Rendering of what the the Mayfair building is anticipated to look like after rehabilitation. 

The Tyler City Council on Wednesday approved an additional $1.5 million for a contract with WRL General Contractors to restore the historic Mayfair building.

The Mayfair building, along with Tyler’s new convention center, is a part of Phase 1 of the Rose Complex Master Plan.

When the total cost of the multi-million dollar plan was determined, the property was owned by the East Texas State Fair, and the city was unable to get a structural engineer inside, said Deputy City Manager Stephanie Franklin.

When the city took over ownership of the Mayfair, an interior assessment of the building resulted in the $1.5 million increase.

The additional cost is expected to be covered by the city’s hotel occupancy tax revenues, which can only be used for projects related to tourism.

When looking at moving forward with the Mayfair project, both restoration and reconstruction of the Mayfair were considered, Franklin said. Estimates from WRL showed restoration would cost $346.10 per square foot compared with about $430 per square foot for reconstruction.

The building is 12,320 square feet.

The planning process for the master plan, including the newly named W.T. Brookshire Conference Center, Mayfair Building and more, began in 2016, Franklin said. The master plan was approved in July 2017.

When planning, “Most of what we heard from our community is that we want to protect the history and the culture of this area,” Franklin said.

The Mayfair building is a part of “true music history in our community, and it’s been a part of true music history as a stop on many famous musicians’ tours throughout Texas over time,” she said.

“Tyler has many historic buildings, but I would argue that the Mayfair is one of the most significant in that the history associated with this property transcends local significance and state significance,” said Ashley Washmon, executive director for Historic Tyler.

Music icons such as Elvis traveled to Tyler to perform at the Mayfair, and that’s a “really important” part of the city’s history, Washmon said. A special part of Tyler’s charm and culture is its historic landmarks and buildings, she said.

“The Mayfair, in the most simple terms, is a significant part of our city,” said Michael Romines, president of Historic Tyler.

When moving the city into the future, Romines said it sometimes important to look into the past.

The goal is to make the Mayfair building an attraction while keeping the historic characteristics that the community loves. Preserving the Mayfair’s historic value also will help to draw more tourists because it offers a unique experience, Franklin said.

“When we’re marketing this complex … the things that are in this facility that we are planning, including the Mayfair, really set us apart from other destinations,” Franklin said. “It’s why you want to plan your conference, why you want to come to Tyler because there is a piece of history that is part of this — it’s not just a humongous convention center that we’ve sat down in, say, the middle of a retail center.”

When it comes to the Mayfair, Phase 1 will include rehabilitation. Future plans including using the armory building next to it as a pavilion, creating a food truck park and installing a tree grove across the street to create a space that functions indoor and outdoor, Franklin said.

When completed, the Mayfair will be able to serve multiple functions, including offering additional breakout rooms when conferences are held at the W.T. Brookshire Conference Center.

Work to restore the Mayfair will begin after the East Texas State Fair and is anticipated to be completed about nine months after the conference center.

Also during Wednesday’s council meeting, members approved a $119,004 contract with Southern Trenchless Solutions for the maintenance and repair of storm water infrastructure at 2110 N. Bonner Ave.

The maintenance project is needed to repair deteriorated and falling structures, settled culverts and erosion that is causing sinkholes and causing problems for storm water structures in the area, according to the city. The deteriorated interior of the upstream inlet box also will be repaired with a coating to prevent flooding and water damage to other infrastructure and properties.

The project is scheduled to begin this summer and be completed in 60 days, according to the city.

The council on Wednesday also approved two construction contracts for sanitary sewer line rehabilitation.

The contract with Douglas Daily Construction totals $2.37 million and will rehabilitate 22,000 linear feet of deteriorated sewer lines through pipe bursting, according to the city.

The contract with Texas Pride totals $3.64 million and is for the remediation of 36 sanitary sewer gravity main locations using about 11,277 linear feet of cured-in-place pipe liner and sectional liner.

This project is a part of an agreement the city entered into in April 2017 with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to rehabilitate its sewer system.