TYLER, Texas — What used to be a bus stop at an old Greyhound station just north of downtown Tyler will soon be lodging for visitors to explore what the Rose City has to offer.
In the shadow of downtown Tyler stands a piece of history; a building built in the early 30s. One that used to bring passengers in and out of Tyler as a local bus station. It's now being turned into a boutique hotel to bring visitors to downtown. Andy Bergfeld, managing member of Tyler Union Station says it's just a piece of the puzzle to revitalize Downtown Tyler.
"Go to our great restaurants like Prime 102 or Ricks’s. Maybe go to the zoo or the rose garden or maybe just go downtown to our establishments," Bergfeld said.
Bergfeld has been helping build that puzzle for 25 years now. He’s had a hand in renovating The People’s Petroleum Building and the Plaza Tower.
"This is just one piece and then we’ll probably go find another one and do it all over again," Bergfeld said.
Payton Weidman, spokesperson for the city of Tyler said the Rose City has seen a one percent increase in population from 2010 to 2020 each year.
"Lot’s of different businesses popping up here," Weidman said.
With a growing population, comes more pieces to the puzzle. The city plans to add more green spaces in downtown and improve pedestrian and bicycle safety.
"During that time, we’ve also seen a lot of revitalization to downtown like The People’s Petroleum Building, the Liberty Hall Historic Theatre and many other places like the project with the former Greyhound bus station," Weidman said.
Bergfeld said this new attraction will bring the past into the future with the looks of the hotel, but the future to the present when it comes to hotel interaction.
"It’ll be a contactless hotel. So you’ll book it with your phone or computer. You’ll check in with a code to check into the building and you’ll have a code to get into your room," Bergfeld said.
The second floor will consist of nine rooms while the bottom floor will consist of a retail place.
Bergfeld said new projects are being showcased every month. The boutique hotel is just part of that puzzle. Bergfeld said the finished product would be for Tyler to become a downtown destination.
"Where people would come to Tyler and spend a weekend here," Bergfeld said.
Bookings for the boutique hotel will start this Fall. The downtown renovations will start around the same time as the construction of the Smith County courthouse.