other investors formed Moore Apartments, Inc. and got to work again. He added that they made use of federal grants and TIF financing through the city. By 1994, the group was advertising one- and two-bedroom apartments with central air, furnaces, stove and refrigerator. There was even a handicap accessible elevator in the building.
Bunn is proud of what the group accomplished with the apartment building. He said that it was important to him to preserve that bit of local history. “I’m a hometown guy. I was born and raised in Clarion. I remember that hotel as a kid…the grand staircase and wooden furniture in the lobby. We would eat at the New Home Café at 5 a.m. before hunting. From a historical standpoint, the building just really needed to be saved.”
The apartments stayed occupied over the next years and eventually became available for the general public. After a decade and a half of owning the apartments, Bunn and the Moore Apartments, Inc. group was ready to move on. The building went back and forth between the group and different owners for a while in the early 2000s. Around this time, Bunn tried to interest Karl Helgevold in the apartments. Helgevold and his wife Jodie, who live in Eagle Grove, had a reputation for taking on big projects such as two eight-plex rentals in EG.
Helgevold explained that he had originally passed on the building when it was first offered. However, in 2010, he and Jodie decided the time was right. He admitted that it was a big undertaking, but they were looking forward to the opportunity. Karl said, “I like to do transformations, and I look for diamonds in the rough.” Jodie added, “It was just another adventure.”
When they bought it, they put in a lot of work right away updating and improving. New coats of paint were applied, heating and air was fixed, the lobby was spiffed up. In May of 2010, Karl and Jodie cut the ribbon and began operating the building under the name Cornerstone Apartments. The building had 13 apartments plus 4 storefronts, with the second and third floor layouts being exactly the same.
Now, ten years later, still under the Helgevolds ownership, the building and its apartments have again gotten some work to keep up with the time. Units were gutted and completely redone. New floors, carpets, cabinets, and fixtures were installed. There are security cameras on each floor and fiber optic cable in the building. The apartments have a decidedly upscale, classy feel yet are very homey.
On the outside of the building, the Helgevolds made a few impressive changes and updates. New classic-looking striped awnings were recently installed over the windows that hearken back to a bygone era. One awning that goes over the laundromat windows is almost 40 feet long. They truly liven up the building, but the entirety of the new additions really can only be appreciated at night. Helgevold installed up-lighting between the windows that literally makes the Cornerstone shine.
The Helgevolds are happy with where the building is now. Jodie said, “It’s one of our favorite properties. It’s unique and has character.” Karl also appreciates the history of the building. “It truly is a landmark. If it had been torn down, there really would be a hole on Main Street.” They are also happy to be able to offer housing during a time when rentals are in short supply.
As one looks back on the history of the Moore Hotel and now the Cornerstone Apartments, one must appreciate the immense amount of work that it took to preserve it and make it thrive. Everyone whose hands it passed through played a part. As Jim Tausz said, “It took all of us. If it hadn’t been for people like Bob, Ted, Karl, me and others, that building would be closed and forgotten.”
Now, over a hundred years after J.H. Moore conceived the building, it is still going strong. No one knows if it will last another century. Regardless, the Moore building has stood the test of time and continues to stand as a Cornerstone in Clarion.
