8 Failed Attempts, 30 Years Abandoned | Can San Juan Hotel be Saved?

Time is running out for the historic San Juan Hotel. Abandoned for nearly 30 years, this iconic building now sits at a crossroads as the surrounding city continues to grow and change. In this film, we explore the hotel as it stands today, uncover recent developments that could determine its future, and examine what it would take to bring it back to life. Along the way, we dive deep into its history to understand why this place mattered... and why it still could. EMAIL [email protected] if you are interested or have any questions! Produced by: Prairie Nation Creative, LLC & Hidalgo County Historical Commission Directed By: Michael Schwarz & Emily Cowan Edited By: Michael Schwarz Assistant Editor: Joel Anderson & Daniel Wingfield Concept Art: Prairie Nation Creative, LLC DOE Research By: Emily Cowan & Gabriel Ozuna Documentary Tour Guide: Michael Schwarz Interview Participants: Gabriel Ozuna - Chairman / Hidalgo County Historical Commission Jennifer Sandy - Senior Director of Preservation Programs / @savingplaces Claudia Espinosa - Project Reviewer / Texas Historical Commission Valerie Magolan - Historic Tax Credit Program Coordinator Jesus Najar - Architectural Programs Manager / @preservationtexas1985 Dr. Francisco Guajardo - Chief Executive Officer of the Museum of South Texas History Prof. Roseann Bacha-Garza - Anthropology Department / University of Texas RGV @utrgvchaps5061 Virginia Haynie Gause - Former Member Hidalgo County Historical Commission Lorri Marchant - Great-Niece of Glenn and Mary Sigle Newspapers - The Monitor @monitornews Chapters 0:00 - Intro 1:23 - San Juan Hotel is at Risk 2:43 - The 3rd Option 3:32 - Examples around the US 4:32 - A Team Behind You 4:47 - Nationally Endangered 5:55 - Structural Report 6:26 - Asbestos 7:17 - Historic Tax Credits / DOE Donation 9:34 - Potential Uses / Concept Restoration Photos 11:07 - City's Plan / Tourism Numbers 12:05 - Why this place Matters / History 12:49 - Magic Valley 13:10 - John Closner 14:55 - The Irrigation Marketing Scheme 16:16 - The First San Juan Hotel 16:40 - The Reiley Hotel 17:49 - San Juan's Glow-up 18:19 - 1933 Hurricane Disaster 18:47 - Anderson Ownership 19:09 - Edna Nelson 19:31 - Our Lady of San Juan de Valle 21:30 - Tom Mayfield 23:08 - Decline / Fires 23:49 - 1st Abandonment 24:35 - Sigle Restoration (1981) 26:28 - Texas Historic Landmark 27:17 - The Glory Years 27:47 - 2nd Decline & Abandonment 28:48 - Who Will Take On Next Chapter? Find the websites and socials of all 6 states here: https://AbandonedAtlas.com/links Feature Documentary on a really cool abandoned hotel! https://www.amazon.com/Forever-Majest... Video Produced by: Prairie Nation Creative - https://prairie-creative.com Want to support the Abandoned Atlas Foundation? Think about donating to our cause or buying a book as a different form of donating! Our shop is equipped to accept all major credit cards, Afterpay, Cash App, Venmo, and Paypal. Shop Our Books - https://AbandonedAtlas.com/shop/ Donate to our Cause! Venmo - @AbandonedAtlas Cash App - $AbandonedAtlas Paypal - https://www.paypal.com/donate/?token=...