On the north end of downtown Amarillo sits a red brick monolith that has sat empty and unused for decades, but the fate of the structure may soon change. The Herring Hotel was once the premiere lodging option for the rich and famous looking to find rest in the early days of the city, and for decades was one of the tallest structures in the central business district. From 1926 to 1969, the hotel welcomed guests into its Art Deco interior. After the hotel closed, it was converted for use as government offices for six years; however, the building was vacated in 1978 and has sat unused since then.
The Herring Hotel was built by local oil tycoon and cattleman Cornelius Taylor Herring, who sought a gathering place for businessmen to make deals and enjoy finer accommodations with a local flair. When it was completed in 1926, the hotel was the fourth-largest in Texas with 600 rooms, and included the storied “Old Tascosa Club” in the basement, where the monied interests of Amarillo gathered to socialize and talk shop. The club featured 11 murals painted by artist H.D. Bugbee, but after a water main break in 1989 that flooded the basement, only two of the original murals remain. By the 1960s, occupancy began to decline, and the original owners filed for bankruptcy in 1965. In 1967, California-based businessman Morris Steinbaum purchased the building, and the hotel remained open for another two years until it was closed to guests in 1969. That year, the top eight floors were renovated for use as commercial offices, and was leased to the federal government until the building was vacated in 1978.
According to a report released by the National Register of Historic Places, the "building’s central core has been retained", clarifying that "the first floor’s main lobby is intact and features a cast stone fountain, fluted columns, decorative plaster, and marble floors. The second floor/mezzanine level retains most of its circulation patterns and room arrangements, with the mezzanine, ballroom, kitchen, and several of the sample rooms intact. The third through fifth floors retain the historic circulation patterns and hotel room arrangements as well as plaster walls, ceilings, and stained wood doors and transoms."
Numerous proposals have been put forward throughout the years to restore the historic structure, but its large size and the use of asbestos throughout the construction complicates any potential revitalization. Most recently, Campo Architecture and Herring Hotel Partners presented the Amarillo City Council with a $100 million plan to transform the beleaguered building into a four and a half star hotel, with 226 rooms, two restaurants, rooftop bar, swimming pool, and a full restoration of the Old Tascosa room. At present, the project is slated to begin construction this year, with opening tentatively scheduled for 2029.
