The Greyhound Inn, formerly the historic Tyler Union Station bus terminal, making strides toward completion

Built in 1932, the Tyler Union Station-Campbell Building is a two-story art deco commercial brick building with a modern addition located at 303-311 N. Bois d’Arc Avenue in downtown Tyler. It was built by local businessman and dairyman John L. Campbell to house three retail spaces and five upstairs apartments.

The building retains a high degree of integrity on the exterior with its massing, masonry construction — art deco cast stone ornamentation and window configuration. A modern style addition at the east elevation was completed in 1946, converting the building into the Union bus station in 1946.

The exterior configuration of display windows and doors was maintained with the 1946 addition. The original interior retail spaces were reconfigured to an open lobby space for use as the bus station and some of the upstairs spaces were reconfigured for retail, others retained as apartments, according to the National Register of Historic Places.

Bergfeld said while parts of the building will keep its historical integrity, there are modern additions being made.

“There are five apartments on the second floor that are original to the building that are being completely renovated for overnight lodging. The modern edition is being divided into two rooms, one will occupy the north half and the other the south half,” he said. “Downstairs we have added two hospitality suites, one being ADA compliant. The retail space is being renovated back to its 1946 floor plan, when the building was converted to the bus station and will have plaster walls, high ceilings and beautiful storefronts on the south and west sides.”

“There will be outdoor seating on the south side of the building as well as under the overhang on the east side, where the busses formerly loaded. The hospitality rooms are all unique; six of them will have living rooms, kitchenettes, bathrooms and bedrooms. The hardwood floors, original trim and original windows are all being restored with updated bathrooms and kitchenettes,” Bergfeld said. “HVAC will be added to the second floor; all plumbing and electrical has been updated and new fixtures will be period to either the Art Deco or Art Modern style, depending on which room you are in. There will be a secured gated parking lot for our overnight guests.”

Bergfeld, whose family has its own long history in Tyler, said the vision for downtown is for it to become a destination for people to come to and spend a weekend or a few days taking in our attractions and enjoying the atmosphere that Tyler has to offer.

“Known for our roses and azaleas, Tyler has so much to offer in natural beauty, we just needed to give people some options for overnight lodging that have some character. There is nothing wrong with the chain hotels in south Tyler, but to become a true ‘destination downtown’ we needed some options near the square,” he said. “In the last two years, The Thomas has come online and provides a great option, but we feel like there is plenty of demand for boutique style concepts with all of the growth downtown has seen lately.”

Bergfeld said it was exciting when he saw the configuration of the Union Station building, with the apartments already upstairs, with room to add more rooms and still have retail and restaurant space to compliment the hospitality.

“What really solidified the concept was the art deco architecture on the exterior of the building, which had been preserved when Greyhound covered it all in sheet metal in their last major renovation,” he said. “We just don’t have that many buildings left in East Texas with that type of architectural character.”

Bergfeld said Tyler has always been the economic leader of East Texas, but the downtown area has lagged some since the 1980s when the Plaza Tower was finished, the last major private construction project downtown.

“What you are seeing now is a renaissance that we can all be proud to call home,” he said.

The Greyhound Inn will be a contactless hotel; there will be no employees on site unless they are cleaning rooms or doing routine maintenance. It will be managed from Bergfeld’s office in Plaza Tower, about a block away.

Guests will book their room either through the website, which should be up and running by Aug. 1, or one of the national booking services like Airbnb or Expedia, and will be given a code to get in the gates and exterior doors with a different code to get into their room.

Bergfeld said for the retail space, they are looking for a use that compliments the overnight lodging component and vice versa.

“The retail space has some great views of the architecture of downtown with more outdoor seating than most places. We are looking for someone who can appreciate the architecture of the building and historic finishes inside, who can also be somewhat of a destination for people from all over East Texas,” he said. “As we have done with our other properties downtown, the fit is more important than just filling the space. We are looking for a user that adds to what others are already doing downtown.”

“The Greyhound Inn will provide an experience you can’t currently get in East Texas,” Bergfeld said.

The Greyhound Inn is forecasted to be open by Oct. 1 and taking bookings by Aug. 1.

For more information, visit The Greyhound Inn Facebook page.