Historic Colfax Hotel gets new life as family leads major renovation

After sitting empty for more than 50 years, the historic Colfax Hotel is getting a major renovation, with one family working to bring the century-old building back to life.

Wendy and Leif Lowery took on the project five years ago after seeing potential in the hotel, which first opened in 1903 as a stop for travelers passing through the railroad town.

As rail travel declined, the hotel lost its purpose and closed its doors in the early 1970s. Since then, the building has remained vacant.

"Nothing has happened here. And we saw such potential, and we still feel like the building was waiting for us," Wendy Lowery said.

Now, the family is documenting the restoration through a documentary titled "Renovation of the Historic Colfax Hotel," capturing both the challenges and unexpected discoveries that come with restoring an aging building.

"You just never know what the day is going to bring, what problems are going to pop up, things you have to conquer and fix, and cool things that happen, like the statue," Leif Lowery said.

The statue he referenced is a miniature Claude Chana, a piece of the hotel's history the family has managed to recover.

The restoration is also bringing the Lowery family together in a unique way. Their daughter, Taylor Lowery, is an architect helping design the hotel while working alongside her parents.

With the building stripped back to its wood framing and exposed walls, Taylor said the project requires constant adjustments as the family discovers what lies behind the existing structure.

"Working here with my parents, it's like, okay, we've got these plans, how are we going to do this thing? Things change every day on site," Taylor Lowery said.

The hands-on experience has also given her a new appreciation for her role as an architect.

"It feels like I'm truly the architect for the project more than I've ever been before, which is super fun," she said.

Once renovations are complete, the project is expected to include restaurant and retail space, eight hotel rooms and eight multifamily residential units intended for both long-term and short-term occupancy.

After years of planning, the family has received the final permit needed to move forward with the project.

The effort has also drawn support from the surrounding community, which the Lowerys say has embraced the hotel's potential as a renewed part of Colfax.

"The best part is seeing the community really rally behind and get behind us, get behind the hotel as a project, and everybody's excited about it," Leif Lowery said.

There is no set timeline yet for when the Colfax Hotel will reopen, but the family is continuing its work to restore the historic building and give it a new purpose for the community.