Ozuna: San Juan Hotel is a historic landmark. It has been a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark since 1985.

SAN JUAN, Texas – A member of the Save San Juan Hotel group has given a detailed response to an exclusive interview San Juan City Manager Ben Arjona gave the Rio Grande Guardian about demolishing the historic building.

“Some of the questions I’ve had surrounding the City of San Juan’s plans for the San Juan Hotel were answered. Others were not addressed or were unclear,” wrote Gabriel Ozuna, in a letter to Arjona about his interview with the Guardian. 

Although a member of the Hidalgo County Historical Commission, Ozuna sent his letter to Arjona in his personal capacity. 

In his interview with the Guardian, Arjona exclusively showed an artist’s rendering of what will replace the hotel. In its place will come a conference center. The rendering was designed by McAllen-based ERO Architects. 

Arjona said the conference center will be designed in such a way as to keep “elements” of the hotel in the new structure. 

Ozuna responded: “Demolition is not transformation. It does not matter if the new building pays an architectural homage to the San Juan Hotel; the hotel will be gone. The National Park Service’s exhaustive Standards for the proper treatment of historic landmarks prohibits destruction even if a replica is to be erected on the same site. Mimicry is not a form of preservation.”

Ozuna pointed out that San Juan Hotel is a historic landmark. “It has been a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark since 1985,” he said. “The City of San Juan holds correspondence between previous owners and the Texas Historical Commission detailing its historic status and restrictions on changes to its outward appearance.”

Ozuna said the City of San Juan itself provided this information to him in response to a previous public information request. 

Ozuna said he took issue with a comment Arjona gave the Guardian that “the land is a landmark, but the building is not a landmark.”

Ozuna responded: “This is not supported by the designation of the entire property, most especially the building, as a historic landmark by the State of Texas.”

Ozuna said Arjona also got it wrong in the interview when he questioned whether funding could be found to save the hotel.

Arjona told the Guardian: “We don’t know where the funding is at. We looked. I researched. My grant writers are looking into it.” 

Ozuna shot back: “I suggest your staff start in your hometown of Hidalgo, Texas, with the City Manager and his efforts to preserve the historic Odell-Rodriguez Store & Post Office building. He told KRGV Channel 5 News that he believes in ‘keeping the historical value of each community, especially when you have one as rich as we have here in Hidalgo; it’s very important to try everything that we can…’ Following the interview, he directed his staff to start on three grant applications to cover the costs of restoration. I am sure he would be able to assist in identifying potential grant sources beyond those I’ve mentioned previously.”

Like the San Juan Hotel, Ozuna said he successfully nominated the Odell-Rodriguez building to Preservation Texas’ Most Endangered Places List this year. 

“The main difference being that I submitted my nomination for the landmark at the City of Hidalgo’s behest and with their full support, as a first step toward putting together a competitive portfolio for grants. I would be equally delighted to work with your staff on restoration grants for the San Juan Hotel,” Ozuna said.

Ozuna continued: “If as you say, cost is the determining factor in the City’s decision-making formula, then I urge you and your staff to crunch the numbers on the cost of rehabilitation vs demolition and new construction. You have estimated that the proposed ERO rendering would cost approximately $6-8 million to build. I believe it is imperative to put out a RFQ for preservation specialists to do a proper study on what it would take to restore the San Juan Hotel without demolishing it.”

Ozuna said he has had several conversations with preservationists. “I believe restoration is the more cost-effective path even without grants and outside funding options.”

Ozuna also took issue with Arjona’s claim, again during the Guardian interview, that preservationists have not tried to meet with him.

Ozuna said he asked to meet with Ozuna about the San Juan Hotel at a public workshop he attended on May 1. He said this was when he first learned of the city’s plans to demolish the hotel. 

“At the City Commission meeting on May 14, I explicitly asked to meet with you and the rest of the Commission to discuss these options. I subsequently sent you a public statement, also sent to state and local officials, which has been widely circulated in the media,” Ozuna said.

Ozuna said he has received unsolicited offers and inquiries from various individuals, firms, and parties interested in saving the San Juan Hotel, both within and outside of Texas. “Unfortunately, neither you (Arjona) nor your office have responded to my offers of assistance,” Ozuna said.

Ozuna said that since his appointment to the Hidalgo County Historical Commission in 2021, he has provided the previous owner of the San Juan Hotel with much of the same information that he has submitted to Arjona.

“This information includes specifics on potential tax credits,” he said. “I have been in contact with the Texas Historical Commission concerning grants through the Texas Preservation Trust Fund. I reached out to the National Trust for Historic Preservation about an emergency funding grant for a structural survey and preservation plan. I have been in frequent communication with Preservation Texas which has a long and impressive history of finding ways to fund projects like these. I repeat, I will be delighted to work with your staff on restoration grants for the San Juan Hotel.”

Ozuna ended his letter by saying he believes it is “vital” for the City of San Juan to save the historic hotel. 

“Multiple city commissioners have indicated that if there is a reasonable path forward to save the San Juan Hotel and put the building back into service, they will consider it. I believe that is true, and I trust that my offers to help will not be ignored,” Ozuna said.

“If we work together, we can save the building and make it a cornerstone of the City’s commitment to its heritage and its future, a site that will continue to benefit the people of San Juan and the entire Rio Grande Valley.”

Ozuna added: “I thank you for your consideration.”

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