Life of a
building Downtown Ramada
by DEB BISEL
When Jim Parrish and his partners purchased the Ramada Inn in 2003, people wanted to believe it could be restored to its former glory. The site of so many significant events—as public as the kick-off of Bob Dole’s presidential campaign or as private as an intimate wedding—nearly everyone in Topeka and thousands across the state had a good memory associated
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Summer 2013
with this landmark. As it began to decline, however, hope that it would rebound became dim. People wanted to believe, but they were doubtful. The Capital Journal’s Pete Goering reported, “The first thing Jim Parrish noticed was the smell, the reek of neglect.” As soon as the papers were signed, Parrish went to work. The priorities
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were clear—repair the roof, redo the rooms, restore the reputation. The public was encouraged but skeptical, waiting for the follow-through on promises to bring back this historic hotel. It was a daunting task. Age and competition had taken a toll, somewhat reminiscent of the Urban Renewal in which the Ramada’s construction played such a significant role.