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New owners ready to recapture Hotel Pontotoc’s former glory

By , Daily Memphian Updated: September 16, 2022 9:23 PM CT | Published: September 16, 2022 3:34 PM CT
<strong>Downtown&rsquo;s Hotel Pontotoc at 69 Pontotoc Ave., dates to 1906.</strong> (Neil Strebig/The Daily Memphian)

Downtown’s Hotel Pontotoc at 69 Pontotoc Ave., dates to 1906. (Neil Strebig/The Daily Memphian)

<strong>A staircase leads up from the lobby to the third floor of the 11,000-square-foot Hotel Pontotoc.</strong> (Neil Strebig/The Daily Memphian)

A staircase leads up from the lobby to the third floor of the 11,000-square-foot Hotel Pontotoc. (Neil Strebig/The Daily Memphian)

<strong>Tony Kuhn, in the second-floor hallway of Hotel Pontotoc, bought the building in April with fellow developer&nbsp;Joseph Lewis&nbsp;for $1.2 million. They expect to spend another $2 million restoring the Downtown landmark&nbsp;</strong>(Neil Strebig/The Daily Memphian)

Tony Kuhn, in the second-floor hallway of Hotel Pontotoc, bought the building in April with fellow developer Joseph Lewis for $1.2 million. They expect to spend another $2 million restoring the Downtown landmark (Neil Strebig/The Daily Memphian)

<strong>The basement shows the old building&rsquo;s need for repairs.&nbsp;Construction is expected to start this fall, and the new Hotel Pontotoc is expected to open late next year or early 2024.</strong>&nbsp;(Neil Strebig/The Daily Memphian)

The basement shows the old building’s need for repairs. Construction is expected to start this fall, and the new Hotel Pontotoc is expected to open late next year or early 2024. (Neil Strebig/The Daily Memphian)

<strong>A 1950s-era gas stove stands in the basement.&nbsp;</strong>(Neil Strebig/The Daily Memphian)

A 1950s-era gas stove stands in the basement. (Neil Strebig/The Daily Memphian)

<strong>A dismantled organ stands in the hotel lobby.&nbsp;</strong>(Neil Strebig/The Daily Memphian)

A dismantled organ stands in the hotel lobby. (Neil Strebig/The Daily Memphian)

Developers Joseph Lewis and Tony Kuhn plan to begin $3.2 million restoration this fall. 

Topics

Hotel Pontotoc Center City Development Corp. Downtown Memphis Commissoin South Main Historic District Commercial Real Estate Subscriber Only

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Neil Strebig

Neil Strebig

Neil Strebig is a chef turned journalist covering economic development and commercial real estate for The Daily Memphian. He grew up in Pennsylvania and has worked at media outlets including the York Daily Record/USA Today Network and most recently as Report for America Corps Member with Lookout Santa Cruz. He is a graduate of Point Park University in Pittsburgh.

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