A historic downtown building that has been vacant for 15 years now houses Airbnb rooms and soon will include a restaurant and four hotel rooms.
Teddy Gabbart bought and is continuing to renovate the building at 127 N. Third Ave. that housed many businesses through the years, including the Durant Daily Democrat.
A ribbon cutting from the Durant Area Chamber of Commerce was held Sept. 26 to celebrate Gabbart’s investment in the downtown.
Gabbart provided a history of the building.
In 1909, it was a furniture store and coffin building. In the 1950s-1967, the Durant Daily Democrat, KSEO radio station, City Loan Company, Gibson Insurance, E.B. Forrester Real Estate and Johnson Real Estate were located in the building, according to Gabbart.
In the 1970s and 1980s, a Dollar General store was there and in the 1990s, it was Diversified Employee Leasing. Allied Stone was there from 2002-2004 and from 20042009, the building housed NRS Engineering. Until Gabbart bought and began refurbishing the building, it had been vacant for 15 years.
Gabbart said Elvis Presley was rumored to have played in the building while KSEO was there in the 1950s.
Before the ribbon cutting, Gabbart talked about what the building is being used for today.
“Upstairs, are seven boutique suites,” he said. “Each room is similar, but uniquely different thanks to my wife, Amy. The hallway is the original 1909 wood flooring. Also, please notice all of the original doors to the rooms and bathrooms. We found 16 ninefoot tall pocket doors within the walls of the building during demo and were able to repurpose them for bathroom doors. They each way over 100 pounds. Downstairs will be four additional hotel rooms and will be the home of The Artisan in Brick Street Hotel.”
After the ribbon cutting, Gabbart said the Brick Street Hotel is about investing in this corner and bringing more people to downtown Durant.
“Our goal is to bring all of the tourists that are coming into the casino area and trying to get them to move into or stay in downtown so that they can walk our streets, shop at our stores and eat in all of the amazing restaurants that have down here,” Gabbart said. “We’re doing Airbnb short-term rentals is what the upstairs mainly is. The downstairs, it’s going to be more of a one-night hotel-type stays. We’ll have a total of 11 rooms when we’re completely done along with the restaurant here.”
Downstairs will have a restaurant called The Artisan because everything will be hand-crafted and made with organic local produce. Gabbart said it will be an upscale lunch and brunch restaurant on Thursdays and Fridays, and Saturday evening, it will open as a wine bar with light meals, pastries and desserts.
The upstairs rooms are open now and Gabbart expects the downstairs will be completed by approximately Thanksgiving.
In a social media post, the Durant Area Chamber of Commerce said, “Words can’t express our gratitude and appreciation for the Gabbart family and their hardworking staff that brought this majestic building back to life. More than a business investment, it’s an investment in the Durant community.”
