North Platte’s grande dame is slowly opening the doors of her classic wardrobe.
 
Painted-over aesthetic touches and even entire artworks hidden for decades are emerging in the early stages of owner/historic redeveloper Jay Mitchell’s revival of the 1929 Hotel Pawnee.
 
Since their arrival in mid-October, Mitchell and his core restoration team have been cleaning up, taking stock and beginning to uncover known and unknown gems inside the Canteen District’s worn but stout eight-story jewel.
 
Though renovating it all will take some time, they’re hoping to have the bottom two floors — the ones previous generations knew best — restored and ready for new businesses and public access by the end of next summer.
 
That includes the spacious first-floor lobby, its adjoining Green Room dining room and second-floor mezzanine balcony; the nine first-floor business spaces, anchored by the 1941 Tom-Tom Coffee Shop and 1936 White Horse Bar; and the second-floor Crystal Ballroom, in the worst shape after a ceiling cave-in several years ago.
 
As Mitchell guided us last week, we could see many tantalizing hints of the enduring and lost glories of the National Register of Historic Places structure. Click to continue reading, watch video tours, and view photos..

See also-Forgotten treasures: Pawnee redeveloper shares hotel's progress,  discoveries after just month of renovation - click here.