City hopes to revive hotel

The storied Baker Hotel that symbolized Mineral Wells' booming past as a resort hasn't booked a guest in more than three decades.

Through the years, various developers have unsuccessfully attempted to redevelop the 13-story structure, which looms over Mineral Wells' downtown.

But this time, the city of Mineral Wells is taking the lead.

With the creation of a tax increment finance district and a 14-month agreement with the Baker's owner, city officials will market the building to potential customers, they said Thursday.

"We're taking an aggressive posture to get out in front of the development community," said City Manager Lance Howerton. "We're hoping to identify a developer and be proactive rather than reactive."

Last year, Dallas developer Bill Pratt Jr. attempted to revitalize the Baker with a mixed-use development that would have included a hotel, condominiums and retail space but he eventually pulled out.

City officials said he could re-enter the picture with the city's latest incentives.

The Baker, which was built during the height of the mineral-bath craze of the 1920s, entertained revelers during Prohibition and soldiers during World War II.

In a 1993 Star-Telegram article, former assistant manager Roy D. Walker said: "Back in those days, the Baker would probably rival anything in Las Vegas today. Big-name stars like Lawrence Welk, Sophie Tucker, the Dorsey brothers. You couldn't find a parking place for blocks."

Former employees recalled all-night poker games with plenty of liquor flowing.

"It was cheap rotgut whiskey," Clifford Linsey, a former night bellhop, said in the 1993 article. "All I had to do was reach under the stoop of a building and there would be a pint. I would leave $2 and then sell it for $10. It was quite a markup, but I was the only game in town."

But in recent years the Baker has been known more for ghost hunters sneaking into the hotel than for bringing tourists to the city 45 miles west of Fort Worth.

Mayor Clarence Holliman said bringing back the Baker would help revive Mineral Wells' downtown. He said it's a top priority for residents.

"I've always heard, 'When are you going to do something about the Baker?'" Holliman said. "Now we have the chance to put something together. We have the cooperation of the owner. We just need to sit down and put a packet together that is attractive to investors."

City officials will be conducting feasibility and architectural studies over the next 60 days.

"It's a beautiful, historic building," said Steve Butcher, director of economic development. "We don't want to see it rot away."

Redeveloping the Baker

Asking price: $2.2 million.

Redevelopment costs: Expected to be between $30 million and $50 million.

Opened: In 1929 by T.B. Baker at the height of the mineral-water craze.

Amenities: Mineral baths, a golf course, three dance floors, including one in a rooftop nightclub with doors that would swing open on summer nights.

Closed: 1963. The Baker reopened two years later and ceased operations for good in 1972.