Nov. 30 will mark 10 years since the Hotel Talisi suffered a devastating fire. In that time, a lot has changed. And while the historic hotel has not reopened, there is still hope it will one day.
Currently, property owner Wylie Troupe is replacing a large portion of the westside wall of the building after water damaged caused significant structural damage to the already badly damaged building.
In an effort to ensure citizen safety, the Tallassee City Council requested municipal building inspector Andy Coker give regular progress reports while construction is ongoing.
Tallassee Chamber of Commerce director Jerry Cunningham is hopeful the downtown area will soon thrive as it once did.
"We're not giving up," Cunningham said. "We'll keep pressing on and take it day by day. I'm
optimistic that we can make something happen."
In September 2018, the city received the TAP grant for the downtown Tallassee project. This is a
$520,000 grant with a $205,000 match that will give the downtown area a fresh new streetscape.
According to Tallassee Mayor Johnny Hammock, work should begin on the project in 2020.
"With the new improvements that we will soon see, there will be more things coming,"
Cunningham said.
Once the downtown project is complete, the chamber hopes to bring events to the area.
"We would like to bring back Trade Day and have it in downtown," Cunningham said.
There has been recent growth in the downtown area. District 19, Sistrunk, All Things Desired,
Restoration 49, Urban Tails, Rustic Mills, Louie's Sno-Kones have all opened in recent years.
And business is booming. For example, Urban Tails had to relocate to a larger building in downtown to better accommodate all its clients.
Dylan Keith Carroll, who was minor at the time, was tried as an adult and sentenced to 13 years after being charged with two counts of arson second, arson third, four counts of burglary in the third degree, two counts of theft of property third, two counts of criminal mischief in the first degree, theft of property second, criminal mischief second, breaking and entering a vehicle and possession of burglary tools. Elmore County court records do not indicate which charges Carroll was convicted of.
Today Carroll remains in prison and has since been charged with escape in the second degree on two separate occasions in 2012, 2014 and escape first degree in 2019, according to court records.
According to investigators, Carroll initially set fire to Smarty Pants Consignment Shop, which was located adjacent to the hotel, in an attempt to cover up the burglary he committed.
Nearly 200 firefighters responded to the downtown area, but when the smoke cleared little remained except a charred shell of a building.
Today there is a green space and park where the building Smarty Pants once stood. There is a sitting area and a Free Little Library in the park for area residents to enjoy. Several civic organizations help the city maintain the area by planting flowers and cleaning the area each year.