A development team has stepped forward with early plans that could finally bring life back to the long-closed Hotel Florence in Pullman. The early concepts outline a boutique hotel inside the four-story 1881 building, a new bar and restaurant, event space in nearby factory structures, and an affordable housing component in the 1914 annex. For now, the proposal is still in its infancy and has to make it through the state’s procurement process before any work can actually start.
As reported by Chicago YIMBY, the team includes the Harley Clarke Development Company and Celadon Partners, with local architecture firm Farr & Associates attached. Chicago YIMBY notes that the developers have hinted at more details and released several concept renderings, including one image the outlet suggests may have been generated with AI.
The team surfaced after a multi-month solicitation run by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. According to IDNR, state law allows a public-private partnership to restore the Hotel Florence and its annex and, if both sides agree, certain Pullman factory buildings under a single 75-year agreement.
Price tag, partners, and scope
Initial estimates put the overall project cost at about $85 million, though reporting notes it is not clear whether that figure covers the first round of factory rehabs. Chicago YIMBY reports that Harley Clarke would work with Art of Culture to program an event venue inside part of the historic factory, and that the Pullman project would be tied to Harley Clarke’s operations at the Evanston mansion, which is slated to reopen in 2027.
Historic building and local stakes
The Hotel Florence opened in 1881 as a roughly 50-room Queen Anne hotel and received a major expansion around 1914. The state has owned the building since 1991, and it has been closed to regular public operations since 2000. The National Park Service includes the property as part of the Pullman State Historic Site and lists the hotel’s address as 11111 South Forrestville Avenue, just south of the Pullman factory campus and across 111th Street from the park’s visitor center.
Timeline, funding, and next steps
IDNR issued the Request for Solicitation earlier this year, building interviews and selection milestones into its procurement calendar. The agency says it will weigh qualifications, experience, project plans, budgets, and BEP participation when choosing a team. The state has set aside about $21 million in infrastructure funding to help restart activity at the site, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, and IDNR procurement documents outline the 75-year public-private framework that would govern long-term operations.
What neighbors will watch for
Residents and preservation advocates are likely to keep a close eye on whether the proposal protects the building’s historic character while still delivering public access, local hiring, and the promised affordable housing in the annex. Developers have so far only teased additional details, and the state’s procurement language signals that any final contract would come with long-term operation and maintenance obligations intended to keep the property active and open to visitors.
.jpg){kind=link}