Siouxland Magazine - Volume 3 Issue 1

Siouxland Magazine | Enjoy /54
One short but also painstakingly long year
ago, our city’s landscape, make-up, and
skyline looked vastly different. We have all
faced challenges this year that left different levels
of ugliness in our lives but through a display of
Siouxland’s inherent resilience beacons of light
began to emerge from the shadows. There was a
beauty from years gone by waiting to be unlocked.
Visions lingering in the deepest most imaginative
corners of hopeful entrepreneur’s and leader’s minds
who were passionately set on willing them into
existence. Beautification through the chaos.
Sioux City has a rich beautiful antiquity. Historic
buildings that had once headlined a bustling
downtown had become decrepit shells. Uglier
versions of their former selves exuding a bleak
contribution to a prominent skyline. No more. Years
of preparation, grit, and determination rose to
the surface. Projects that will create and facilitate
significant economic impact.
The Warrior Hotel once again illuminates the skyline.
This historic property opened its doors some 90 years
ago in 1930. Celebrities the likes of boxing legend Joe
Louis and the incomparable Elvis Presley inhabited
the halls and reveled in its amenities. An epicenter for
the bustling streets of downtown, tragically closed its
doors in 1976 and has been a dilapidated eye sore
until now. A complete restoration has brought back
the Art Deco brilliance, grandeur of the staircase,
and ornate architectural elements in all their infinite
splendor. Glamorous rooms and suites exude cozy
elegance. Woodbury’s Steakhouse, War Eagle Lanes,
and The Crowne rooftop bar are a nod to the past but
also beg the question, why leave when a staycation is
right in your back yard?
The famous Motor Mart was built in 1911. It welcomed
revered musicians to its showroom. One such musician
was Louis Armstrong, who would go on to sign with
Bluebird records after a superb performance in the
venue’s renowned roof garden. Enter Bluebird Flats.
An urban industrial revival can be found on every floor
of this historical building restored
to its former glory. No apartment
is identical with many enjoying
stunning views of The Warrior and
the gardens at First Presbyterian
Church. Original mail shoots,
elevators, and terra cotta flooring
highlight the restoration. Bluebird
Flats will shine as the unique
original exterior was embraced and
accentuated.
Apparently, celebrities were
abundant on our streets in the
early part of the 20th century. 14
days after the ‘27 Yankees won the
World Series, Babe Ruth and Lou
Gehrig were found barnstorming
on fields located in the Stockyards,
the former lifeblood of the region.
A behemoth now sits in this place.
The EXPO Center supplies 80K
sq./ft. of tradeshow space, while