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August 4, 2011
City to use eminent domain on Markham building
GULFPORT — The City Council has approved a motion to begin the process of eminent domain on the old Markham Building, which has become a vacant and dangerous eyesore since Hurricane Katrina.
The Markham was built as a hotel in the 1920s and later converted into an office building. In its heyday, the Markham’s Crystal Ballroom was a local hotspot for dances, parties and other events.
Today the building sits empty. Windows are blown out. The roof is blown off.
For more than two years, the Schloegel administration has been negotiating with Markham owner Michael Eckstein to clean up and move forward with redevelopment, but very little has happened on the property. In fact, the city has referred eight potential buyers to Eckstein, but all to no avail.
The City Council in March 2010 conducted a public hearing on the dilapidated, dangerous and vacant hotel, after which the council condemned the building as a public nuisance.
“Mr. Eckstein has chosen to delay any resolution to the situation by legal appeals,” Mayor George Schloegel said. “By authorizing us to file eminent domain proceedings, the City Council has again expressed its frustration with the lack of action from the owners.”
The Markham seems to stick out as an eyesore now more than ever, since the rebirth of downtown shifted into overdrive a few years ago with new building facades, sidewalks and streetscape.
The Mississippi Main Street Association recently listed the Markham Hotel as one of the 10 Most Endangered Places in Mississippi.
“The second worst solution to this situation is to demolish the historic Markham Hotel, but the worse solution is to let the building remain in its present condition,” Mayor Schloegel said. “This community deserves better.”
Did you know?
• The Markham Hotel opened its doors on January 31, 1927 at the corner of 21st Avenue and 14th Street.
• The hotel was named for Charles H. Markham, a former president of the Illinois Central Railroad.
• On opening night, a grand event was planned that included an orchestra borrowed from the Roosevelt Blue Room in New Orleans.
• A grand stairway swept patrons from the lobby to the mezzanine for dinner in an elegant, formal dining room.
• The pool was a favorite summertime spot for children in the Markham’s popular swimming club.
• A rooftop garden was completed shortly after the hotel opened.
• The Security Savings and Loan Co. acquired the building in the 1960s. A few years later, in 1970, the Markham Hotel was shutdown and its contents were auctioned off.
• The Markham was renovated at least twice through the years and operated as an office building for several decades.
• Hurricane Katrina pummeled the Markham in 2005. New Orleans attorney Michael Eckstein purchased the building after the storm and it has been left untouched ever since.
—Misspreservation.com and City of Gulfport archives
The Markham today
Postcard of the Markham in its heyday
The Markham's rooftop courtyard
Office of Public Information - rlafontaine@gulfport-ms.gov - Phone: 228-868-5782
P.O. Box 1780 Gulfport, MS 39502-1780 - FAX: 868-5800
