FORT SMITH, Ark. — The old Ward Hotel building at the corner of 6th and Garrison in Fort Smith will be sold to the highest bidder on June 10.
The building was built by the Ward family in the late 1920s. Right now, it houses a few offices and some apartments. The starting bid is $150,000.
"Rare opportunity to acquire a 72,000+ SF former hotel and office asset primely positioned in the heart of downtown Fort Smith, Arkansas," the online auction website said about the listing.
The offering includes the 72,000-square-foot building on 0.34 acres with one additional acre being leased for parking.
The Ward building is listed with the United States National Register of Historic Places.
According to the Arkansas Department of Heritage, the Ward Hotel cost $600,000 to build and furnish in 1929. It originally had 165 rooms, a coffee shop, a barber shop, and a ballroom. It was designed by Marcel Boulicault of St. Louis and Haralson and Nelson of Fort Smith.
The hotel later expanded to 200 rooms with connecting bathrooms.
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