Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones got a preview this morning of the restored Miller & Rhoads building -- a major piece in the city's efforts to revitalize downtown.
The landmark department store at Fifth and Broad streets reopens Wednesday as a 250-room Hilton Garden Inn hotel.
The $110 million project also includes 133 condominiums, which are expected to be available to buyers next month.
Jones and other city officials, including City Council President Kathy C. Graziano and Vice President Ellen F. Robertson, reminisced about the old department store as they praised what the building has become after languishing for nearly two decades.
They checked out the hotel's lobby, restaurant and meeting rooms named for store founders Miller, Rhoads and Gerhart.
They walked through hotel rooms and condos, including one with a large terrace overlooking Broad. They visited the pool and an adjoining atrium and imagined it decked out for a reception.
"I think it's really indicative of the new Richmond, the urban progress that's been made," Jones said of the renovation.
Robertson said she was one of the first African-American fashion models to work at the store's Tea Room during the mid-1970s.
She said she's thrilled that the Miller & Rhoads name will live on. She said the hotel will provide critical support for the nearby convention center.
"I think the dots are starting to connect," Robertson said.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for Thursday.
-- Will Jones
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