RESTORING GRANDEUR

By Paula Horton - Daily World Writer
From The Daily Astorian 11-02-05

Aberdeen, WA — It only took one look at the restored Hotel Elliott in Astoria for a potential developer to envision a similar rebirth elsewhere. And at the center of the project to reclaim the old grandeur of the Morck Hotel in Aberdeen is Chester Trabucco.

When the Morck opened in downtown Aberdeen in 1924, area businesses and the Chamber of Commerce ran ads hailing it as ushering in a “new epoch in the community life.” It wasn’t much of an exaggeration. The ads also predicted that the 150-room, “strictly modern fireproof” hotel would long stand as a testament to “the courage and farsightedness of those men responsible for its erection.”

But like the Davenport in Spokane, the Marcus Whitman in Walla Walla and Hoquiam’s Emerson Hotel, the Morck hit hard times in the 1970s. The grand old hotels, once centerpieces of their communities – home to traveling salesmen, cafes, beauty salons, cigar shops and swank lounges – fell victim to deferred maintenance, motels with off-street parking and malls that eroded downtowns.

Now, Trabucco is teaming up with some Harborites with the goal of restoring the Morck as “a four-star destination hotel,” complete with restaurants and retail shops. They even want to bring back the Morck’s well-remembered Coach House restaurant and Highlander lounge, which featured waitresses in kilts and 40 kinds of Scotch.

AGREEMENT SIGNED
Trabucco, who lives in Seattle, signed an agreement Oct. 3 to buy the Morck from Bill Lipscomb of Seattle and Bob Annis, who has been the onsite owner/manager.

“From everything I understand, the Morck was the Four Seasons of Aberdeen at one time,” said Trabucco, who recently restored the Hotel Elliott in Astoria. “It was the gathering place – the place where many people had their first real date, their anniversary dinners. Any special and important activity took place at the Morck.

“Our plan is to restore it not only to, but perhaps beyond, its original splendor and grandeur,” he added. “The building has great bones. It’s going to be around for hundreds of years. The idea, of course, is to make it the centerpiece of the town.”

If everything goes as planned, construction could begin as early as January, Trabucco said. The estimated $10 million renovation project is expected to take about a year to complete.

A limited liability corporation is being formed for the project. The major partners will be Trabucco and Molly Sanders, principal owners of the Hotel Elliott, Tim Quigg, vice president of Quigg Bros. Inc., plus his company Quigg Bros. Inc. Other local investors are being sought.

“The timing’s right,” said Quigg, who sought out Trabucco after staying at his Astoria hotel. “This community’s been ready for the Morck for a long time. It’s actually in tremendous shape and it’s just sitting there waiting for us to do it.

“The Morck will be a place where you can get out of the elements in inclement weather and have a very nice experience.”

 

  • The Morck, 1942
      Jones Historical Collection The Morck Hotel in Aberdeen, Wash., as it looked in 1942. The building had 150 hotel rooms with many retail businesses.
  • Chester Trabucco
      Chester Trabucco tours what became the model “Lewis and Clark Suite” of the Hotel Elliott in 2001.
      The Daily Astorian file