Above, one of the longest standing buildings in downtown Hood River, the Waucoma building, will be home to the Lightwell Hotel + Spa. The boutique hotel is on track to open in July and will feature a rooftop bar, Mediterranean restaurant, hot tub and massage rooms for guests.
The Waucoma building was originally constructed in 1904 for a cost of $17,000 — including $3,000 in furnishings. Later sold for $25,000, the building is now being renovated for a cost in the millions. A former owner considered demolishing it; now it’s set to reopen as a hotel — it’s original purpose.
Above, one of the longest standing buildings in downtown Hood River, the Waucoma building, will be home to the Lightwell Hotel + Spa. The boutique hotel is on track to open in July and will feature a rooftop bar, Mediterranean restaurant, hot tub and massage rooms for guests.
Noah Noteboom photo
Carrington Barrs stands on the future rooftop bar that will overlook the Columbia River and Hood River waterfront.
Noah Noteboom photo
The Waucoma building was originally constructed in 1904 for a cost of $17,000 — including $3,000 in furnishings. Later sold for $25,000, the building is now being renovated for a cost in the millions. A former owner considered demolishing it; now it’s set to reopen as a hotel — it’s original purpose.
Noah Noteboom photo
Carrington “Ceb” Barrs is leading construction crews through renovations at the historic site.
HOOD RIVER — Carrington “Ceb” Barrs is leading the construction of one of the most challenging — and rewarding — renovations of his career. In 2023, Historic Waucoma LLC purchased the historic Waucoma Hotel building that was previously home to the Naked Winery (relocated in 2020) and the River City Saloon (temporarily closed in 2023). As of February, he and his crew of development partners (Lach Litwer, Gabe Genauer, and VIP Hospitality) have invested millions of dollars in the repair and renovation of the 125-year-old, four-story, 36,000-square-foot building. Construction is ongoing and Barrs estimates they are 75% of the way finished.
Over the past 18 months, Barrs and his crew of 35-40 workers have completed rigorous structural and seismic upgrades, expanded the basement floor, installed a replica rooftop trellis and revamped all of the systems in the building.
Last month, Barrs said he was close to securing the last of the permits and funding for the remaining construction and he believes the new Lightwell Hotel and Spa will open this summer.
Rich with history
The Hotel Waucoma building was built in 1904 by a man named C. J. Crandell for a cost of $17,000 — which included $3,000 of furnishings. At that time, the brick-hotel was the third of it’s kind in Hood River and stood just three stories with 27 rooms, a pool hall and saloon. According to the National Registry of Historic Places, the hotel had many “modern” innovations such as steam heat, porcelain bathtubs and a call bell system for room service.
The building sold in 1909 to Charles Hall and Ernest C. Smith for the low price of $25,000. Hall and Smith made changes right away. They renamed the building Hotel Oregon, and added a fourth floor to the south and west sides of the building, and a roof deck on the roof of the original 1904 structure. The remaining space became an open air garden and pergola designed by supervising architect R. R. Bartlett.
The building functioned as a hotel until 1973 when the upper stories were closed down for fire code violations.
In 2000, Bob Carnahan bought the building and renovated the first floor into what was known as the River City Saloon. In an attempt to renovate further he was met with numerous restrictions. Carnahan went to city hall and looked into demolishing the building. He ultimately decided to put the property up for sale. For years he met with developers but none were willing to take on the project, until the current ownership team saw its potential. They signed the papers and got to work. Carnahan passed away about a year ago and Barrs said they are planning to name the bar after him. The Bob will open to the public in the summer of 2025.
Historical tidbits on the building will be on display at various locations throughout the establishment with the help of the Hood River County History Museum. Barrs also credited Arthur Babitz for supplying historical articles, photographs and other information related to the building.
Building foundation undergoes seismic upgrades
The Waucoma building is what’s known as an unreinforced masonry building (URMB). URMB’s are typically built with brick, hollow concrete block, hollow clay tile or stone. They were popular in the 1800s and into the 1960s because of their architectural character and resistance to fire. However, these buildings are particularly susceptible to earthquakes.
Rather than tear the building down, Barrs and construction crews completed significant upgrades to the foundation. They installed beams throughout the building that connect to the existing wood flooring. They fitted brackets that are nailed to the joists and reinforced the URM walls with epoxy bolts.
“The seismic upgrade basically ties the floor systems together all the way through the building from wall to wall,” Barrs explained. He added that the elevator shafts and stairwells will be independent from the building. Four-by-four-inch beams rest on new footings in the basement and run up to the fourth floor, which gives the stairwell extra safety measures.
Keeping the past current
Barrs and his team have done their due diligence to make sure any interior and exterior alterations will not affect the building’s historical footprint. He and his team have had dialogue with many organizations like the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), the National Parks Service, the Oregon Health Authority, the Hood River Parks and Recreation District, City of Hood River, Hood River County and the Hood River County History Museum.
“We have to get permits and approvals from all of these organizations,” Barrs said. “And some of their rules and regulations can conflict with one another.”
He said the National Parks Service has very specific details about the original windows.
“It’s a boutique hotel, but it’s also a historic hotel,” Barrs said. “And blending those two together; modern comfort and features in the rooms, significant historic nods in all the public spaces, while trying to keep the exterior as historically accurate as possible.”
The project has navigated the permitting process and is one step closer to opening. Barrs says crews are installing sheet rock in the rooms and common areas on the fourth floor, insulating on the third, and completing rough-in on the second. They have already completed the sheet rock in the elevator shaft and stairways.
As crews begin to install the finishing touches in the upper floors, downstairs there is a lot of work to still be done.
In the basement will be the spa, sauna and massage rooms. Workers dug down an extra foot on the north end and an additional three feet in the south half of the building’s foundation. This was done to create comfortable walking spaces for employees and visitors to the spa. Barrs said this cost them about $250,000 and brought the square footage to 6,000.
Back of house operations such as the laundry, employee break room, walk-in cooler and miscellaneous storage will be located downstairs. VIP Hospitality Group will be managing the hotel operations. This Portland-based group has worked on previous projects in The Dalles and the Oregon Coast.
Restaurant serving Mediterranean
A new restaurant will be located on the north end of the main floor and will serve “upscale Mediterranean food,” according to Barrs. The restaurant will seat about 90 people and have a large banquet room for private events.
The rooftop bar will also be available to the public. There will be a walk-up lounge bar and views.
Hotel accommodations
The boutique hotel rooms will have one bed and one bathroom each. The original windows will overlook the Gorge and downtown Hood River. Some rooms will face the interior of the building and the original lightwell.
Barrs said there will only be one “suite” that will feature a large room with foyer and entertainment center overlooking the Columbia River.
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