Corbel detail on the Hotel McCurdy at 101-111 SE 1st St., formerly 401-415 Upper 1st St. The McCurdy Hotel was developed as, a luxurious facility to aid the city's expansion efforts. It was named after Col. William H. McCurdy, local industrialist and investor. The aging St. George Hotel, on the existing site, was razed in 1915 to build this magnificent hotel. Designed by H. Ziegler Dietz, the U-shaped, 8-story building featured a grand Rose Room located on the top floor. The hotel was built in opened for business on June 17, 1917. During its heyday, the McCurdy was operated as a Van Orman hotel. According to the Courier and Press archives, several prominent guests stayed at the McCurdy including Katharine Hepburn, Clark Gable, Sen. Joseph McCarthy and Richard Nixon. Business at the hotel dwindled in the late 1960s and McCurdy fell into bankruptcy. The hotel closed its doors March 16, 1969. Local businessman Robert E. Green bought the hotel and reopened it. By October 1970, however, Green sold the building to Medco Corp, which stated its intention to turn it from a hotel into a residential facility and retirement home. In 1989, it was resold again, becoming the McCurdy Healthcare Center. In June 2006, McCurdy was renamed Riverwalk Communities and changed its cliental focus. After several violations and citations from the Board Of Health, the facility agreed to cease operations. Plans are in place now to convert the building into upscale apartments. These apartments are being leased as of 2018. NOTE: This is the back side of the hotel, facing Riverside Dr. and the Ohio River.