Hotel Thelma Restoration Brings Affordable Senior Housing to Bluefield

The project will transform this historic Green Book site into new apartments, preserving cultural legacy while expanding housing opportunities.

At the corner of Wayne and Logan streets in Bluefield’s East End neighborhood sits the Hotel Thelma, a building rich in history that will soon serve a new purpose—affordable housing for the area’s seniors.

In February, city leaders and funding partners joined the Bluefield Arts and Revitalization Corporation (BARC) and Hotel Thelma Project Corporation to break ground on the building restoration. When complete, Hotel Thelma—named for its founder and owner Thelma Stone—will feature 10 studio and one-bedroom apartments and a full-service restaurant on the first floor, a nod to the building’s history and significance as a Black-owned hotel and restaurant during the Jim Crow era.

A group of people representing the City of Bluefield, the Bluefield Arts and Revitalization Coalition, and funding partners hold a blue ribbon as the man in the center cuts it with scissors. They are standing in front of the Hotel Thelma, an aging structure built of white cinder block.

Representatives from the City of Bluefield, the Bluefield Arts and Revitalization Corporation, the Hotel Thelma Project Corporation, and funding partners cut the ribbon to celebrate the beginning of the historic building’s restoration.

“At a time when opportunities were limited and barriers were high, [Stone] stepped boldly into enterprise,” said Olarotimi Ponder, Executive Director of the Hotel Thelma Project Corporation. “She opened her first restaurant right in the East End and from that vision came Hotel Thelma.”

Hotel Thelma was listed in the Negro Motorist Green Book, a compilation of hotels, restaurants, and other businesses that served Black travelers. Because of this designation, Hotel Thelma became a frequent stop for artists on the Chitlin Circuit, a network of venues in the South and East that hosted Black entertainers. Etta James, Sam Cooke, Little Richard, and Ike and Tina Turner are just a few of the then up-and-coming acts who stayed at Hotel Thelma during its heyday.  

Stone passed away in 1981, and her niece operated the hotel for a few more years. The property changed hands several times over the decades, falling into disrepair. The Hotel Thelma Project Corporation, a nonprofit, purchased the building in 2023 and began pulling together the finances necessary for redevelopment. This includes $25,000 in predevelopment funding through the West Virginia Housing Development Fund’s Affordable Housing Fund Program.

Predevelopment funding typically finances soft costs associated with affordable housing development, such as feasibility studies, development planning, or site assessments.

“The Affordable Housing Fund Program supports eligible organizations such as nonprofits, and government instrumentalities in meeting housing needs in their communities,” said Darlene King, Senior Multifamily Programs Administrator with the West Virginia Housing Development Fund. “The Hotel Thelma project is a great example of community-supported affordable housing, bringing together a variety of funding partners to not only revitalize this historic building but to also expand housing opportunities for Bluefield’s senior residents.”

Over the past few years, the City of Bluefield has taken significant steps toward revitalization and capital improvement, including housing. BARC has restored the historic Granada Theater and Paine Gallery. Meanwhile, the city is working to improve street and highway safety, remove dilapidated buildings, and upgrade parks.

The first floor of the Hotel Thelma building is under construction. Walls have been removed to reveal studs, wiring, and other systems.
Crews have already started demolition inside. A full-service restaurant will be open to the public on the first floor with apartments located upstairs.

Hotel Thelma’s 10 apartments are the first new apartments in the city in decades, noted Brian Tracey, director of the Bluefield Arts and Revitalization Corporation, the project developer. For a city the size of Bluefield, those 10 units represent a substantial investment.

“I’ve heard some people say it’s only 10 apartments, why does that matter? Well for the people who will move into these apartments, it really matters,” Tracey said. “To put things in context, 10 apartments in Bluefield, population of just over 9,000, is the equivalent of almost 10,000 homes in New York City. I would bet that the new mayor of New York City would be happy to have that many new homes. We’re doing that here today.”

And these new homes bridge Bluefield’s deep historical roots with its exciting, bright future. For the supporters of Hotel Thelma, the restoration of that historic building not only adds to the city’s affordable housing stock, it also builds upon Stone’s legacy.

 “The East End is rich in culture, resilience, and possibility,” Ponder said. “We invite you to follow the story not only when the ribbon is cut and the project is complete, but as it transforms the lives of residents who will dwell within these walls soon.”

“Today we break ground. Tomorrow, we build a legacy.”