The Lofts at the Grim
Texarkana, Texas
2025 HISTORIC REHABILITATION AWARD
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Hotel Grim was built in 1925 and named in honor of local business man William Rhodes Grim. Designed by George Mann and Eugene Stern, the building embodies the style and character of its time. Its exterior, composed of brick, stone, and stucco with Italian Renaissance Revival detailing, stands out among other properties in the area.
For decades, it stood as a symbol of local optimism and prosperity, but by the time the rehabilitation project began in 2019, the building had been vacant for many years and faced severe challenges.
Water intrusion had rotted timbers, rusted metal, and spread mold across multiple floors. Ceilings and walls had collapsed in several areas, while broken windows exposed the building to the elements. Electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems were stripped or nonfunctional, and debris, graffiti, and animal infestations cast further doubt on the viability of the structure.
The rehabilitation of the Hotel Grim was an ambitious undertaking that required creativity, ingenuity, and respect for the building’s historic character. For example, the original exterior stair towers did not meet current fire codes, so new stairwells had to be created inside the building without altering the building’s footprint or reducing the number of residential units.
Another challenge involved ventilation. Visible exterior vents would have breached the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, so the team designed a recessed vent system which remains invisible from the exterior, preserving the historic façade.
The basement was covered in eight feet of water and mud when the project began. To stabilize the structure, large sections of sidewalk had to be removed, heavy equipment was lowered into the basement, and specially fabricated pylons were driven 40 feet down to bedrock, securing the foundation for the long term.
The Hotel Grim has now been reborn as the Lofts at the Grim: an affordable housing development, providing 93 studio, one, and two bedroom apartments. The restored building also features public spaces for community gathering and events, such as the lobby and Palm Court Room.
Several sources of financing made the project possible, including Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, Federal Historic Tax Credits, HUD Section 108 Loan Guarantee funds, and Neighborhood Stabilization Program funds. The Lofts and the Grim was the first project in Texas to combine all four of these programs in a single development.
Beyond the physical transformation, the project has preserved a cherished piece of Texarkana’s heritage, catalyzed other downtown revitalization efforts, and generated benefits for the local economy. With a comprehensive long-term stewardship plan in place, the Lofts at the Grim will continue serving as a functional, vibrant asset for generations to come.
The award was presented at Preservation Texas’s 2025 Honor Award Ceremony in San Antonio on October 30, 2025.
Owner: Cohen-Esrey Development Group
Owner’s Project Manager: Tim Minson
Architect: Alta Architects
Architect’s Project Manager: Deepa Modadugu
Other Partners and Stakeholders: Premier Texarkana Development & Management Facility Corporation; City of Texarkana; Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs
