Living in high cotton: Temple’s Cotton Exchange Saloon finalist for state renovation award
by Fred Afflerbach for Temple Daily Telegram

Come mid-November, downtown Temple will be buzzing with building restoration and renovation professionals attending the annual Texas Downtown Revitalization conference.

And thanks to some local entrepreneurs with a high tolerance for dust, mildew and dead critters - and a city employee promoting downtown Temple - these folks are in for a treat.

That’s because the historic Cotton Exchange Saloon building on South First Street is one of five state finalists for the 2008 Best Renovation/Rehabilitation award presented by the Texas Downtown Association.

The winner will be announced at the conference on Nov. 13.

Jill Hopper, Karen Steeves and other investors worked on the building for two years. Some parts of the building smelled so bad, Ms. Hopper said she had to wear a facemask. The group poured about $50,000 into the restoration project.

Today, Ms. Hopper and Ms. Steeves operate Design Center of Central Texas out of the bottom floor of the two-story, 4,800-square-foot, red brick building.

Ms. Hopper remembers well the first time she saw the building’s interior. It was the original, amber-colored tin ceiling that closed the deal.

“That’s what drew us to the building,” Ms. Hopper said. “We were just like, ‘Oh my god, we’ve got to have this place because we love the roof so much.’”

Nancy Glover, Temple Tourism marketing coordinator, said the recent renovation and history of the building provides a one-two combination that would impress visitors.

“These folks that are coming in for this conference are all downtown revitalization professionals and they all love history,” Ms. Glover said. “They love old historic buildings with colorful pasts.”

Source: Temple Daily Telegram