And by “look”, I mean it in the singular.

You may or may not recall that Decatur’s old-is-new-again Courtyard By Marriott reopened to the public today.   Scott snapped this photo for you armchair hotel interior enthusiasts.

Past…

Present…

Ain’t that a sweet overhang!

Also, the entire interior has been gutted.  Currently it’s just a huge open space.  Not sure if there’s a tenant yet though, as there’s still a For Lease sign on the front exterior.  Lookin’ good, nonetheless!

Not sure what made me think of this, but I’m going to go with it.

Back during the battle over 315 West Ponce, when we agonized for weeks over a potential “Building A” that would sit along the West Ponce sidewalk, I proposed a compromise of allowing a restaurant on the first floor of the existing 315 office building and allowing them to use the existing exterior walkway as an outdoor patio.   My thinking went that this would help rejuvenate the space a bit without having to squeeze a new building into the current pocket park.   Of course, the parking issue would rear its ugly head, but if any lot on that street could accommodate restaurant parking, it’s that one.

Anyway, having had this idea resurface in my head this morning, I wondered what other ideas about renovating an existing Decatur building(s) might be out there floating in the ether.

The only “rule” in this thought experiment is that you can’t “build” any new, freestanding structures to make your dream a reality.