The freshly renovated
James Lee House in
Victorian Village celebrates its grand opening as a bed and breakfast on Thursday, April 17, breathing new life into a property that sat dormant for more than 60 years.
“We are looking forward to going fully live and fully operational next week,” says Jose Velazquez, who co-owns the property with his wife, Jennifer, along with J.W. Gibson and his wife, Kathy Buckman Gibson. “This is a dream that my wife and I have had since we stayed at a bed and breakfast during our honeymoon 24 years ago. We love the convergence of history, architecture, top-notch customer service and great food.”
The $1.7 million renovation project at the nationally recognized historic site is part of the ongoing redevelopment of Victorian Village. The oldest portion of the James Lee House was originally built in 1848 by James Lee, owner of Lee Line Steamers, the largest steamboat company in Memphis. From 1929 to 1959, the house was owned by the city and used as the James Lee Arts Academy, a precursor of the
Memphis College of Arts.
“In 2011 the city decided to put out a request for proposal nationally for a usable redevelopment of the property that would keep its historical value intact and help jumpstart the revitalization of Victorian Village as a viable tourist attraction as well as a community development project,” says Velazquez, who bought the house for just $1 with one large catch - they had to have the $1.7 million in financing fully secured as well as have a reputable contractor,
Montgomery Martin Contractors Inc., on board to handle the construction.
The complete restoration of the 8,100-square foot house included the plumbing, electrical and gas systems.
The five-suite bed and breakfast will be open seven days a week, and its opening day staff will include two full-time and one part-time employees.
An official grand opening ceremony will take place on April 17 at 10 a.m., and the public is invited to an open house all day until 4 p.m.
By Michael Waddell
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